2011–12 Brisbane Roar FC season

The 2011–12 season is Brisbane Roar's seventh season in the A-League. Brisbane successfully defended their Championship by defeating Perth Glory 2–1 in front of 50,344, but relinquished the Premiership to Central Coast Mariners, who ended the regular season 2 points ahead of the Roar, with the result going to down to the last day of the regular season. They will compete in the 2012 Asian Champions League, for finishing the regular season first. On 2 August 2011, the club confirmed they would be supplied with kits and training gear by German multinational apparel company Puma.[1] It is the first time in the history of the club and A-League that they will not be wearing a kit that is made by Reebok.

Brisbane Roar
2011–12 season
ChairmanEugenie Buckley
Michael Bowers (caretaker)
Dali Tahir
ManagerAnge Postecoglou
A-League2nd
FinalsChampions (1st)
AFC Champions LeagueGroup stage (4th)
Top goalscorerLeague: Besart Berisha (19 goals)
All: Besart Berisha (23 goals)
Highest home attendanceLeague: 19,339 vs Perth Glory, 26 November 2011 (Round 8)
All: 50,334 vs Perth Glory, 22 April 2012 (grand final)
Lowest home attendanceLeague: 9,293 vs Newcastle Jets, 28 January 2012 (Round 19)
All: 5,615 vs Beijing Guoan, 16 May 2012 (ACL matchday 6)
Average home league attendanceLeague: 15,963
All: 14,673

On 4 October 2011, four days out from the start of the 2011–12 A-League season, The World Game reported that the Bakrie Group had struck a 10-year deal to take 70% ownership of the club, with the other 30% being occupied by the FFA.[2] The deal was officially unveiled by the club on Friday, the day before the club faced Central Coast Mariners in a grand final rematch of the previous season. On 6 February 2012, it was announced that the Bakrie Group had acquired the full 100% stake in the club.[3] Brisbane went on a 36-game undefeated streak, breaking the Australian football code record set by the Eastern Suburbs rugby league team in 1935–37 (35 games).[4][5][6]

Managers

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On 24 April, Championship winning coach Ange Postecoglou, resigned from is post as manager just days after winning his second back to back championship for the Roar.[7] The following day, long serving assistant manager and youth team coach Rado Vidošić was named successor to makes his return to head coach of the Roar having served as caretaker for one game after the sacking of former coach Frank Farina.[8]

Squad lineup for 2011/12

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Correct as of 2 February 2012 – players numbers as per the official Brisbane Roar website[9][10]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
1GK  AUSMichael Theoklitos
2DF  AUSMatt Smith (Captain)
3DF  AUSShane Stefanutto (Vice Captain)
4DF  AUSMatthew Jurman
5DF  AUSIvan Franjic
6MF  AUSErik Paartalu
7FW  ALBBesart Berisha
8MF  AUSMassimo Murdocca
9FW  AUSKofi Danning (Youth)
10FW  BRAHenrique
11MF  CANIssey Nakajima-Farran
12DF  AUSMatt Mundy
14MF  AUSRocky Visconte (Youth)
No.Pos. NationPlayer
16DF  BHRSayed Mohamed Adnan
17MF  AUSMitch Nichols
18MF  AUSLuke Brattan (Youth)
19DF  SRIJack Hingert (Youth)
20GK  AUSAndrew Redmayne
21MF  AUSJames Meyer
22MF  GERThomas Broich
24FW  AUSNicholas Fitzgerald (Youth)
25MF  AUSGeorge Lambadaridis (Youth)
26DF  AUSCorey Brown (Youth)
28FW  AUSAnthony Proia (Youth)
29DF  AUSJames Donachie (Youth)

Successful Trialists

Notes
  1. ^ a b c Football Federation Australia regulations allow for 3 players young enough to play in the NYL to be paid full-time wages outside the A-League salary cap.

Unsuccessful Trialists

Transfers

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DatePos.NameFromContract (Season end)FeeNotes
10 February 2011DF Matthew Jurman Sydney FC2012/13Free[13]
27 June 2011FW Kofi DanningFree Agent2012/13N/A[14]
4 July 2011DF Jack Hingert Dandenong Thunder2012/13Free[15]
16 August 2011DF Sayed Mohamed AdnanFree Agent2011/12N/A[16]
16 August 2011FW Besart Berisha Arminia Bielefeld2011/12Free[17]Resigned to 2013/14.[18]
30 August 2011MF Issey Nakajima-Farran AC Horsens2011/12Free[19]
23 September 2011DF Corey Brown Australian Institute of Sport2012/13Free[11]
23 September 2011MF George Lambadaridis Club Brugge2012/13Free[11]
23 September 2011FW Nicholas Fitzgerald Central Coast Mariners Youth Team2012/13Free[11]
2 February 2012FW Anthony Proia Australian Institute of Sport2013/14Free[20]
DatePos.NameToFee
17 March 2011DF Milan Susak Minangkabau F.C.Undisclosed[21]
28 March 2011FW Jean Carlos Solórzano Melbourne VictoryEnd of loan[22]
16 July 2011FW Kosta Barbarouses FC Alania VladikavkazUndisclosed[23]
25 August 2011MF Matt McKay Rangers F.C.Undisclosed[24]

Season

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Season recap

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On 10 February 2011, Brisbane Roar announced the signing of talented young defender Matthew Jurman from Sydney FC, to take the spot left open by Luke DeVere from the previous season.[13] After making a solid return to the A League after spending a few years in Germany, defender Milan Susak jetted off to Indonesia to play for Minangkabau F.C. in Liga Primer Indonesia.[21] After weeks of speculation about his impending move to Melbourne Victory, it was revealed on 28 March that Costa Rican forward Jean Carlos Solórzano had indeed made the move south. Football Federation Australia made their first bit of business after taking back the license, other than re-signing Ange Postecoglou, by having Roar CEO Peter McLennan step down at the end of April.

