The Hyundai A-League 2018/19 Season draw was announced on Thursday with plenty of standout features, including a number of ‘themed rounds’ and a bumper Summer Football program.
Remembrance Round, Female Football Round and Play Football Round are all features of the season schedule again, while the holiday period in January will see 30 games in just 26 days.
Take a look at all the key dates and fixtures below.
Click here to see the full 2018/19 Draw
REMEMBRANCE ROUND
Round 4 of the Hyundai A-League is devoted to acknowledging the sacrifices made by the men and women of the armed services during times of war.
A pre-match ceremony will be observed at all five matches over the weekend of November 9-11.
And there’s some key fixtures as well with a top-two battle from last season as the Jets host Sydney FC in the Hunter, while Mike Mulvey’s revolution at the Mariners gets an early test with a trip to the champions Melbourne Victory.
Fixtures:
- Friday, November 9 - Melbourne City v Wellington Phoenix
- Saturday, November 10 - Western Sydney Wanderers v Brisbane Roar
- Saturday, November 10 - Newcastle Jets v Sydney FC
- Sunday, November 11 - Adelaide United v Perth Glory
- Sunday, November 11 - Melbourne Victory v Central Coast Mariners
FEMALE FOOTBALL ROUND
Following the FIFA international break after round 4, the competition resumes with a round which celebrate women in football and the extensive impact they play at all levels of the game, to coincide with Female Football Week.
A key objective of Female Football Round is to drive female participation, while also acknowledging the large number of women who are currently actively involved in the game in any capacity.
The standout clash over the weekend of November 23-25 sees the first Big Blue of the season in Sydney in the first meeting between the two clubs since last season’s dramatic semi-final.
Mark Rudan goes up against his former club as the Phoenix hosts Adelaide United, while Roar hosts City in the latest installment of the growing rivalry between the two clubs.
Fixtures:
- Friday, November 23 - Western Sydney Wanderers v Newcastle Jets
- Saturday, November 24 - Wellington Phoenix v Adelaide United
- Saturday, November 24 - Brisbane Roar v Melbourne City
- Sunday, November 25 - Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory
- Sunday, November 25 - Perth Glory v Central Coast Mariners
PLAY FOOTBALL ROUND
The Hyundai A-League will celebrate Play Football Round in week 18 of the 2018/19 Season.
The round – played from Thursday, February 7 to Sunday February 10 - is used to promote football registrations around Australia for the upcoming grassroots season.
The first Thursday night match of the season takes place with the Jets hosting Wellington, allowing the Hunter club a bit of extra time to prepare for their ACL playoff the following week.
Other big matches in Round 18 sees Melbourne City host Adelaide United, while Melbourne Victory end the round with a home match against Tony Popovic’s Glory.
Fixtures:
- Thursday, February 7 - Newcastle Jets v Wellington Phoenix
- Friday, February 8 - Brisbane Roar v Sydney FC
- Saturday, February 9 - Melbourne City v Adelaide United
- Sunday, February 10 - Melbourne Victory v Perth Glory
- TBC - Western Sydney Wanderers v Central Coast Mariners
SUMMER FOOTBALL
A feature of the Hyundai A-League calendar in recent seasons has been the holiday period where – like the weather – the action on the pitch heats up.
And this year’s Summer Football period is the biggest yet with a total of 30 matches over 26 days from the start of January until the end of the month.
With six rounds played over that period, there will be two weeks where rounds will be played midweek, giving Hyundai A-League fans plenty of football to sink their teeth into during the school holidays.
And there’s some huge match-ups as well, which could have a huge bearing heading into the second half of the season.
Some of the games include an #OriginalRivalry clash between Adelaide and Victory on Wednesday, January 9, while there’s a Grand Final replay just three days later in Melbourne.
Click here to see the full 2018/19 Draw
Just 24 hours later, Tony Popovic hosts his former club the Wanderers in Perth, while the following week Mike Mulvey also goes up against the side he took to the title in 2014 when the Mariners play Brisbane Roar.
There’s two huge clashes on Wednesday, January 23 with an F3 Derby in Newcastle, while Mark Rudan takes his Wellington side into battle against the club he skippered to the inaugural Hyundai A-League crown in 2005/06, while the Sky Blues also have their traditional Australia Day Big Blue against Victory.
