The 2002–03 National Soccer League season, was the 27th season of the National Soccer League in Australia. The finals format was revised for this season, with the top six teams at the end of the regular season qualifying for a home-and-away championship series. The top two teams from the championship series progressed to the grand final. Olympic Sharks were crowned premiers and Perth Glory were champions.
Teams
Regular season
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympic Sharks | 24 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 51 | 28 | +23 | 51 | Qualification for the Championship play-offs |
| 2 | Perth Glory (C) | 24 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 48 | 22 | +26 | 50 | |
| 3 | Parramatta Power | 24 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 51 | 27 | +24 | 40 | |
| 4 | Newcastle United | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 37 | 25 | +12 | 37 | |
| 5 | Adelaide Force | 24 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 40 | 34 | +6 | 37 | |
| 6 | Northern Spirit | 24 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 37 | 44 | −7 | 36 | |
| 7 | South Melbourne | 24 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 36 | 37 | −1 | 35 | |
| 8 | Sydney United | 24 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 23 | 31 | −8 | 27 | |
| 9 | Melbourne Knights | 24 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 38 | 52 | −14 | 27 | |
| 10 | Brisbane Strikers | 24 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 38 | 45 | −7 | 26 | |
| 11 | Football Kingz | 24 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 26 | 45 | −19 | 24 | |
| 12 | Marconi Fairfield | 24 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 25 | 42 | −17 | 23 | |
| 13 | Wollongong Wolves | 24 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 25 | 43 | −18 | 23 |
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Home and Away Results
Round 1
| Marconi Fairfield | 2–2 | Wollongong Wolves |
|---|---|---|
Brosque  7', 75' |
Report | Sekulovski 44', 53' |
| Brisbane Strikers | 1–2 | Northern Spirit |
|---|---|---|
| Grierson 42' |
Report | Tomasevic 20' Hutchinson 57' |
| Parramatta Power | 3–0* | Perth Glory |
|---|---|---|
| Horsley 59' Despotovski 64' |
- This match was awarded to Parramatta 3-0 after it was found that Perth Glory breached regulation 16.13 in playing an unregistered player - Andre Gumprecht. The determination was made on 4 February 2003.
| Melbourne Knights | 1-1 | Olympic Sharks |
|---|---|---|
| Pelikan 36' |
Report | Milicic 47' |
Round 2
| Northern Spirit | 1-4 | Football Kingz |
|---|---|---|
| Tomasevic 90' (pen.) |
Report | Ngata 3', 18', 83' (pen.), 87' |
| Olympic Sharks | 3–0 | Marconi Fairfield |
|---|---|---|
| Juric 26' Porter 50'Ishida 62' |
Report |
| Sydney United | 2–0 | Newcastle United |
|---|---|---|
| B Santalab 49' Menapi 74' |
| Adelaide Force | 1-1 | Melbourne Knights |
|---|---|---|
| Valkanis 90+2' |
Tunbridge 15' (o.g.) |
| Perth Glory | 3-4 | Brisbane Strikers |
|---|---|---|
| Hassell 56' Mori 75' (pen.), 85' (pen.) |
Rech 9', 78' Grierson 21'Roche 73' |
Round 3
| Marconi Fairfield | 1-2 | Adelaide Force |
|---|---|---|
| Brosque 57' |
Report | Valkanis 72' Budin 87' |
| Newcastle United | 5–0 | Northern Spirit |
|---|---|---|
| J Griffiths 23', 32', 67' Thomas 45'Moreira 76' |
| Brisbane Strikers | 1-2 | Wollongong Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| Rech 82' |
Young 7', 16' Babic 31' |