It was revealed by both the Roar and the Courier Mail that Eugenie Buckley, a sports lawyer that helped out with the formation of the A League and its push into Asia, had become the new general manager for the team, taking over from the spot left by Peter McLennan. On 2 May, it was announced that Rocky Visconte had signed a deal with the club for a further two seasons after coming off contract with the club at the end of the season.[25] On 21 June, former Socceroo Paul Trimboli was appointed the general manager of Football, a role that was expanded from the position of Football Manager, held previously by Thiago Cruz.[26]

On 27 June, the club announced it had signed current Young Socceroo Kofi Danning, who was released by Sydney FC at the end of the 2010–11 A-League Season. On 4 July 2011, the Roar announced they had signed young Australian defender Jack Hingert from Dandenong Thunder. On 16 July 2011, the Roar revealed that leading goalscorer from the 10/11 season, Kosta Barbarouses, had signed with Russian outfit FC Alania Vladikavkaz on a 3yr deal. On 2 August 2011, the Roar announced they had signed a 3yr deal with apparel company Puma.

After much speculation in the media, former Bahraini International Sayed Mohamed Adnan signed a 1yr deal on 16 August 2011. Just a day later, the Roar announced a second signing in Albanian International striker Besart Berisha. The striker impressed Roar assistant coach Rado Vidosic during a match for German outfit Arminia Bielefeld, where the Roar Youth team coach was watching his son Dario Vidosic, who was then on loan from German Bundesliga side 1. FC Nürnberg.[27] After over a month of uncertainty, the Roar were left with a massive hole in the side when skipper and original Roar player/captain Matt McKay was granted a UK working visa for his move to Scottish Premier League side Glasgow Rangers FC on 25 August.

On 30 August 2011, the club announced they had signed Canadian International midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran from Danish top-flight team AC Horsens on a one-year deal.[19] On 5 September 2011, the club released their kits for the upcoming season.

The day after the kit unveiling, the club announced Matt Smith as the successor to Matt McKay's captaincy, with the midfielder having moved to Glasgow Rangers FC.[28] On 20 September, CEO Eugenie Buckley announced her departure, stepping down after her contract runs out, believed to be at the end of September. For Brisbane Lions CEO Michael Bowers will take the reins of the club for the time being, until new owners are found for the Roar.[29] On 23 September, the Roar announce they had signed 3 young Australians (Nicholas Fitzgerald, George Lambadaridis & Corey Brown), each to two-year contracts. Football Federation Australia regulations allow for 3 players young enough to play in the NYL to be paid full-time wages outside the A-League salary cap.[30]

On 4 October 2011, it was announced that the Bakrie family had acquired 70% of the club for a fee thought to be around $8M. The new Chairman of the club will be former AFC executive committee member Dali Tahir.[31] On 28 October 2011, the Roar set a new record for the biggest victory by the club, beating Adelaide United 7–1 at Suncorp Stadium. The scoreline also created another record, being the most goals in a match with 8. New striker Besart Berisha also created history, scoring the most goals in a game for Brisbane with 4. The Roar went on to draw their following 2 games, 2–2 away vs Melbourne Victory and 1–1 at home to Wellington Phoenix. The style of play being played against the Roar was described as "parking the bus", a term meaning the opposition side would defend, with most, if not all, players behind the ball to protect the scoreline.[32]

The following week, Brisbane recorded a 2–1 win away to Newcastle Jets, with the result being the Roar's 35th consecutive unbeaten match, equaling the 74-year-old record for all Australian sporting codes, held by Rugby league Eastern Suburbs, who are now known as the Sydney Roosters.[33] A week later, Brisbane defeated Perth Glory 4–0 at home, the team's 36th consecutive match without loss, to set a new record for the longest unbeaten streak at the top level of any football code in Australia. The Roar's streak came to an end a week later against Sydney FC in wet and windy conditions at WIN Jubilee Oval. A goal in the first minute and another 20 minutes later saw the Roar lose for just the second time in 42 matches.[34]

On 6 December 2011, the draw for the group stages of the 2012 Asian Champions League was made. The Roar, drawn in Group F faced the winners of the Japanese 2011 Emperor's Cup winners and 2011 J. League Division 2 champions F.C. Tokyo, 2011 K-League runners-up Ulsan Hyundai & 2011 Chinese Super League runners-up Beijing Guoan.[35]

Following the defeat to Sydney FC, the Roar then suffered a succession of defeats to Melbourne Heart (1–2 at home), Wellington Phoenix (0–2 away), Central Coast Mariners (1–2 at home) and Gold Coast United (0–1 away). The defeats coincided with the loss of key first team players Thomas Broich, Henrique, Mitch Nichols, James Meyer and club captain, Matt Smith. In addition to a poor spell of form and injuries, the Roar were on the end of some contentious refereeing decision, no more notable than the 88-minute penalty awarded to Gold Coast United for a foul that appeared to have occurred outside the penalty box. This defeat consigned the Roar to their longest losing streak to date of 5 matches.

In Round 14, in front of a home crowd, the club snapped their losing streak in unlikely style. The Roar came from behind after conceding an early goal to win 3–1 against a star-studded Melbourne Victory. The Roar followed this up in Rounds 15 and 16 with draws away from home against Perth Glory (3–3) and Adelaide United (1–1). Like, the defeat to Gold Coast in Round 13, both matches were overshadowed by contentious penalty decisions which cost the Roar a potential win on both occasions. In their Round 15 clash with Perth Glory, it looked as though Brisbane's form slump continued as they conceded two early goals to the Perth side, only to come back to be leading 3–2 with 20 minutes to play. However, in the 79th minute, referee Chris Beath pointed to the spot after Mile Sterjovski went down softly under the challenge of Ivan Franjic, the penalty was converted by Sterjovski and the Roar came away with only one point. The Roar's bad luck with the match officials continued in their Round 16 draw with Adelaide United. The Roar dominated the match in terms of possession and chances and were awarded with a goal to winger, Issey Nakajima-Farran with a half-hour to play. However, for the second match running, in the 79th minute referee Ben Williams awarded Adelaide a dubious penalty. Matt Smith appeared to be accidentally tripped by Adelaide striker Bruce Djite, former Roar striker Sergio van Dijk then fell over the fallen Roar captain and the penalty was awarded. The penalty was converted and Brisbane again went home with just a single point.

