The 1979 National Soccer League was the third season of the National Soccer League, the former top Australian semi-professional league for association football clubs since its establishment in 1977. Marconi Fairfield secured a first National Soccer League title.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marconi Fairfield (C) | 26 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 58 | 32 | +26 | 40[a] | Qualification to Finals series[b] |
| 2 | Heidelberg United | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 44 | 30 | +14 | 36[a] | |
| 3 | Sydney City | 26 | 15 | 3 | 8 | 47 | 29 | +18 | 34[a] | |
| 4 | Brisbane City | 26 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 38 | 30 | +8 | 34[a] | |
| 5 | Adelaide City | 26 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 43 | 27 | +16 | 33[a] | |
| 6 | Newcastle KB United | 26 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 43 | 30 | +13 | 32[a] | |
| 7 | West Adelaide | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 31 | −3 | 25[a] | |
| 8 | APIA Leichhardt | 26 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 29 | 37 | −8 | 25 | |
| 9 | Brisbane Lions | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 28 | 40 | −12 | 22 | |
| 10 | Footscray JUST | 26 | 8 | 3 | 15 | 29 | 43 | −14 | 20[a] | |
| 11 | St George-Budapest | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 27 | 43 | −16 | 20 | |
| 12 | Canberra City | 26 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 25 | 41 | −16 | 20 | |
| 13 | Sydney Olympic (R) | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 23 | 30 | −7 | 19 | Relegated to the 1980 NSW State League |
| 14 | South Melbourne | 26 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 26 | 45 | −19 | 16[a] |
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Results
Finals series
The top four teams in the league entered a play-off series. The winner of the Finals series was not considered the overall winner of the 1979 National Soccer League.[1]
Round 1
| 7 October 1979 | Brisbane City | 2–0 | Sydney City | Brisbane |
|
Report | Stadium: Perry Park Attendance: 3,200 Referee: Jim Reeves |
| 7 October 1979 | Marconi Fairfield | 2–1 | Heidelberg United | Sydney |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Marconi Oval Attendance: 6,523 Referee: Jim Allen |
Round 2
| 14 October 1979 | Brisbane City | 2–1 | Marconi Fairfield | Brisbane |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Perry Park Attendance: 5,100 Referee: Chris Bambridge |
| 14 October 1979 | Heidelberg United | 1–3 | Sydney City | Melbourne |
|
Report | Stadium: Olympic Park No. 2 Attendance: 4,500 Referee: Don Campbell |
Round 3
| 19 October 1979 | Heidelberg United | 6–2 | Brisbane City | Melbourne |
| Report | Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 500 Referee: Tony Boskovic |
| 21 October 1979 | Marconi Fairfield | 0–1 | Sydney City | Sydney |
| Report |
|
Stadium: Marconi Oval Attendance: 4,782 Referee: Stewart Mellings |
Grand Final
| 28 October 1979 First Leg | Sydney City | 1–0 | Brisbane City | Sydney |
|
Report | Stadium: Wentworth Park Attendance: 2,523 Referee: Ken Allen |
| 4 November 1979 Second Leg | Brisbane City | 1–1 (1–2 agg.) | Sydney City | Brisbane |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Perry Park Attendance: 4,200 Referee: Don Campbell |
Season statistics
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mark Jankovics
|
Marconi Fairfield | 18 |
| 2 | Eddie Krncevic
|
Marconi Fairfield | 13 |
| 3 | Ken Boden
|
Newcastle KB United | 12 |
| 4 |  Kevin Low
|
Newcastle KB United | 11 |
| Jamie Paton
|
Heidelberg United | ||
| 6 | Tony Brennan
|
Brisbane Lions | 10 |
| Gary Cole
|
Heidelberg United | ||
| Peter Sharne
|
Marconi Fairfield | ||
 Terry Smith
|
Sydney City | ||
| 10 | Terry Byrne
|
Canberra City | 9 |
Individual awards
- Player of the Year: Ivo Prskalo (Marconi Fairfield)
- U-21 Player of the Year: Eddie Krncevic (Marconi Fairfield)
- Top Scorer(s): Mark Jankovics (Marconi Fairfield – 18 goals)
- Coach of the Year: Les Scheinflug (Marconi Fairfield)
References
- ^ Curran, Brian (20 September 1978). "'Think Australian' advice to Soccer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "1979 National Soccer League Top Goalscorers". ozfootball.net. 15 June 2021.