2005–06 Melbourne Victory FC season

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Melbourne Victory
2005–06 season
ManagerErnie Merrick
A-League7th
Pre-Season Challenge CupSemi-final
Top goalscorerArchie Thompson (8)
Highest home attendance18,260 vs Sydney FC (16 October 2005)
Lowest home attendance10,078 vs New Zealand Knights (4 February 2006)
Average home league attendance14,158

Melbourne Victory were considered to be one of the future "powerhouse" football clubs in Australia prior to the 2005/06 A-League season, with Socceroos Kevin Muscat and Archie Thompson returning to Melbourne from successful club careers in Europe. It was widely believed that they would be contenders for the A-League championship. However, the team ended up finishing a disappointing seventh and missed out on the finals.

Players[edit]

First-team squad[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Australia AUS Michael Theoklitos
2 MF Australia AUS Kevin Muscat (captain)
3 DF Australia AUS Daniel Piorkowski
4 DF Australia AUS Mark Byrnes
5 DF Belgium BEL Geoffrey Claeys
6 DF Australia AUS Steve Pantelidis
7 FW Australia AUS Michael Ferrante
8 MF Australia AUS Andy Vlahos
9 FW Australia AUS Daniel Allsopp
10 FW Australia AUS Archie Thompson
No. Pos. Nation Player
11 MF Australia AUS Vince Lia
12 MF Australia AUS Carl Recchia
13 MF Australia AUS Kristian Sarkies
15 DF Australia AUS Adrian Leijer
16 DF Australia AUS Simon Storey
17 MF Austria AUT Richard Kitzbichler
18 MF Australia AUS Chris Tadrosse
19 FW Australia AUS Ricky Diaco
20 GK Australia AUS Eugene Galeković

Transfers[edit]

In

Player From Country/State & League From Date
Australia Michael Theoklitos Bulleen Zebras Australia VPL
Australia Kevin Muscat Millwall England English Championship
Australia Daniel Piorkowski Melbourne Knights Australia VPL
Australia Mark Byrnes FC Hameenlinna Finland Finnish First Division
Belgium Geoffrey Claeys Excelsior Mouscron Belgium Jupiler League
Australia Steve Pantelidis Heidelberg United FC Australia VPL
Australia Michael Ferrante Fawkner Blues Australia VPL
Australia Andy Vlahos Cercle Brugge Belgium Jupiler League
Australia Danny Allsopp Hull City England English Championship
Australia Archie Thompson Lierse SK Belgium Jupiler League
Australia Vince Lia Fawkner Blues Australia VPL
Australia Carl Recchia South Melbourne FC Australia VPL
Australia Kristian Sarkies South Melbourne FC Australia VPL
Australia Adrian Leijer Melbourne Knights Australia VPL
Australia Simon Storey Altona Magic Australia VPL
Austria Richard Kitzbichler Austria Wien Austria Austrian Bundesliga
Australia Chris Tadrosse Blacktown City FC Australia NSW Premier League
Australia Ricky Diaco Bulleen Zebras Australia VPL
Australia Eugene Galekovic SC Beira-Mar Portugal Primeira Liga

Matches[edit]

2005-06 Hyundai A-League fixtures[edit]

28 August 2005 Round 1 Sydney FC 1 : 1 Melbourne Victory Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
17:00 UTC+10 Yorke 44' Thompson 73' Attendance: 25,208
Referee: Mark Shield
4 September 2005 Round 2 Melbourne Victory 2 : 2 Perth Glory Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne
17:00 UTC+10 Kitzbichler 11'
Muscat 85' (pen)
Caceres 40'
Despotovski 56'
Attendance: 17,960
Referee: Matthew Breeze
9 September 2005 Round 3 Adelaide United 1 : 0 Melbourne Victory Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
19:30 UTC+9:30 Brain 1'
Alagich Red card 15'
Attendance: 8,785
Referee: Peter O'Leary
18 September 2005 Round 4 Queensland Roar 1 : 1 Melbourne Victory Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
15:00 UTC+10 Baird 62'
McKay Red card 40'
Allsopp 88' Attendance: 15,444
Referee: Ben Williams
25 September 2005 Round 5 Melbourne Victory 1 : 0 Newcastle Jets Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne
17:00 UTC+10 Thompson 68' Attendance: 13,831
Referee: Craig Zetter
16 October 2005 Round 8 Melbourne Victory 5 : 0 Sydney FC Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne
13:00 UTC+10 Kitzbichler 34'
Muscat 53' 78'
Thompson 57' 69'
Talay Red card 58' Attendance: 18,206
Referee: Matthew Breeze
23 October 2005 Round 9 Perth Glory 2 : 1 Melbourne Victory Members Equity Stadium, Perth
17:00 UTC+8 Deane 22'
Sekulovski 55'
Thompson 39' Attendance: 12,312
Referee: Mark Shield
28 October 2005 Round 10 Melbourne Victory 0 : 1 Adelaide United Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne
20:00 UTC+10 Veart 83' Attendance: 16,201
Referee: Matthew Breeze
11 November 2005 Round 12 Melbourne Victory 0 : 0 Newcastle Jets Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne
20:00 UTC+11 Attendance: 12,407
Referee: Simon Przydacz
3 December 2005 Round 15 Sydney FC 2 : 1 Melbourne Victory Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
19:00 UTC+11 Corica 24'
Carney 81'
Allsopp 88' Attendance: 17,272
Referee: Mark Shield
29 December 2005 Round 16 Melbourne Victory 2 : 2 Perth Glory Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne
20:00 UTC+11 Thompson 23'
Allsopp 45'
Mori 24'
Ward 67'
Attendance: 14,754
Referee: Peter O'Leary
5 January 2006 Round 17 Adelaide United 1 : 0 Melbourne Victory Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
20:00 UTC+11 Dodd 14' Attendance: 13,427
Referee: Mark Shield
15 January 2006 Round 18 Queensland Roar 0 : 1 Melbourne Victory Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
19:00 UTC+11 Thompson 55' Attendance: 12,710
Referee: Mark Shield

Ladder[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Adelaide United 21 13 4 4 33 25 +8 43 Qualification for 2007 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series
2 Sydney FC (C) 21 10 6 5 35 28 +7 36
3 Central Coast Mariners 21 8 8 5 35 28 +7 32 Qualification for Finals series
4 Newcastle Jets 21 9 4 8 27 29 −2 31
5 Perth Glory 21 8 5 8 34 29 +5 29
6 Queensland Roar 21 7 7 7 27 22 +5 28
7 Melbourne Victory 21 7 5 9 26 24 +2 26
8 New Zealand Knights[a] 21 1 3 17 15 47 −32 6
Source: ultimatealeague.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ New Zealand Knights cannot qualify for the AFC Champions League as they are not recognised as an AFC club.

2005–06 end-of-season awards[edit]