With just two games left to go in the Ninja A-League and four games left in the Isuzu UTE A-League, the race for the A-Leagues Club Championship looks set to go right down to the wire.
So who is in prime position to capture the fifth edition of the A-Leagues Club Championship and who’s name is already etched onto the trophy?
Aleagues.com.au takes a trip down memory lane…
MUST READ: The A-Leagues Club Championship is back for season 2025-26
2021-22 – Melbourne City
Introduced ahead of the 2021-22 season, Melbourne City were the inaugural winners of the A-Leagues Club Championship.
Led by Patrick Kisnorbo, Melbourne City’s Isuzu UTE A-League side clinched the Premiership that season with 49 points to their names whilst the Ninja A-League side, coached by the late Rado Vidosic, sealed a second placed finish.
Key to both sides that season were their imperious strikers, with Jamie McLaren bagging 16 goals whilst Hannah Wilkinson scored 12 goals.
Combined Points Total: 82
Emma Checker & Aiden O’Neill of Melbourne City pose for a photo after collecting the Club Championship Trophy
2022-23 – Melbourne City
Having captured the inaugural A-Leagues Club Championship at the end of the 2021-22 A-League season, Melbourne City then retained the trophy for the following season.
Whilst Premiership winning Head Coach Patrick Kisnorbo moved on towards the end of the season the men’s team continued their fine league form under new head coach Rado Vidosic as they cruised to a second-successive Premiers Plate, finishing 11 points clear of second-placed Central Coast Mariners.
Stepping away from his position of Ninja A-League Head Coach to take charge of the men’s side, Rado Vidosic was replaced by his son, Dario, who guided the women’s side to a third placed finish that season – with a combined points tally of 85 points three more than that of the previous year.
Combined Points Total: 85
Emma Checker and Scott Jamieson of Melbourne City pose with the A-Leagues Club Championship Trophy at the 2023 Dolan Warren Awards
2023-24 – Central Coast Mariners
The first club to break the Melbourne City stranglehold on the A-Leagues Club Championship trophy were the Central Coast Mariners in 2023-24.
Having defeated City 6-1 in the Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final the season before, the Mariners then went on a tear the following season, winning both the Premiership and the Championship in the 2023-24 season as well as the AFC Cup under Head Coach Mark Jackson.
Equally as important to the Mariners’ A-Leagues Club Championship trophy success were the Ninja A-League side in what was their first season back in the competition.
Coached by Emily Husband, the Mariners would finish their comeback season in fifth place on the Ninja A-League ladder before going on to reach the semi-finals.
Combined Points Total: 90
Mariners coaches Emily Husband and Mark Jackson celebrate winning the Club Championship trophy
2024-25 – Melbourne City
Melbourne City re-captured their A-Leagues Club Championship trophy at the end of the 2024-25 season and they did so in style.
Now under the tutelage of Michael Matricciani, Melbourne City’s Ninja A-League side blitzed the regular season as they clinched a second-successive Premiership trophy and they did so by going the entire regular season unbeaten!
Meanwhile the Isuzu UTE A-League side enjoyed an excellent season of their own, finishing second in the race for the Premiership behind Auckland FC before then going on to win the Championship under Head Coach Aurelio Vidmar, defeating rivals Melbourne Victory 1-0 in the Grand Final.
At the end of what was a scintilating season for both the men’s and women’s side, City also set a new points total of 103 when it comes to the A-Leagues Club Championship trophy.
Combined Points Total: 103
The A-Leagues Club Championship trophy