| Football Kingz | 0–1 | Perth Glory |
|---|---|---|
| Mori 58' |
| South Melbourne | 1-1 | Sydney United |
|---|---|---|
| Coveny 24' |
Report | Cacic 32' |
| Parramatta Power | 1-2 | Olympic Sharks |
|---|---|---|
| Cardozo 45' |
Juric 60' Parisi 69' |
Round 4
| Northern Spirit | 3-2 | South Melbourne |
|---|---|---|
| Spencer 16' Hutchinson 37'Richter 88' |
Kisnorbo 62' Buljan 85' |
| Olympic Sharks | 2–0 | Brisbane Strikers |
|---|---|---|
| Packer 52' Parisi 90+2' |
| Adelaide Force | 2–2 | Parramatta Power |
|---|---|---|
| Pantelis 34' Vidmar 52' |
Thompson 60' Elrich 74' |
| Perth Glory | 1–0 | Newcastle United |
|---|---|---|
| Mori 26' |
Round 5
| Newcastle United | 2–0 | Wollongong Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| J Griffiths 71' (pen.) Dodd 87' |
Referee: Brett Hugo
| Parramatta Power | 2–2 | Melbourne Knights |
|---|---|---|
| Piorkowski 38' (o.g.) Brown 75' |
Lapansky 68' R Vargas 90+3' |
| Brisbane Strikers | 2-3 | Adelaide Force |
|---|---|---|
| Rech 18' Grierson 23' |
Report | Pelosi 66', 77' Vidmar 79' |
| Football Kingz | 2-2 | Olympic Sharks |
|---|---|---|
| Almendra 52', 81' (pen.) |
Packer 51' Harris 54' |
| South Melbourne | 2–0 | Perth Glory |
|---|---|---|
| Buljan 61' Baird 6' |
| Sydney United | 1-1 | Northern Spirit |
|---|---|---|
| Menapi 38' |
McDermott 43' |
Round 6
| Adelaide Force | 2-1 | Football Kingz |
|---|---|---|
| Vidmar 43' Tunbridge 52' |
Almendra 40' (pen.) |
| Perth Glory | 2–0 | Sydney United |
|---|---|---|
| Mori 9', 74' (pen.) |
| Melbourne Knights | 3-3 | Brisbane Strikers |
|---|---|---|
| Pelikan 8' Fa’Arodo 39', 50' |
Report | Rech 21', 90+4' (pen.) Pilic 52' |
Round 7
| Football Kingz | 2-2 | Melbourne Knights |
|---|---|---|
| deGregorio 47' Almendra 51' (pen.) |
Sabljak 69' Pelikan 81' |
| Newcastle United | 2-1 | Adelaide Force |
|---|---|---|
| J Griffiths 53' (pen.) Masi 90+1' |
Tunbridge 35' |
| Northern Spirit | 1-3 | Perth Glory |
|---|---|---|
| Fisher 55' |
Hassell 26' Miller 62'Mori 90+1' |
| Brisbane Strikers | 1-4 | Marconi Fairfield |
|---|---|---|
| Trajanovski 57' (pen.) |
Report | Spiteri 11', 84' Perinich 51'Sekulic 65' |
| South Melbourne | 6–4 | Olympic Sharks |
|---|---|---|
| Baird 2', 40' Buljan 8'Coveny 13', 89' (pen.)Panopoulos 20' |
Report | Packer 22' Milicic 44'Halpin 60'Pondeljak 85' |
| Sydney United | 2-1 | Wollongong Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| Angelucci 71' Cacic 81' |
Young 53' |
Round 8
| Marconi Fairfield | 2-1 | Football Kingz |
|---|---|---|
| Spiteri 40', 56' |
Ngata 69' |
| Parramatta Power | 2–0 | Brisbane Strikers |
|---|---|---|
| Cardozo 16' (pen.) Brownlie 78' |
| Adelaide Force | 4–0 | South Melbourne |
|---|---|---|
| Tunbridge 18' Durakovic 19' (o.g.)Smeltz 62'Pelosi 81' (pen.) |
| Olympic Sharks | 1–0 | Sydney United |
|---|---|---|
| Packer 90+2' |
| Wollongong Wolves | 2-1 | Northern Spirit |
|---|---|---|
| Babic 35' Young 62' |
Hutchinson 55' |
Round 9
| Football Kingz | 2-1 | Parramatta Power |
|---|---|---|
| Renaud 62' (o.g.) Urlovic 81' |
Salaoasidis 4' |
| Northern Spirit | 2-3 | Olympic Sharks |
|---|---|---|
| Tomasevic 77', 90+2' |
Watts 2' (o.g.) Porter 17'Pondeljak 68' |
| Perth Glory | 3-1 | Wollongong Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| Hassell 14', 43' Mrdja 23' |
Young 37' (pen.) |
| South Melbourne | 4-2 | Melbourne Knights |
|---|---|---|
| Trimboli 1' (pen.) Buljan 31'Damianos 61'Tolios 67' |
Report | Buhic 30' Pelikan 43' (pen.) |