In the buildup to the Round 17 clash with Sydney FC, Ange Postecoglou announced that key playmakers Thomas Broich and Henrique who were returning from injury were likely to feature.[36] Both Broich and Henrique made their return, both coming on as 56th-minute substitutes as the Roar completed a come-from-behind win in spectacular fashion. Mark Bridge gave Sydney a 39th-minute lead, before Sayed Mohamed Adnan curled a sumptuous 25-yard free-kick over the wall in the fourth minute of the allocated five minutes' injury time. Besart Berisha completed the stunning comeback with just 15 seconds remaining, netting his 10th goal of the season after some good buildup play on the left from Shane Stefanutto. At the end of the game, Besart Berisha took off his shirt whilst running towards Sydney FC defender Pascal Bosschaart before grabbing his arm and gesturing towards the players tunnel. This caused an altercation between the two sides, with teammates wrestling with one another and against players from the opposition side. The actions from Berisha were thought to have stemmed from the last time the two teams played each other, where it was alleged that Bosschaart made derogatory comments towards Berisha's family.

Later that week, Berisha was sent a "Please explain" letter by Football Federation Australia following his actions the resulted in the post match altercation. The Roar had the option of accepting a 1 match ban or opting to choose whether or not to appeal. The club chose the latter, allowing the striker to play against Melbourne Heart the following week. The match against the Heart ended 1–1 in controversial fashion with Berisha scoring the leveling goal for the Roar, after an earlier Jonatan Germano goal had put the Heart in front. In the week following the draw, the club opted to not appeal the suspension, resulting in the Albanian striker missing the 1–0 home defeat to Newcastle Jets the following week. On 2 February 2012, the club announced the signing of 17-year-old Young Socceroo Anthony Proia on a 2+12-year contract.[37]

The following round, Brisbane stunned the league leaders' Central Coast Mariners at Bluetongue Stadium running out 2–0 winners thanks to first-half goals from Besart Berisha and Erik Paartalu, keeping intact the Roar's unbeaten record at the Gosford venue. The Roar then went on to record back-to-back wins the following round away against second placed Wellington Phoenix. A first time volleyed Besart Berisha goal on the stroke of half-time after an inch perfect lob over the top of the Phoenix defence gave the Roar the lead. Despite looking to let the Phoenix back into the game, returning Olyroo Mitch Nichols settled the game with his seventh goal of the season – a curling long-range effort that gave Wellington 'keeper Mark Paston no chance. This game also saw Massimo Murdocca equal the club appearance record of 131, held by former captain Matt McKay.[38]

Prior to the Phoenix match, on 6 February 2012, The Bakrie Group announced that it had acquired 100% ownership of the club.[39] On 14 February 2012, it was announced that striker Besart Berisha had agreed a new two-year contract extension, taking him through to the end of the 2013/14 season.[18] On 18 February 2012, the Roar saw 2 club records broken as they defeated Melbourne Victory 3–2. Massimo Murdocca became the most capped player for the Roar, playing in his 132nd match on the night that he also picked up the Man of the Match award. Albanian striker Besart Berisha also became a record holder, scoring both his 14th and 15th goals respectively to become the club's highest scoring player in a single season, surpassing the 13 held by Sergio van Dijk scored in the 2008–09 A-League season.

The following round, the Roar played away to Perth Glory, winning the game 3–0 with Besart Berisha scoring 2 goals after Henrique opened the scoring. The Brazilian was also sent off after slapping Jacob Burns in the throat following a nasty challenge by the former Socceroo. Henrique picked up the mandatory 1-game suspension, with the Match Review Panel adding 1 game to the ban. In Round 24, the following round to the Perth game, the Roar had the chance to claim equal first on the ladder, with the Central Coast Mariners to play the following day, if they beat Melbourne Heart at home that night. The Roar went up 1–0 via Mitch Nichols with Heart youngster Curtis Good leveling the scores in the 49th minute. With the scores locked at 1–1, Roar and league topscorer Besart Berisha won a penalty in the 3rd minute of extra time. Bahraini International Sayed Mohamed Adnan stepped up to take the spot kick, blasting it to the top left hand corner of the goal only for Heart Goalkeeper Clint Bolton to get a hand to it and turn it past the post for a corner which eventuated to nothing.

Mid week the Roar made their AFC Champions League debut at home to J-League outfit FC Tokyo. The match turned out to be a baptism of fire with the Roar unable to contain the Japanese team, losing 2–0 with goals from Tatsuya Yazawa and Aria Jasuru Hasegawa. At the end of the week, the Roar played at home again on 11 March 2012 against then 2nd last team Adelaide United, with the chance to go equal first again after the Mariners drew 1–1 the previous week. With that in mind, the Roar conceded first through a counterattack, with speedster Ian Ramsay opening the scoring via a low cross by Bruce Djite. The Roar were given some hope when in form striker Besart Berisha scored in the 70th minute. The hope in the match came to nothing however with the match ending 1–1. The hope, though, rolled over to the next match between the Central Coast Mariners and Perth Glory when an uncharacteristic error by Matt Ryan led to the only goal by Travis Dodd. The result meant the Roar trailed top spot by 2 points with 2 games left in the regular season.

On 17 March 2012, the Roar played away to Newcastle Jets with the Central Coast Mariners playing at the same time against Adelaide United. The Roar went up 1–0 through a toe-poked goal by Berisha before a sublime free kick by Ali Abbas leaving Michael Theoklitos stranded to level the scores at 1–1. The Roar got a Penalty after a foul on Jack Hingert. Henrique took the penalty but it was hit poorly, making an easy save for Ben Kennedy. During the match, the Mariners scored through Bernie Ibini-Isei, meaning the Roar have to win to keep their title hopes alive. They got another chance to take the lead when a foul on Erik Paartalu got another penalty for the away side. This time they benefited through Mitch Nichols, who scored the winning goal, leaving the race for the title to go down to the final round. Before that could happen, the Roar travelled to China to face Beijing Guoan on Matchday 2. The Roar went down 1–0 in the 8th minute through Piao Cheng. The Roar scored 13 minutes later though, with a cross from Ivan Franjic being headed home by Mitch Nichols to level the score. The Roar dominated the rest of the first half but were not able to add to the 1 goal they had scored. The tide turned though in the second with the Roar being outplayed for most of the second half. The Roar started to get the upper hand at the back end of the second half but neither sides being able to take their chances

