The first Australian national soccer governing board was the Australian Soccer Federation (ASF), established in 1962. The same year, the ASF founded the first Australian national club to participate in the first Australian Cup. The Australian Cup was abolished in 1968 due to interstate travel challenges.
Development
The National Soccer League (NSL), a professional men’s soccer league, and the Australian national team were then established in 1977, by the Australian Soccer Federation. It included these teams: Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane, and Melbourne. The NSL competed in the promotion-relegation and cup competition until it was dissolved in 2004.
In 2003, the ASF was changed to the Australian Soccer Association (ASA), and in 2005, it adopted its current name, the Football Federation Australia (FFA). The NSL was abolished in 2004 and was succeeded by the A-League. The A-League is famously known as the Hyundai A-League since the Hyundai Motor Company sponsors it. The Hyundai A-League comprises of eleven teams with ten based in Australia and one in New Zealand.
Timeline
The Hyundai A-League season runs from October to May. The A-League comprises of a 27-round regular season, and the top-performing teams proceed to the playoffs. The playoff is played to enable teams to qualify for the next tournament. The winning teams then play the grand final to establish the seasons champion. The team which wins the regular season becomes the premier winner known as the premiership.
Recent Winners
The 2018-2019 champions are Sydney FC, which is their fourth title, and the premier winners are Perth Glory, first-time victors of the premiership. Another team which has won the championship title four times are Melbourne Victory. Melbourne and Sydney FC have three titles in the premiership.
Although the A-League is the successor of the National Soccer League, it doesn’t recognise the history of the NSL. So far, 42 seasons have been played in Australian national soccer league, and 14 seasons since the establishment of the A-League.