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The 2024/25 A-League season has reached its conclusion, and a mouthwatering Grand Final lies just around the corner. For the first time ever, two teams from the same city will contest the showpiece fixture, with Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City writing the next chapter of their storied rivalry with the title on the line.
City will head into the final as the overwhelming favourites after finishing second in the regular season, but their cross-city rivals have all the momentum on their side. The Victory shockingly beat Premier’s Auckland FC in the semifinals, picking up a stunning 2-0 victory in the second leg in New Zealand to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit. Now they head to Sydney to meet with their greatest rivals, but following the culmination of that clash, soccer fans may well be wondering what to do with their time throughout the A-League’s annual five-month hiatus.
Staying Busy in the Close Season
Even during the off-season, the A-League’s magnetic pull has inspired alternative ways to keep fans connected. Online casinos like Joe Fortune Australia, for example, have seized the moment with soccer-themed slot machines like Hat Trick Hero and Zombie FC. These digital games aim to immerse fans in the thrill of game day with goals, trophies, and a deafening stadium atmosphere – giving them something to do when the real pitches are quiet and the players are resting up. Zombie FC offers a particularly amusing twist on the much-loved sport and has punters flocking to Joe Fortune to try their luck.
It’s not really surprising that the beautiful game has offered creatives inspiration in so many other areas, of course. With so many great players and enthralling moments, it’s thoroughly earned its place in the hearts and minds of millions, and Australian players have been a big part of that. Over the years, superstars such as Alessandro Del Piero, Dwight Yorke, and Robbie Fowler have all headed to the Land Down Under in a bid to find the back of the net. But which players have scored more goals than any other in the A-League? Let’s take a look.
Jamie Maclaren
Current Socceroos talisman Jamie Maclaren is comfortably the A-League’s record goalscorer, and he could well add to his tally in the coming years. Aged 31, the Sunbury-born star currently finds himself in the Indian Super League with Mohun Bagan, but it’s in his homeland where he truly set the world alight.
Maclaren first got his chance with his boyhood club Perth Glory, netting 11 goals in 38 games, including nine in 20 in his sophomore season. But it wasn’t until he made the move to Brisbane Roar that he truly began to shine. Throughout his two years in Queensland, the 32-time Australia international bagged 40 goals, 20 in each season, with the goals coming in just 53 games at a strike rate of a goal every 120 minutes.
Despite the slew of goals, Maclaren wasn’t able to lead the Roar back to Grand Final glory, and as such, he was on the move again. He headed to Europe, firstly with German side Darmstadt and then Scottish outfit Hibernian. After two years, he returned to his homeland, this time to Melbourne City, and there, he would catapult the Sky Blues into the big time.
Throughout six years with City, Maclaren scored a whopping 103 goals in 142 appearances, helping his side claim three Premierships and four straight Grand Finals. Unfortunately, they would only win one of those, but Maclaren’s almighty haul of 150 A-League goals comfortably puts him at the top of the list.
Besart Berisha
Former Albania and Kosovo international Besart Berisha spent the formative years of his career in Europe with outfits such as Hamburg, Arminia Bielefeld, and Rosenborg. He made the move to Australia in 2011 at the age of 26, and his prime years saw him bag plenty of goals.
Beginning with a three-year stint in Brisbane, Berisha helped himself to 48 goals in 76 appearances, securing one Premiership and two Grand Final championships in the process. He then moved on to Melbourne Victory, netting a further 66 goals in a four-year stint with the club, winning further championships along the way.
After a brief stint in Japan, Berisha returned to Australia when he joined Western United in 2019. He added another 25 goals to his haul throughout his two years out West, taking his overall haul to 142.
Bruno Fornaroli
Melbourne Victory veteran Bruno Fornaroli is one of the A-League’s all-time great imports. The Uruguayan made the move down under in 2015 after a relatively successful career in Europe with the likes of Sampdoria and Panathinaikos. He first joined Melbourne City and bagged 48 goals across a three-year stint, before spending two years in Perth and finding the net a further 33 times.
In 2022, Fornaroli joined the Victory and drew the ire of supporters across the city. He has scored a further 31 times for his current club, including netting the winner in the recent playoffs semifinal against the much-fancied Auckland FC at the ripe old age of 37.
That took his total haul in Australia to 102, and now he has the perfect opportunity to bring the curtain down on an epic stint in the Land Down Under. The veteran Uruguayan has the chance to lead his current club to victory against his former club and greatest rivals in the biggest game in Aussie soccer.
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