It was the roar of the crowd in best form last weekend and the power of the people has returned to the top of the tipping ladder. Mike Tuckerman and David Shilovsky have 13 matches remaining in the season to run them down and it will be a willing contest.

The final home and away round of 2024/25 is with us and Perth’s trip to Wellington, as well as Brisbane’s clash with Central Coast are meaningless affairs.

Then, the business begins, with Melbourne looking to end Sydney FC’s season on Saturday and Western United hoping to manage three points against the premiers that could see them grap second spot.

The Wanderers will be hoping for the same against Macarthur on Saturday night and Victory will land somewhere in the top four with a win over the Jets on Sunday. All the while, Adelaide wait in the wings hoping Sydney stumble on the final weekend.

Good luck with your tips for the round and be sure to include them in the sheet below to have a say in the voice of the people. Here is the way the panel sees all the action unfolding across the weekend.

Mike Tuckerman

Stuart Thomas

Wellington, Brisbane, City, United, Western Sydney, Victory

The Phoenix should end the season in the right way, especially knowing that continuity has been confirmed in the re-signing of the coach. Central Coast and Brisbane is a toss of the coin, with the visitors having the better form in my view.

Melbourne City will end Sydney FC’s season in what will be a massive underachievement. With Auckland grasping silverware, it is a perfect time for Western United to pounce and they will do so at home on Saturday evening.

The Wanderers are humming and could put a disinterested Macarthur to the sword a few hours later and Victory are not going to make a mistake against the Jets on the final day.

Mike Tuckerman

Wellington, Brisbane, Draw, Draw, Western Sydney, Victory.

Wellington Phoenix should get the job done over Perth Glory now that Giancarlo Italiano has been re-confirmed as coach for next season. But what does the future hold for David Zdrilic? One more defeat at the Cake Tin, I’m guessing.

Mark Jackson signed a new deal barely nine months ago to keep him in Gosford until 2027, but has he taken the Mariners as far they can go? The death knell seems to be tolling for Ruben Zadkovich in Brisbane, but I suspect they’ll end their campaign with another belated victory.

In a round replete with a couple of massive encounters, Melbourne City’s clash with Sydney FC at AAMI deserves top billing. This will be a real test of both team’s character, and you have to wonder if Sydney FC go hell-for-leather trying to land an early knock-out blow. But two teams could cancel each other out.

Ironbark remains a tricky place to play, as Sydney FC found out on a slippery playing surface last weekend. The green-and-blacks have already proved once this season that they don’t fear Auckland FC, however Steve Corica will want his side to go into the finals with some momentum. Another draw in Tarneit?

Macarthur’s clash with Western Sydney Wanderers in Campbelltown is another massive encounter. Unfortunately for the Bulls, it’ll be Alen Stajcic’s tough-to-beat team who spoil the party with another massive contingent of away fans in the stands.

Melbourne Victory proved they could get the job done with a vital away win at Macarthur last weekend. They should have too much quality to see off a Jets side already planning their end-of-season holiday.

David Shilovsky

Wellington, Central Coast, draw, Western United, Wanderers, Victory

Andrew Prentice

Wellington, Central Coast, Draw, Auckland, Western Sydney, Victory

Football can be funny and cruel within the same whispered sentence. We kick the round off with the 4 sides who are already making travel plans to Darwin later in the year to play in the Australia Cup qualifiers for the bottom 4.

Wellington and Perth start the last round in New Zealand. Hopefully, the Glory side have managed to see some sites on the North Island as they complete their seasonus horribilus with two distance derbies. Perth were on the receiving end of the most one-sided 1-0 loss in history last week. The Phoenix have been poor goalscorers but one should be enough against a homesick Perth.

Remember when the Mariners and Brisbane played one of the most amazing games in A League history 14 years ago? Times, they have a-changed, although the Mariners have emulated the Ange Postecoglou-led Roar of that era by winning the last two A League titles.

The home side will be keen to finish the season on a winning note. The very thought of this season’s Roar winning three straight games was ludicrous not long ago, but that’s what they’re shooting for here. It was tempting to pick a draw to add to the Mariners 11 already, but I fancy them to go one better than that.

Brisbane Roar’s best days were under the watch of Ange Postecoglou. It seems a long, long time ago after another season of disappointment. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

If Sydney FC don’t pick up any points in Melbourne on Saturday, Adelaide will pinch sixth spot without playing. This is a genius move on the club’s part as they discover the best way not to lose – have a bye.