| Sydney United | 2-1 | Adelaide Force |
|---|---|---|
| Angelucci 45', 87' |
Vidmar 84' |
Round 10
| Brisbane Strikers | 0–2 | Football Kingz |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Ngata 25' Almendra 81' |
| Melbourne Knights | 3-2 | Sydney United |
|---|---|---|
| Pelikan 28' (pen.) Biscayzacu 58' (pen.)Cervinski 78' |
Santalab 3', 55' |
| Olympic Sharks | 2-1 | Perth Glory |
|---|---|---|
| Milicic 60' Harris 86' |
Report | Hassell 65' |
| Parramatta Power | 1-4 | Newcastle United |
|---|---|---|
| Buonavoglia 88' |
J Griffiths 7', 18' Dodd 24', 74' |
| Adelaide Force | 1-1 | Northern Spirit |
|---|---|---|
| Valkanis 83' |
Hutchinson 89' |
Round 11
| Northern Spirit | 2-1 | Melbourne Knights |
|---|---|---|
| Kwasnik 18' Richter 65' |
Biscayzacu 87' |
| Newcastle United | 3-3 | Brisbane Strikers |
|---|---|---|
| Masi 12' Tsekenis 39'J Griffiths 81' |
Roche 55', 79' Drake 59' |
| Perth Glory | 1–0 | Adelaide Force |
|---|---|---|
| Mrdja 84' |
| Olympic Sharks | 3–0 | Wollongong Wolves |
|---|---|---|
| Milicic 39' Durante 52'Porter 90+2' |
| Sydney United | 2–0 | Marconi Fairfield |
|---|---|---|
| Santalab 34' (pen.) Deur 64' |
Report |
Round 12
| Brisbane Strikers | 2–1 | South Melbourne |
|---|---|---|
| Trajanovski 12' McLaren 80' |
Report | Coveny 52' |
| Melbourne Knights | 1-4 | Perth Glory |
|---|---|---|
| Pelikan 18' (pen.) |
Report | Mrdja 25' Mori 33', 80'Hassell 45' |
| Parramatta Power | 3–0 | Sydney United |
|---|---|---|
| Salapasidis 44' Maloney 45'Elrich 75' |
Round 13
Round 14
Round 15
Round 16
Round 17
Round 18
Round 19
Round 20
Round 21
Round 22
Round 23
Round 24
| Parramatta Power | 4 - 1 | SouM |
|---|---|---|
Round 25
Round 26
Championship play-offs
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perth Glory (C) | 10 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 7 | +20 | 27[a] | Qualification for the Grand Final |
| 2 | Olympic Sharks | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 14 | +3 | 19[b] | |
| 3 | Adelaide Force (R) | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 14 | +5 | 17 | Joined the SASF Premier League[c] |
| 4 | Parramatta Power | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 16 | 21 | −5 | 13 | |
| 5 | Northern Spirit | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 22 | −15 | 8[d] | |
| 6 | Newcastle United | 9 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 17 | −8 | 7[d] |
Source: rsssf.com
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Awarded 3 bonus points, due to regular season position.
- ^ Awarded 6 bonus points, due to regular season position.
- ^ Adelaide Force was not forcibly relegated, but voluntarily left the league due to financial difficulties.[1]
- ^ a b The Round 9 match between Northern Spirit and Newcastle United was not played, as neither team could progress.
Championship Playoff Results
Playoff Round 1
Playoff Round 2
Playoff Round 3
Playoff Round 4
Playoff Round 5
Playoff Round 6
Playoff Round 7
Playoff Round 8
Playoff Round 9
- This match was initially postponed due to heavy rains in Sydney making the pitch unplayable. It was intended to be rescheduled for Rat Park. Neither side could affect the championship, so the match was not played.
Playoff Round 10
Grand final
| Perth Glory | 2 – 0 | Olympic Sharks |
|---|---|---|
| Harnwell 29' Mori 87' |
(Report) |
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References
- ^ "A-League: Adelaide marks a decade United". abc.net.au. Retrieved 18 December 2014.