With the Roar to face Gold Coast United in the M1 Derby in the last round, the Roar had to hope that Wellington Phoenix would draw or defeat the Mariners to have any hope of clinching the Minor Premiership for the second straight season. The opposite of what the Roar wanted happened, with the Mariners winning 2–1, meaning the Roar rested most of their first XI in preparation for the major semi-final 1st leg at home the following week. James Donachie made his debut for the club at Centre Back with other young players making up the starting XI and bench spots. Andrew Redmayne also made his first start for the club against the only side he'd played against in a Roar jersey. The Roar went down 1–0 to ex-Roar player Daniel Bowles and went into Half-Time down by the goal. The Roar came out hungry to gather some form prior to the Finals series and got a goal through young prodigy Nicholas Fitzgerald, who scored his first A-League and Roar goal with an assist by the inside of the frame of the goal. In the last minute of the regulated time, another youngster in George Lambadaridis scored the winning goal with a curling left footed effort from outside the penalty area to win the game 2–1.

With the 2 legged Semi-final teams already being known prior, the Roar hosted the first leg of the tie on 31, 4 March days before the club faced Ulsan Hyundai FC. The Roar gained the advantage for the second leg, keeping a clean sheet as they ran out 2–0 winners. Goals by Henrique and Erik Paartalu saw the club in good stead for the return fixture a week later. The only sour bit of the first leg was a missed penalty by Henrique, just a minute before he put the home side ahead. The boys flew out the following day to South Korea, where they faced K-League outfit Ulsan Hyundai. The Roar grabbed the first goal and went into half time 1–0 courtesy of a well-crafted goal taken by youngster Nicholas Fitzgerald. Just 2 minutes into the second half, the Roar conceded a penalty through Matthew Jurman, who was sent off with a straight red card. The Roar was reprieved as goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos parried the effort to keeper the away side ahead. The save counted for little when the home side grabbed an equaliser 4 minutes later, started via a corner. The corner kick was cleared only for it to be crossed back in, with central defender Lee Jae-Seong swinging his left foot to drill the ball into the back of the net.

The Roar returned to Australia to play the second leg of the major semi-final. With the Central Coast Mariners needing to score 3 goals at minimum to host the grand final, the home side's hopes took a dent with a Thomas Broich's free kick floating untouched past the crowd of players into the far side of the net after just 2 minutes of play. In the 26th minute, the Roar went up 2–0 after a lovely passing move saw the ball at the feet of Mitch Nichols, who scored his 10th A-League goal of the season. The visitors conceded just 3 minutes where a long striker by Patrick Zwaanswijk went into the bottom corner of the net. Another 3 minutes passed before the game was level once more through striker Adam Kwasnik, found a small amount of space to guide the ball into the same corner of the net. With the sides locked at 2–2, it meant the Mariners needed to score another 3 goals and not concede to win the hosting right of the Grans Final. With their chances slim at best, they were all but washed away when Henrique nutmegged Matt Ryan to pass the ball into the net to put the away side up 3–2. The match ended with that scoreline and the aggregate score at 5–2, meaning the Roar became the first side in A-League history to host, and later win, 2 consecutive grand finals.

Before they hosted their second consecutive Grand final, they faced Ulsan Hyundai FC on the Tuesday before the grand final in a must win fixture to have any hope of continuing through to the knock-out phase of the 2012 AFC Champions League. Their chances hit a temporary snag when a sublime strike by Julián Estiven Vélez left goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos no chance of keeping the ball out of the net. With the strike swerving all over the place, the best effort by the custodian was to get a palm of the ball, doing little to help. A short while later, the Roar grabbed their equaliser, where a cross field ball was attempted to be centered by Shane Stefanutto. The attempt went at defender Kwak Tae-Hwi, taking a minor deflection that guided it past the South Korean's goalkeeper. Although the ball's course was diverted, it was deemed not to be an own goal, gifting the Roar left-back his first goal for the club. Things, however, ended in vain where a contentious penalty was given when Sayed Mohamed Adnan was adjudged to have fouled one of the Ulsan Hyundai players. Ironically, Kwak Tae-Hwi converted the penalty to give Ulsan Hyundai FC the win. The Roar turned their focus to the buildup of the grand final, dubbed "Orange Sunday II". With all the buildup, the lingering rumours of coach Ange Postecoglou leaving the club were the only dampener on a grand final that created history, regardless of the winner or result.

The big day came on 22 April 2012, a day that created a number historic moments. The crowd was decked out in orange and purple, the colours of both respective clubs. The first bit of history was made before the whistle sounded, with the size of the crowd reaching 50,334, becoming Brisbane Roar's largest ever attendance, with 166 more people attending than that of last year's attendance of 50,168. Kick off sounded at 4 pm (UTC+10:00), where Perth Glory had the bulk of possession in the first 5–10 minutes. Brisbane started to work their way back into the game, having a number of chances to score early but failed to take advantage of them. The away side started to level out the game, pressuring every pass and movement the host team made. Both sides counted the other side out, leading the score going into half time at 0–0. The away side came out in the second half the same way they started the first, pressuring the Roar and creating a number of chances. The Glory got the opener of the match, where a cross by Travis Dodd took a major deflection off Ivan Franjic, rolling into the back of the net to give the Perth side the lead. The Roar started to dominate the match, as they had done most of the season, nearly scoring a number of times. Things didn't change much, until the 84th minute, where a teasing cross by Johnny Warren Medal winner Thomas Broich was met with a precise header Golden Boot winner Besart Berisha. The Albanian was the first player to score more than 20 goals in a full season, making another historic moment. The Roar continued to push for the win, and just 6 minutes after the goal, in the 90th minute, they got the upper hand, when Glory left-back Dean Heffernan collected his second yellow card, after a foul on Broich, to be sent off.

