GOLDEN BOOT REVIEW - SEASON 2024/25

Just when you thought everything that could be done in the world of Alfalfa has been done, someone produces something previously unheard of, and that is back-to-back Golden Boot titles! This season, *Chris V* scored 130 goals to claim the title for the second year in a row (last year he was a co-winner alongside Neil E), just one ahead of rival and two-time GB winner *Mark T* (129). Congratulations to Chris for setting the standard with an incredible achievement!

Special mention to Mark as well for pushing him all the way to the last weekend of the competition. He is an Alfalfa legend in his own right, with this being his EIGHTH appearance on the GB podium, another Alfalfa record!

In third place was *Robert G* with 127 goals. A very respectable performance indeed. This is Rob's 2nd time on the podium, following on from his joint 3rd place finish in 2017. Great season Rob!

Rounding out the minor placings are *David A* and *Peter K* who finished in joint 4th place with 126 goals apiece, just one ahead of heavyweight *Nick G* on 125. *Matthew A* was the clear standout from the newbies scoring an incredible 124 goals in his debut season as he romped to the C-League and Cup double. Rounding out the top 10 were three players who all finished on 120 goals, a nod of the head to *Craig C*, and * TheTwo Stevies Merc and Mirf* for noteworthy campaigns.

OFFICIAL PRIZE MONEY WINNERS
1st Place: Chris V (130 Goals) - $75
2nd Place: Mark T (129 Goals) - $60
3rd Place: Robert G (127 Goals) - $50
4th Place: David A / Peter K (126 Goals) - $22.50 each

A-LEAGUE UPDATE - 2/06/25

It was party time for the men from PK Arena as Max Power took out the A-League premiership in a drama filled penalty shootout grand final victory over InThain FC. Both teams had already exceeded expectations by making the big dance with 4th placed InThain smashing an out of shorts Pistol Knights in the Semis (too much celebrating the Championship win we reckon) while 6th placed Power shocked last year's premiers Klopp of the Pops in a thrilling 2-legged tie.

In the final, the first 90 minutes were frenetic with 10 goals scored in total, shared evenly among the participants. This meant the game would move into extra time and the scoring did not stop with both teams scoring 3 goals apiece to end the game all square at 8-8! No idea what the defenders were doing in this game but hey it was fun! This of course means a dreaded penalty shootout and here the keepers finally got their hands to a couple of shots, none more so than the Power keeper who saved 3 attempts to lead his side to victory, 3 pens to 2. Congrats to Power and a big thankyou to all A-League participants who have taken the competition to another level this year.

OFFICIAL PRIZE MONEY WINNERS
Grand Final Premiers: Peter K (Max Power) - $60
Grand Final Runners-up: Kris O (InThain FC) - $50
Highest Ranked Losing Semi-Finalist: Chris V (Pistol Knights FC) - $40

A-LEAGUE UPDATE - 13/05/25

After 26 rounds, Pistol Knights FC have emerged as the 2025 A-League Champions after a breathtaking final day 4-4 draw with Klopp of the Pops at Klopptoberfest Park that saw the visitors win the title on 47 points and their gameday hosts (and defending champs) finish just one point behind on 46. These two sides are developing quite the rivalry! Congrats to the Knights who with this success secured the A-League Championship and Golden Boot double. It should be interesting to see if either of these sides can secure the Premiership or if that throne will be usurped by one of the other contenders.

Roaring up the ladder to finish in 3rd place was Sparky United (also on 46 points) to finish the regular season in red hot form, another cracking season from the men at Spark Park. Finishing in 4th place is InThain FC, the side who consistently manage to play finals football each and every season, a credit to the culture and structure that is in place at Tennents Park.

The two other sides securing Finals football this year are White Line Fever (39 pts) and Max Power (38 pts). Speaking of consistency, both these clubs have now established themselves as A-League heavyweights and despite being the underdogs going into the finals, they are more than equipped to ruffle some feathers.

Before we look at the relegated teams, let's have a gander at the sides who finished in the middle section of the league. FC Reality claim the 'best of the rest' tag in 2025, finishing strongly to move clear of relegation and end up in 7th place on 36 pts. Just behind them are Middleton Academicals (35) who will be content with their position of 8th after a horror first half of the campaign. Joining them on 25 pts are Invincible Eleven who at times this season showed that they can match it with the best. Consistency is key for IE next year if they are to play finals football.

PetrolHead Town will once again play A-League football in 2025-26, once again keeping their incredible record in tact (they have played in every A-League season in history!). While it wasn't their greatest ever, they eventually finished in 10th place, 5 points clear of the relegation zone. Also confirming their A-League status for another season are NFI United who had a nightmare season defensively and will just be glad they got through unscathed to reset and regroup for next season.

Finally, to the relegated teams. Going down in 12th place was 2024 B-League Champs Beercelona Citeh. The 2018 A-League champs came back up to the big-time last season with high hopes, but unfortunately for them they just fell short, 3 points short in fact as they suffered defeat on the final day where victory wouldaEUR(TM)ve secured their A-League status. Hopefully for them they can bounce back asap.

