Unite Round is returning to the A-Leagues 2024-25 season, with the APL announcing its inclusion for the upcoming Australian domestic football season.
After launching earlier this year, the APL have deemed it a success and are determined to continue with the idea.
With the league going through turbulent waters in a financial sense, the continuation of Unite Round is a positive as the league looks to kickstart momentum and popularity in Australia.
The Sporting News has all the details.
MORE: Auckland FC new signings tracker | Who are Newcastle Jets new owners?
Unite Round borrows from the concept used in the NRL and AFL with their ‘Magic Round’ and ‘Gather Round’ initiatives respectively, where an entire weekend of action in the league is played in one city.
Unite Round is designed to be something of a festival of football, where fans from all around the country can come together in one location, which is also an effort to promote the game.
Unite Round acted as a replacement for the highly controversial Grand Final decision in 2022, which was initially going to see the A-Leagues showpiece event moved to Sydney regardless of which teams qualified.
Unite Round will be played between Friday November 22 and Sunday November 24 at two venues in Sydney: Allianz Stadium and Leichhardt Oval.
It is a reduction on the three venues used in the inaugural iteration of Unite Round, where CommBank Stadium in Parramatta was also used.
Leichhardt Oval will host all A-League Women’s matches, whilst Allianz Stadium will host the six A-League Men’s matches.
The APL have gone big with their Unite Round fixtures in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
In the A-League Men, there will be two derbies on Friday and Saturday night, with the F3 Derby between Newcastle Jets and Central Coast Mariners being the main game on Friday night, whilst the match of the round is undoubtedly the Sydney Derby between Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers, a match which could draw a huge crowd to Allianz Stadium.
There is no shortage of entertainment in the A-League Women’s, with a grand final rematch between Sydney FC and Melbourne City headlining the weekend on Sunday afternoon.
In the A-League Men, Melbourne City have opted to take the bye during Unite Round, which is necessary due to an uneven amount of teams in the competition.
Date | Match | Time |
---|---|---|
Friday, November 22 | Perth Glory vs. Western United | Twilight |
Friday, November 22 | Newcastle Jets vs Central Coast Mariners | Night |
Saturday, November 23 | Brisbane Roar vs Adelaide United | Twilight |
Saturday, November 23 | Sydney FC vs Western Sydney Wanderers FC | Night |
Sunday, November 24 | Wellington Phoenix vs Melbourne Victory | Afternoon |
Sunday, November 24 | Macarthur FC vs Auckland FC | Afternoon |
Date | Match | Time |
---|---|---|
Friday, November 22 | Adelaide United vs Wellington Phoenix | Twilight |
Friday, November 22 | Western Sydney Wanderers vs Brisbane Roar | Night |
Saturday, November 23 | Newcastle Jets vs Western United | Afternoon |
Saturday, November 23 | Central Coast Mariners vs Melbourne Victory | Afternoon |
Sunday, November 24 | Canberra United vs Perth Glory | Afternoon |
Sunday, November 24 | Sydney FC vs Melbourne City | Afternoon |
The A-League Men will begin its 20th season on Friday October 18, and will have 26 games and a Grand Final scheduled for the weekend of May 30-June 1; there will also be a new team, with the addition of Auckland FC.
The A-League Women’s season, which is expanding by one game to 23 rounds, will begin on November 1, and will have their Grand Final on the weekend of 16-18 May.