Things fell the way of the home side, when a contentious penalty was given after a lunging tackle from behind on Berisha by Glory midfielder Liam Miller was adjudged to have made contact on the Albanian striker as he was about to take a shot on goal after weaving through the Glory defence. Despite Perth Glory players' best efforts to appeal the decision by referee of the year Jarred Gillett, the penalty stood and the Brisbane striker lined up, and converted successfully, to get the winning goal to send the biggest crowd to attend a football match at Suncorp Stadium into raptures in the last minute of extra time. Post game, Glory captain Jacob Burns condemned the decision, saying the "decision cost us (Perth) the game". Despite the Joe Marston medal being announced to have gone to Broich, the real winner, Jacob Burns, was announced to have won via Twitter and the official A-League website.[40] Just two days later, the Roar was honored for their achievements with a ticker tape parade, with the side showing off their defended silverware in front of thousands of adhering Roar fans. This was soured just an hour later, where the rumours of Ange Postecoglou leaving the side were confirmed, as the master coach resigned from the post of head coach of the club, effective immediately.[7]

Just the following day, Rado Vidošić was appointed the head coach, signing a 5-year contract to graduate to the head role having served under all three former head coaches in Miron Bleiberg, Frank Farina and the departed Ange Postecoglou.[41] The Roar had a short turn around after their heroics against Perth Glory, taking on FC Tokyo in matchday 5 of the 2012 AFC Champions League. Despite getting the first goal through Besart Berisha early on, the Roar went on to lose the game 4–2 in a thrilling game showcase by the slick attacks and end to end football. Needing to win to keep their hopes of progressing to the group stages, the loss spelled the end of their campaign in Asia. Just 3 days later, the Roar staged their annual awards night, with star Albanian striker Besart Berisha taking all the top awards for the night, including the famed Gary Wilkins Medal. Things took a sour note though, with recently departed coach Postecoglou being banned from attending the awards ceremony.[42] Throughout the week, rumours began to stem from the media that the Roar were locking horns with Ange Postecoglou's Melbourne Victory for the signature of in demand ex-Gold Coast United striker Ben Halloran. The Cairns product eventually signed a 3-year deal with the Roar, citing it was the best decision for his career to make the move to the Roar, with another factor being said for his desire to stay in Brisbane with his family.[43]

Things turned to the last game of the season, a home game in the final game of the Group stages of the 2012 AFC Champions League. The game also marked the first home game of Rado Vidošić's tenure as Roar coach. The Roar took the lead through in form striker Berisha, with the Albanian scoring his 23rd goal of the season in 35 matches. The Roar, however, were pegged back through a cracking goal by Li Hanbo which flew into the top corner of the net. In front of the lowest crowd of the game, a mere 5,615, the Roar recorded their 3rd draw of the Asian Champions League to finish 4th in their group, with the Chinese side pinching 3rd on goal difference.[44]

Pre-Season

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It was announced by the Roar on 5 July that the club would not be playing an overseas team in a match for the Translink Cup[45]

v Brisbane Roar
Pre-Season Friendly
3 June 2011
Redlands United 0–1 Brisbane Roar Cleveland
19:00 UTC+10(Report)Franjic 53'Stadium: Cleveland Showgrounds
Attendance: 2,138
Referee: Jim Bellos
v Brisbane Roar
Pre-Season Friendly
8 June 2011
Peninsula Power 0–3 Brisbane Roar Kippa-Ring
19:00 UTC+10(Report)Bush 33'
Sludden 63'
Schmitz 70+2'
Stadium: A.J. Kelly Park
Attendance: 2,364
Referee: Jason Crow
v Brisbane Roar
Pre-Season Friendly
12 June 2011
Sunshine Coast Fire 1–1 Brisbane Roar Kawana Waters
14:30 UTC+10Holmes 39'(Report)Fitzgerald 65'Stadium: Stockland Park
Attendance: 2,388
Referee: Alan Milliner
v Brisbane Roar
Pre-Season Friendly
22 June 2011
Eastern Suburbs 0–3 Brisbane Roar East Brisbane
19:00 UTC+10(Report)Barbarouses 32'
Fitzgerald ??'
McKay ??'
Stadium: Heath Park
Attendance: 1,863
Referee: TBD
v Brisbane Roar
Pre-Season Friendly
29 June 2011
Brisbane Olympic 1–5 Brisbane Roar Yeronga
19:00 UTC+10Chung 23'(Report)Murdocca 21'
Broich 28'
Nichols 73'
Barbarouses 80'
McKay 80+3'
Stadium: Goodwin Park
Attendance: TBC
Referee: Nathan McDonald
v Brisbane Roar
Pre-Season Friendly
17 July 2011
Ipswich Invitational XI 0–3 Brisbane Roar Ipswich
15:00 UTC+10(Report)Broich 11'
Nichols 57'
Quinn 90'
Stadium: QLD Group Stadium
Attendance: 3,914
Referee: Matthew Skinner
v Brisbane Roar
Pre-Season Friendly
27 July 2011
Rochedale Rovers 0–2 Brisbane Roar Rochedale
19:00 UTC+10(Report) [permanent dead link]Fitzgerald 57' 87'Stadium: Underwood Park
Referee: David Wiebe
v Brisbane Roar
Pre-Season Friendly
3 August 2011
Wynnum Wolves 2–4 Brisbane Roar Tingalpa
19:00 UTC+10Hopkins 16' (pen.)
Clulow 30'
(Report)Nichols 22' (pen.)
Fitzgerald 26'
Meyer 59'
Jurman 72'
Stadium: Carmichael Park
Referee: Adam Kersey
v Brisbane Roar
Pre-Season Friendly
16 August 2011
Brisbane Strikers 0–5 Brisbane Roar Bowen Hills
19:00 UTC+10(Report)Meyer 4' 10'
Bush 64' 83'
Danning 67'
Stadium: Perry Park
Referee: Matt Gillett
v Brisbane Roar
Pre-Season Friendly
11 September 2011
Melbourne Victory 2–0 Brisbane Roar Launceston
14:00 UTC+10Hernandez 39' (pen.)
Allsopp 59'
(Report)Stadium: Aurora Stadium
Attendance: 6,307
v Adelaide United
Pre-Season Friendly
17 September 2011
Brisbane Roar 0–3 Adelaide United Toowoomba
19:00 UTC+10Murdocca 10' (o.g.)
Djite 48'
Lastella 69'
(Report)Stadium: Clive Berghofer Stadium
Referee: Adam Kersey
Notes
  1. ^ Game was abandoned after half time due to rain. The Roar are credited the win in accordance with FIFA laws.

