1981 National Soccer League
| NSL 1981 | |
|---|---|
| League | National Soccer League |
| Sport | Association football |
| Duration | 1981 |
| Number of teams | 16 |
| NSL season | |
| Champions | Sydney City |
| Top scorer | Gary Cole (16) |
The National Soccer League 1981 season was the fifth season of the National Soccer League in Australia. The champions were Sydney City SC, winning their third title.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney City (C) | 30 | 19 | 5 | 6 | 59 | 30 | +29 | 43 | 1981 National Soccer League Champions |
| 2 | South Melbourne | 30 | 13 | 13 | 4 | 41 | 27 | +14 | 39 | |
| 3 | Brisbane City | 30 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 37 | 25 | +12 | 35 | |
| 4 | APIA Leichhardt Tigers | 30 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 39 | 33 | +6 | 35 | |
| 5 | Canberra City | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 32 | +9 | 33 | |
| 6 | Brisbane Lions | 30 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 41 | 33 | +8 | 33 | |
| 7 | Adelaide City | 30 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 46 | 42 | +4 | 32 | |
| 8 | Heidelberg United | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 48 | 40 | +8 | 31 | |
| 9 | Sydney Olympic | 30 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 46 | 46 | 0 | 31 | |
| 10 | Newcastle KB United | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 30 | |
| 11 | Wollongong City | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 35 | 39 | −4 | 28 | |
| 12 | Preston Makedonia | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 39 | 41 | −2 | 25 | |
| 13 | Footscray JUST | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 32 | 48 | −16 | 25 | |
| 14 | Marconi Fairfield | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 23 | 45 | −22 | 25 | |
| 15 | Blacktown City (R) | 30 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 32 | 47 | −15 | 21 | Relegated to the 1982 NSW State League |
| 16 | West Adelaide | 30 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 26 | 57 | −31 | 14 |
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
Individual awards
- Player of the Year: Bobby Russell (Adelaide City)
- U-21 Player of the Year: David Mitchell (Adelaide City)
- Top Scorer(s): Gary Cole (Heidelberg United – 16 goals)
- Coach of the Year: Eddie Thomson (Sydney City)