1978 National Soccer League
| NSL 1978 | |
|---|---|
| League | National Soccer League |
| Sport | Association football |
| Duration | 1978 |
| Number of teams | 14 |
| NSL season | |
| Premier | West Adelaide |
| Top scorer | Ken Boden Clive Eaton (14 each) |
The National Soccer League 1978 season was the second season of the National Soccer League in Australia. The premiers were West Adelaide.
League standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Adelaide (C) | 26 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 42 | 27 | +15 | 36 | 1978 National Soccer League Champions |
| 2 | Eastern Suburbs | 26 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 49 | 27 | +22 | 35 | |
| 3 | South Melbourne | 26 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 45 | 30 | +15 | 32 | |
| 4 | Marconi Fairfield | 26 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 46 | 31 | +15 | 30 | |
| 5 | Fitzroy United | 26 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 39 | 0 | 26 | |
| 6 | Brisbane Lions | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 26 | |
| 7 | St George-Budapest | 26 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 41 | 40 | +1 | 25 | |
| 8 | Sydney Olympic | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 35 | 43 | −8 | 25 | |
| 9 | Western Suburbs (R) | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 41 | 45 | −4 | 24 | Team withdrew at end of season |
| 10 | Adelaide City | 26 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 38 | 44 | −6 | 24 | |
| 11 | Newcastle KB United | 26 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 33 | 40 | −7 | 22 | |
| 12 | Footscray JUST | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 37 | −8 | 22 | |
| 13 | Canberra City | 26 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 28 | 41 | −13 | 20 | |
| 14 | Brisbane City | 26 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 29 | 49 | −20 | 17 |
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Finals series
The top four teams in the league entered a playoff series, however the winner of the grand final match was not considered the overall winner of the NSL season, unlike other NSL grand finals.[1]
Individual awards
- Player of the Year: Ken Boden (Newcastle KB United)
- U-21 Player of the Year: Ian Souness (Eastern Suburbs)
- Top Scorer(s): Ken Boden (Newcastle KB United – 14 goals) Clive Eaton (Western Suburbs – 14 goals)
- Coach of the Year: Gary Chaldi (Eastern Suburbs)
Notes
- ^ Curran, Brian (20 September 1978). "'Think Australian' advice to Soccer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 February 2015.