2011–12 Hyundai A-League

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Regular season

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v Central Coast Mariners
Round 1
Saturday, 8 October 2011
Brisbane Roar 1–0 Central Coast Mariners Brisbane, Queensland
19:45 UTC+10Nichols 71'(Report)
(Summary)
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 13,467
Referee: Chris Beath
v Brisbane Roar
Round 2
Saturday, 15 October 2011
Sydney FC 0–2 Brisbane Roar Sydney
19:45 UTC+11(Report)
(Summary)
Berisha 42'
Broich 70'
Stadium: Sydney Football Stadium
Attendance: 15,789
Referee: Strebre Delovski
v Gold Coast United
Round 3
Friday, 21 October 2011
Brisbane Roar 3–0 Gold Coast United Brisbane, Queensland
19:30 UTC+10Paartalu 13'
Berisha 60'
Nichols 78'
(Report)
(Summary)
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 13,425
Referee: Peter Green
v Adelaide United
Round 4
Friday, 28 October 2011
Brisbane Roar 7–1 Adelaide United Brisbane, Queensland
19:00 UTC+10Henrique 21' (pen.), 36' (pen.)
Berisha 23', 27', 29', 69'
Nakajima-Farran 81'
(Report)
(Summary)
Vidosic 5'Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 11,762
Referee: Strebre Dilovski
v Brisbane Roar
Round 5
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Melbourne Victory 2–2 Brisbane Roar Melbourne
19:45 UTC+11Archie Thompson 9', 20'
Covic  2'
Foschini  36'
(Report)
(Summary)
Henrique 5' (pen.)
Broich 27'
Stadium: Etihad Stadium
Attendance: 24,820
Referee: Ben Williams
v Wellington Phoenix
Round 6
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Brisbane Roar 1–1 Wellington Phoenix Brisbane, Queensland
16:00 UTC+10Berisha 11'(Report)
(Summary)
Brown 36'Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 16,428
Referee: Jarred Gillett
v Brisbane Roar
Round 7
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Newcastle Jets 1–2 Brisbane Roar Newcastle, New South Wales
17:30 UTC+11Griffiths 44'(Report)
(Summary)
Henrique 56'
Meyer 82'
Stadium: Ausgrid Stadium
Attendance: 13,173
Referee: Gerard Parsons
v Perth Glory
Round 8
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Brisbane Roar 4–0 Perth Glory Brisbane, Queensland
18:45 UTC+10Berisha 23' 45'
Nakajima-Farran 33' 41'
(Report)
(Summary)
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 19,339
Referee: Jarred Gillett
v Brisbane Roar
Round 9
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Sydney FC 2–0 Brisbane Roar Kogarah, New South Wales
17:00 UTC+11Petratos 1'
Emerton 19'
(Report)
(Summary)
Stadium: WIN Jubilee
Attendance: 11,555
Referee: Peter Green
v Melbourne Heart
Round 10
Friday, 9 December 2011
Brisbane Roar 1–2 Melbourne Heart Brisbane, Queensland
19:00 UTC+10Nichols 78'(Report)
(Summary)
Germano 12'
Babalj 27'
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 10,666
Referee: Kris Griffiths Jones
v Brisbane Roar
Round 11
Wednesday, 14 December 2011
Wellington Phoenix 2–0 Brisbane Roar Dunedin, New Zealand
19:30 UTC+13Ifill 27'
Ward 81'
(Report)
(Summary)
Stadium: Forsyth Barr Stadium
Attendance: 4,628
Referee: Gerard Parsons
v Central Coast Mariners
Round 12
Saturday, 17 December 2011
Brisbane Roar 1–2 Central Coast Mariners Brisbane, Queensland
18:45 UTC+10Danning 83'(Report)
(Summary)
Amini 6'
Bojic 45+2'
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 10,006
Referee: Peter Green
v Brisbane Roar
Round 13
Monday, 26 December 2011
Gold Coast United 1–0 Brisbane Roar Gold Coast, Queensland
18:30 UTC+10Severino 88' (pen.)(Report)
(Summary)
Stadium: Skilled Park
Attendance: 6,927
Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones
v Melbourne Victory
Round 14
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Brisbane Roar 3–1 Melbourne Victory Brisbane, Queensland
19:30 UTC+10Nichols 43'
Visconte 49'
Franjic 83'
(Report)
(Summary)
Kewell 2'Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 14,852
Referee: Jarrad Gillett
v Brisbane Roar
Round 15
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
Perth Glory 3–3 Brisbane Roar Perth, Western Australia
19:00 UTC+8Dodd 17'
Sterjovski 24' 79' (pen.)
(Report)
(Summary)
Nichols 41' 69'
Paartalu 45+1'
Stadium: NIB Stadium
Attendance: 6,912
Referee: Chris Beath
v Brisbane Roar
Round 16
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Adelaide United 1–1 Brisbane Roar Adelaide, South Australia
17:00 UTC+10:30Van Dijk 79' (pen.)(Report)
(Summary)
Nakajima-Farran 60'Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium
Attendance: Ben Williams
Referee: 11,274
v Sydney FC
Round 17
Saturday, 14 January 2012
Brisbane Roar 2–1 Sydney FC Brisbane, Queensland
18:45 UTC+10Adnan 90+4'
Berisha 90+5'
(Report)
(Summary)
Bridge 39'Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 14,545
Referee: Ryan Shepheard
v Brisbane Roar
Round 18
Saturday, 21 January 2012
Melbourne Heart 1–1 Brisbane Roar Melbourne
19:45 UTC+11Germano 31'(Report)
(Summary)
Berisha 38' (pen.)
Berisha 69'
Stadium: AAMI Park
Attendance: 7,118
Referee: Chris Beath
v Newcastle Jets
Round 19
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Brisbane Roar 0–1 Newcastle Jets Brisbane, Queensland
18:45 UTC+10(Report)
(Summary)
Wheelhouse 23'Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 9,293
Referee: Ben Williams
v Brisbane Roar
Round 20
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Central Coast Mariners 0–2 Brisbane Roar Gosford, New South Wales
17:30 UTC+11(Report)
(Summary)
Paartalu 5'
Berisha 38'
Stadium: Bluetongue Stadium
Attendance: 10,217
Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones
v Brisbane Roar
Round 21
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Wellington Phoenix 0–2 Brisbane Roar Wellington, New Zealand
17:00 UTC+13(Report)
(Summary)
Berisha 42'
Nichols 80'
Stadium: Westpac Stadium
Attendance: 13,009
Referee: Jared Gillett
v Melbourne Victory
Round 22
Saturday, 18 February 2012
Brisbane Roar 3–2 Melbourne Victory Brisbane, Queensland
18:45 UTC+10Berisha 1' 32'
Henrique 38' (pen.)
(Report)
(Summary)
Kewell 9' 50'Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 18,523
Referee: Jared Gillett
v Brisbane Roar
Round 23
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Perth Glory 0–3 Brisbane Roar Perth, Western Australia
19:00 UTC+8(Report)
(Summary)
Henrique 21'  65'
Berisha 59', 63'
Stadium: NIB Stadium
Attendance: 10,367
Referee: Strebre Delovski
v Melbourne Heart
Round 24
Friday, 2 March 2012
Brisbane Roar 1–1 Melbourne Heart Brisbane, Queensland
19:00 UTC+10Nichols 33'
Adnan 90+3' (pen.)
(Report)
(Summary)
Good 49'Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 10,988
Referee: Ryan Shepheard
v Adelaide United
Round 25
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Brisbane Roar 1–1 Adelaide United Brisbane, Queensland
16:00 UTC+10Berisha 70'(Report)
(Summary)
Ramsay 14'Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 10,937
Referee: Strebre Dilovski
v Brisbane Roar
Round 26
Sunday, 18 March 2012
Newcastle Jets 1–2 Brisbane Roar Newcastle, New South Wales
UTC+11Berisha 12'
Nichols 81' (pen.)
Henrique 53' (pen.)
(Report)
(Summary)
Abbas 14'Stadium: Ausgrid Stadium
Attendance: 11,471
Referee: Jared Gillett

