With the National Rugby League season now done and dusted, Australian sports fans will soon be able to turn their attention to the 2023/24 A-League season. The top football competition in Australia has been steadily growing in popularity in recent years, helped in part by the involvement of the City Football Group. Manchester City’s owners acquired Melbourne Heart in 2014, and subsequently rebranded the club as Melbourne City.
Their involvement has not only helped to raise the profile of the competition, but has also established City as one of the big hitters in the A-League. They will head into the new season as the favourites to win the title, but are unlikely to have things their own way in the face of some stiff competition.
We look at the line-up and schedule for the upcoming campaign, before showing you where you can watch live streams. We also assess which team will emerge victorious at the end of the campaign.
A-League 2023/24 – Teams
The A-League is expanding from 2024/25, with two new teams taking the competition up to 14 clubs.
This season’s teams are as follows:
- Adelaide United
- Brisbane Roar
- Central Coast Mariners
- Macarthur FC
- Melbourne City
- Melbourne Victory
- Newcastle Jets
- Perth Glory
- Sydney FC
- Wellington Phoenix
- Western Sydney Wanderers
- Western United
A-League 2023/24 – Format & Schedule
The new A-League season begins on October 20, 2023, and runs through until the Grand Final on May 25, 2024. There are 26 games for each team during the regular season, with the top six teams progressing to the finals series. The top two teams go straight through to the semi-finals, with the other four entering elimination finals. The winning teams from these two games move on to the last four.
The two winning semi-finalists contest the Grand Final, with the winner of that game crowned as A-League champions for 2023/24.
A-League 2023/24 – Ante-Post Betting Odds
With A-League teams boasting numerous imported players, overseas interest in the competition has grown significantly in the past few seasons. This has had a knock-on effect in the gambling industry, with online sportsbooks offering a vast array of odds and markets throughout the season.
The top betting websites have had ante-post prices available for several weeks, demonstrating the growing popularity of the competition with punters.
The competitive nature of the A-League is highlighted by the latest odds, with six teams currently listed in single figures to clinch the championship.
- Melbourne City – 3.80
- Central Coast Mariners – 6.00
- Western Sydney Wanderers – 7.00
- Adelaide United – 8.00
- Sydney FC – 8.00
- Melbourne Victory – 9.00
- Western United – 11.00
- Wellington Phoenix – 15.00
- Macarthur FC – 19.00
- Brisbane Roar – 21.00
- Newcastle Jets – 26.00
- Perth Glory 34.00
A-League 2023/24 – Live Streaming
Fans can watch selected A-League matches live and free on 10 Bold and 10 Play each weekend. Live streams are available via Paramount+.
A-League 2023/24 – Preview
While Melbourne City have been the team to beat in the A-League over the past few years, their regular season performances have not translated into league titles. They have reached the Grand Final in each of the last four campaigns, but have only clinched the championship once (2020/21). Last season was particularly tough to take for the Melbourne-based side, as they were demolished 6-1 by Central Coast Mariners in the final.
City have been busy in the transfer market during the close season, but their new-look squad struggled to gel during their recent Australia Cup campaign. They were beaten at the semi-final stage by Sydney FC, and will need to improve if they are to emerge victorious at the end of this season. Sydney FC could be the value bet at odds of 8.00 to win the title after acquiring the services of two talented players on loan deals from Brazilian clubs.
The Mariners should also be competitive in their bid to retain the title, although they will need to shrug off the disappointment of losing head coach Nick Montgomery. Western Sydney Wanderers and Adelaide United are also expected to be in contention in what promises to be an extremely fiercely fought title race.
Also read: Five Players to Watch at The Rugby World Cup 2023