It also tells a stark story of the Reds decline; 1 win in the last 10 rounds, yet they may still have done enough to fall over the line. A City win will secure second and a draw will be enough for Sydney to make the six, but not necessarily enough for City’s bid for second. But given they have bored the pants off us for most of the season, that’s how I see this ending up.

The Auckland Plate Party is in full swing. They travel to Tarneit with the shackles removed and this could make for some entertainment in western Melbourne on Saturday evening. The script is set though; a Western loss will see hope spring eternal for Western – Sydney that is.

John Aloisi’s young side have been a breathtaking surprise packet this season. I see Auckland spoiling the party and taking the points. Which leads to…

Campbelltown, and the other Sydney derby, full of meaning if results fall accordingly. The Wanderers are bang in form and ready to take advantage of altitude sickness of those above them. They are the top scorers in the competition with firepower everywhere.

94 goals have been scored in Wanderers games this season, and 91 in Macarthur games, so put your money on goals in the western shootout, with the Wanderers Wyatt Earping their way to the top two.

Who knows, by the time we get to the last game, Victory might still have a shot at second themselves (this would require City, Western and Wanderers to all lose). If they have a shot, they’ll take it in Newcastle. If they don’t, they might just loosen up and enjoy themselves on Star Wars Day.

Eli Adams might bear a passing resemblance to a young Luke Skywalker, but even his shooting exploits wont be enough to hold back the Victory tide.

Texi Smith

Wellington, Brisbane, Sydney, Western, Wanderers, Victory

The final weekend of the A-League Men’s season starts off with the most anti-climactic of them all, a game that decides the configuration of the Australia Cup preliminary stage. Wellington Phoenix will give their fans a good send-off with a thumping win, Hideki Ishige and Paulo Retre on target in the first half in front of a surprisingly big Friday night crowd.

An unfortunate own-goal sums up Perth’s season as they fall once again in front of their crazy-bonkers fans at the end of their madcap Tour of Duty week in New Zealand.

Just when you thought low-key couldn’t get any lower, the Central Coast take on Brisbane Roar in the Friday night timeslot, and what a game to ensure these two teams meet again in May in Darwin. Jacob Brazete scores a stunner to silence the noisy home fans, but Mariners power into the lead by half-time, Arthur De Lima and Mikael Doka with a goal apiece.

A crazy see-sawing game sees Asumah Abubakar race the length of the field to tuck home the winner deep into injury time.

Sydney FC fans have already switched off and are expecting nothing but a defeat in Melbourne to underline the sourness of the 2024/25 season. With a spot in the top six a point away, the players are well and truly on board though, and finally Sydney FC put together a complete performance that has been missing all season.

A controlled clean sheet from a leaky defence and a goal on the break from Jaiden Kucharski is enough to book sixth spot.

Adrian Segecic is one of Sydney FC’s keys to Victory this weekend. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

We all know who was the only team to master Auckland FC this season, although the last home encounter for Western United against today’s visitors ended in a similarly frustrating defeat. Cue bedlam as Western United are reduced to ten men on the hour with the game in their hands.

Auckland miss a hat full of chances and Noah Botic grabs a late winner against all odds to secure second spot for the hosts in a calamitous end to the regular season at the ‘Bark.

Western Sydney Wanderers are left battling for home ground advantage in the elimination finals when they visit Macarthur FC on the final day, and the Saturday night TV game at least has a decent turnout to cheer on the two teams.

Macarthur’s chances of a finals spot ended badly with a home defeat to Melbourne Victory, and for all their vigour in a lively first-half, they ultimately succumb to a Wanderers breakaway, Nicolas Milanovic doing the hard work on the right and firing low into the box for Brandon Borrello to notch the only goal of the game and secure the home game for the Wanderers next weekend.

The A-League Men’s season ends on Sunday afternoon with Newcastle Jets’ trip to Melbourne Victory. The Jets have every reason to throw off the shackles and go for broke; up against the sublime quality of the Victory attack, that would of course be suicidal, and the Jets play a very patient game, soaking up the pressure to frustrate the home team.

The result is immaterial, the performance is everything for Victory, and Jets eventually come out of their shell to try and win the game and are duly punished. Daniel Arzani weaves though to open the scoring, Zinedine Machach adds a Glenn Hoddle-esque chip for two, and Bruno Fornaroli bundles in the final goal in a comprehensive second-half demolition.

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