This season’s biggest A-League game could take place in New Zealand, with Auckland FC streaking towards the premiership and the chance to host the grand final.

If there were any remaining doubts about Auckland title credentials, they crushed them with a 6-1 annihilation of Wellington Phoenix in front of 27,009 fans at Go Media Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

It was another record crowd for the Black Knights – although how seriously we should take their accounting is open to question, given the last two digits just so happen to represent Auckland’s area code.

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But what isn’t in doubt is the effectiveness of Steve Corica’s side, who finished the game as a contest before half-time with a quickfire three-goal burst.

They’d already fired a warning shot when Jake Brimmer chipped a cross over for Max Mata to head home at the far post, only for the Kiwi international’s goal to be ruled out for a push on Tim Payne.

But the Phoenix failed to heed the warning, and when they failed in turn to clear a corner, Neyder Moreno was on hand to drive home the opener through a crowded penalty area.

It was the Colombian who smashed home the second in similar fashion soon after – although it looked like it brushed off Logan Rogerson – before the latter nodded in Auckland’s third within a frantic 10-minute spell.

And if Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano thought he’d found a way back through 16-year-old substitute Luke Brooke-Smith, the notion soon disappeared when the teenager played an errant pass across his own penalty area that was promptly dispatched by the lurking Moreno.

The outstanding Rogerson and young substitute Jesse Randall added a couple more at the death, as Auckland recorded their third straight win in the New Zealand derby.

So is is a good thing for Australian football?

Of course it is.

Black Knights coach Steve Corica and his Phoenix counterpart Italiano are both Aussies, with the former enjoying a career resurgence in Auckland, while the latter launched his professional coaching career in Wellington.

More importantly, the addition of an extra Kiwi team gives the A-League a much-needed metrics boost – allowing the APL to schedule an early Saturday afternoon kick-off in Auckland that consistently draws a crowd, while reserving the Saturday night timeslot for another marquee match-up.

Logan Rogerson celebrates after scoring a goal with Jake Brimmer (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

That highlight fixture on Saturday was a typically cantankerous Melbourne Derby watched by 22,806 fans at AAMI Park, with Victory and City each forced to settle for a point after a night of high drama finished deadlocked at 2-2.

The result didn’t particularly look on the cards when City threatened to blow the hosts away early on, as Marco Tilio drove home a well-worked opener barely five minutes in, before new Victory goalkeeper Mitch Langerak was forced into a couple of close-range saves.

But the complexion of the game changed when City centre-back German Ferreyra was adjudged to have clipped Victory striker Nikos Vergos near the goal line deep in first-half stoppage time, allowing Zinedine Machach – who didn’t look the most obvious of penalty takers – to convert the first spot-kick of his career.

And the Victory fans were soon in full voice when Clarismario Santos played a one-two with Jordi Valadon before lashing the ball into the far corner of Patrick Beach’s net.

But with plenty of time left on the clock in what was a titanic tussle at AAMI Park, City captain Aziz Behich – who seems to dislike his former club more than anyone – drew a lunging foul from the error-prone Roderick Miranda, allowing Kai Trewin to go straight down the middle from the resultant penalty.

It was another terrific advertisement for the competition and a reminder – as if we needed it – of how much better the action is on the pitch when there’s some atmosphere raining down from the stands.

That won’t be a problem if Auckland host the grand final.

The black-and-blues aren’t quite there yet – and they may have to move the game to the 50,000-capacity Eden Park to accommodate fan interest – but there’s no denying the fact that the best team in Australia this season comes from New Zealand.