Finals series

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v Central Coast Mariners
Major SF Leg 1
Saturday, 31 March 2011
Brisbane Roar 2–0 Central Coast Mariners Brisbane, Queensland
16:30 UTC+10Henrique 8'
Paartalu 86'
Henrique 7' (pen.)
(Report)
(Summary)
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 15,081
Referee: Strebre Dilovski

Brisbane Roar advance to host the grand final by winning the tie 5–2 on aggregate

v Perth Glory
Grand final
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Brisbane Roar 2–1 Perth Glory Brisbane, Queensland
16:00 UTC+10Berisha 84'
Berisha 90+4' (pen.)
(Report)
(Summary)
Franjic 51' (o.g.)
Heffernan  56'   90'
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 50,344
Referee: Jared Gillett

2012 Asian Champions League

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Brisbane qualified for the 2012 AFC Champions League as a result of finishing the 2010–11 A-League season as Champions. They will enter the competition at the group stage along with K-League team Ulsan Hyundai, Beijing Guoan from the Chinese Super League and the winner of the Japanese 2011 Emperor's Cup, FC Tokyo. Due to Asian Football Confederation strict kit regulations, it was necessary for the club to use an alternate kit for the Champions League competition; this was released on 24 February 2012.

Home
Away

The Roar made their debut in the Asian Champions League at Suncorp Stadium against the FC Tokyo on 6 March 2012. A strong performance from the Japanese side, saw the Roar outclassed as they went down 2–0 courtesy of goals to Tatsuya Yazawa and Aria Jasuru Hasegawa. On Matchday 2, a much better performance from the Roar resulted in the club scoring their first ever goal in the competition – through a Mitch Nichols header – and picking up their first competitive point in a 1–1 draw away to Beijing Guoan.

v FC Tokyo
Matchday 1
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Brisbane Roar 0–2 FC Tokyo Brisbane, Queensland
19:30 UTC+10(Report)
(Summary)
Yazawa 45+1'
Hasegawa 55'
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 12,037
Referee: Kovalenko Valentin
v Brisbane Roar
Matchday 2
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Beijing Guoan 1–1 Brisbane Roar Beijing, China
19:30 UTC+08:00Cheng 8'(Report)
(Summary)
Nichols 21'Stadium: Workers Stadium
Attendance: 41,000
Referee: Abdulrahman Mohammed Hussain
v Brisbane Roar
Matchday 3
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Ulsan Hyundai 1–1 Brisbane Roar Ulsan, South Korea
19:30 UTC+09:00Jae-Seong 54'
Keun-Ho 48' (pen.)
(Report)
(Summary)
Fitzgerald 36'
Jurman  47'
Stadium: Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium
Attendance: 1,673
Referee: Andre El Haddad
v Ulsan Hyundai
Matchday 4
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Brisbane Roar 1–2 Ulsan Hyundai Brisbane, Queensland
19:30 UTC+10Stefanutto 25'(Report)
(Summary)
Vélez 11'
Tae-Hwi 73' (pen.)
Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 7,015
Referee: Mohsen Torky
v Brisbane Roar
Matchday 5
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
FC Tokyo 4–2 Brisbane Roar Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
19:30 UTC+09:00Takahashi 5'
Mukuhara 20'
Watanabe 44'
Watanabe 60'
[ (Report)]
(Summary)
Berisha 4'
Broich 33'
Stadium: National Olympic Stadium
Attendance: 8,492
Referee: Abdullah Balideh
v Beijing Guoan
Matchday 6
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Brisbane Roar 1–1 Beijing Guoan Brisbane, Queensland
19:30 UTC+10Berisha 15'Report
Summary
Li Hanbo 34'Stadium: Suncorp Stadium
Attendance: 5,615
Referee: Ali Al Badwawi

Statistics

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Starting XI

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Squad statistics

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Statistics accurate as of 16 May 2012
90 Minutes played is counted as a full game. Injury Time is not counted. A sub's appearance is counted up to the 90th minute as well

A-League Games played: 27
A-League Finals series Games played: 3
ACL Games played: 6

No.Nat.NameLeagueFinalsAsiaTotal
StartSubMins. StartSubMins. StartSubMins. StartSubMins.
Goalkeepers
1 Michael Theoklitos26234032706540353150
20 Andrew Redmayne190190
Defenders
2 Matt Smith24204832705450322768
3 Shane Stefanutto2622503249545013429491
4 Matthew Jurman162128717211591841453
5 Ivan Franjic2623251326365403531281
12 Matt Mundy230230
16 Sayed Mohamed Adnan174159513270542825422931
19 Jack Hingert28358121138210417
26 Corey Brown190190
29 James Donachie190190
Midfielders
6 Erik Paartalu27234633244165313631214
8 Massimo Murdocca1971719318453502772255
11 Issey Nakajima-Farran1671308416713084
14 Rocky Visconte6356611286756521
17 Mitch Nichols2011626932701413561272225211
18 Luke Brattan4847938614152615717
21 James Meyer2104171117141213145551
22 Thomas Broich16114282327016540125122384
25 George Lambadaridis23812381
Forwards
7 Besart Berisha26231919327026508235309723
9 Kofi Danning394361121264115621
10 Henrique1421050632252325620215318
24 Nicholas Fitzgerald736071254211741968352

Disciplinary record

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Correct as of 16 May 2012

#Nat.Pos.NameLeagueFinalsAsiaTotal
2 DFMatt Smith6118-
7 FWBesart Berisha426-
16 DFSayed Mohamed Adnan325-
5 DFIvan Franjic3115-
10 FWHenrique21131
4 DFMatthew Jurman3131
17 MFMitch Nichols314-
3 DFShane Stefanutto213-
8 MFMassimo Murdocca213-
1 GKMichael Theoklitos22-
11 MFIssey Nakajima-Farran22-
19 DFJack Hingert22-
24 FWNicholas Fitzgerald22-
18 MFLuke Bratten112-
9 FWKofi Danning11-
6 MFErik Paartalu11-
21 MFJames Meyer11-
TOTALS39130101522

League Goalscorers by round

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TotalPlayerGoals per Round
 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718192021222324252627SF1SF2GF
21 Besart Berisha11412111122112
10 Mitch Nichols111121111
8 Henrique2111111
4 Issey Nakajima-Farran121
4 Erik Paartalu1111
3 Thomas Broich111
1 James Meyer1
1 Kofi Danning1
1 Rocky Visconte1
1 Ivan Franjic1
1 Sayed Mohamed Adnan1
1 Nicholas Fitzgerald1
1 George Lambadaridis1
57TOTAL123721240101033121022331122232
A goal was scored from a penalty kick
Two goals were scored from penalty kicks

ACL Goalscorers by matchday

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TotalPlayerGoals per Matchday
 1  2  3  4  5  6 
2 Besart Berisha11
1 Mitch Nichols1
1 Nicholas Fitzgerald1
1 Shane Stefanutto1
1 Thomas Broich1
6TOTAL011121
A goal was scored from a penalty kick
Two goals were scored from penalty kicks

Home attendance

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  Win  Draw  Loss
League attendance and average includes Finals series

CompetitionRoundDateScoreOpponentAttendance
A-League18 October 20111–0Central Coast Mariners13,467
A-League321 October 20113–0Gold Coast United13,425
A-League428 October 20117–1Adelaide United11,762
A-League613 November 20111–1Wellington Phoenix16,428
A-League826 November 20114–0Perth Glory19,339
A-League109 December 20111–2Melbourne Heart10,666
A-League1217 December 20111–2Central Coast Mariners10,006
A-League1431 December 20113–1Melbourne Victory14,852
A-League1714 January 20122–1Sydney FC14,545
A-League1928 January 20120–1Newcastle Jets9,293
A-League2218 February 20123–2Melbourne Victory18,523
A-League242 March 20121–1Melbourne Heart10,988
ACLMatchday 16 March 20120–2FC Tokyo12,037
A-League2511 March 20121–1Adelaide United10,739
Finals seriesSemi-final Leg 131 March 20122–0Central Coast Mariners15,081
ACLMatchday 417 April 20121–2Ulsan Hyundai7,015
Finals seriesGrand final22 April 20122–1Perth Glory50,334
ACLMatchday 616 May 20121–1Beijing Guoan5,615
League Attendance239,448
League Average Attendance15,963
Total Attendance264,115
Total Average Attendance14,673

Ladder

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PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Central Coast Mariners2715664024+1651Qualification for 2013 AFC Champions League group stage and finals series[a]
2Brisbane Roar (C)2714765028+2249Qualification for 2013 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off and finals series
3Perth Glory27134104035+543Qualification for Finals series
4Wellington Phoenix27124113432+240
5Sydney FC2710893742−538
6Melbourne Heart2791083534+137
7Newcastle Jets27105123841−335
8Melbourne Victory27611103543−829
9Adelaide United27510122644−1825
10Gold Coast United2749143042−1221
Source: ultimatealeague.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ First place qualifies for the 2013 AFC Champions League group stage. Winning the 2012 A-League Grand Final automatically earns qualification for the 2013 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off, unless first place are champions.

2012 Asian Champions League (Group F)

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PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualificationULSTOKBBRBEG
1 Ulsan Hyundai6420117+414Advance to knockout stage1–01–12–1
2 FC Tokyo6321126+6112–24–23–0
3 Brisbane Roar6033611−53[a]1–20–21–1
4 Beijing Guoan6033611−53[a]2–31–11–1
Source: WorldFootball.net
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Brisbane Roar and Beijing Guoan are tied on their head-to-head record (2 pts, 0 GD, 2 GF), overall goal difference and overall goals scored, and so are ranked by their fair play record (Brisbane Roar: 12 pts; Beijing Guoan: 18 pts).

References

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See also

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27°27′53″S 153°0′34″E / 27.46472°S 153.00944°E / -27.46472; 153.00944 (Suncorp Stadium)