In 13th was Champions League finalists The Yahoos whose season really fell apart in the final few weeks of the season. Perhaps the defeat in the CL final clipped their wings and they never recovered, going back down to the B-League after just two seasons back in the top league.

And in last but not least, it was Melchester Rovers who go back down after just one season, finishing on 21 points. It was always going to be tough for Rovers who were competing in their first ever A-League season following their surprise playoff victory in 2024. No doubt the club will have learned a lot from this experience, and we hope the lessons learned will hold them in good stead moving forward.

FINALS UPDATE
At time of writing, the Elimination Finals have already been played with Max Power thumping Sparky United 3-0 at Spark Park and InThain FC edging past White Line Fever by 4 goals to 3 at Tennents Park. This now sets up two mouth-watering semi final ties with Power taking on Champions Pistol Knights and InThain going head on with Klopp of the Pops (both over two legs) for a spot in the 2025 A-League Grand Final.

All the best to those still competing!

B-LEAGUE UPDATE - 2/06/25

The anticipation for this year's 'Thistle off' in the B-League Promotion Playoff final was intense, would it be Edwardstown or Tartan Soup who would advance to next season's A-League? 4th placed Edwardstown easily dispatched a disappointing Citydale United in the semis, while 6th placed TST emerged victorious from arguably the greatest 2-legged contest of all time against 3rd placed Koan United FC in a tie that saw 24 goals scored across the two games + extra time, TST finally edging it 13-11 in the end.

That anticipation was quickly dissipated in the Final as the Thistle's of Edwardstown either thought they'd already gotten promoted or took the bus to a different stadium which resulted in the Thistle's of Tartan Soup romping to a 5-0 win and a return to the A-League at their first attempt. Congrats to the winners and thank you to all B-league participants in season 2024-25.

OFFICIAL PRIZE MONEY WINNERS
B-League Champion: Steve Mirf (Canucks United) - $60
B-League Runners-up: Alex B (Meniscus Kickers) - $50
Promotion Playoff Winner: Craig C (Tartan Soup Thistle) - $40


B-LEAGUE UPDATE - 13/05/25

Congratulations and jubilations are in order for Canucks United who secured the B-League Championship title on the final day of the season with a tight 2-1 win over West Boinging Albion. Canucks have been a revelation this season following on from last seasons promotion from the C-League and have gone from strength to strength, securing 51 points along the way. Welcome to big time!

Joining them in the aforementioned 'big time' are Meniscus Kickers (lead by Alex B) who bounced back after last year's playoff heartache to secure that all important 2nd automatic promotion spot on the final day with a 4-3 success over relegated SWeeP to finish on 48 points, four clear of the chasing pack. Unlike Canucks who have done it in just two years, Kickers have been banging on the A-League door for many a campaign and have finally done it woo! Congrats to all involved.

One side that will be kicking themselves however are Koan United FC (44 pts) who will once again have to settle for a playoff place after slipping down to 3rd over the final few weeks. That said, this side know how to score goals (they scored 102, the highest in the league) and also know how to navigate the playoffs after securing promotion from the C-League in the same manner last year. Let's see if they can do it again.

One side who will be confident of spoiling that plan however are Edwardstown Thistle who defeated Koan on the final day of the regular season to also finish on 44 points. Ed Thistle have finally found their groove this season after a few years scrapping against relegation and after collecting the Champions League trophy back in February, they must be considered one of the main favourites to take out the playoffs.

The two other sides who are keen to upset the apple cart are Citydale United (40 pts) and Tartan Soup Thistle (39 pts). Citydale have been consistent without necessarily being spectacular this season but have managed to get the job done when it mattered. Whereas TST have recovered well after a nightmare to live back in the Bs to sneak into the playoffs on the final day of the season. We know they can score goals (2nd highest in the league) so it might all come down to how things go for them at the other end.

Once side who will be thinking of what might have been are Tobs FC who had their playoff spot snatched from them on the final day after drawing with relegation threatened Father-in-Law FC. Tobs has basically been in the top six all season so this will be a bitter pill to swallow however their recent form had not been good.

As for Beaza Boys (8th place, 37 pts) and West Boinging Albion (9th place, 34 pts), the season all ended rather tamely, however both sets of fans might be happy with that after suffering various end of season heartbreaks in recent years.

Perhaps the most excitement on the final day took place near the bottom of the table with 3 sides all battling to escape the 3rd and final dreaded relegation place. Winterfell FC went into the final game in the relegation zone however a fantastic 5-2 success over Beaza Boys at The Wall was enough to leapfrog over their rivals and finish in 10th place on 32 pts, a huge sigh of relief for them!

This meant that it came down to Father-in-Law FC and Molineux Mixers who were both facing sides looking to secure a playoff place. With both sides drawing on the final day, it was poor old Mixers who ended up going down on goal difference, what a way to go! This saw them join SWeeP (24 pts) and Burra Boys (14 pts) as the 3 relegated sides. As for SWeeP and Burra, it has been a season to forget and some serious soul searching in the off-season is required to see how they can rebuild and recover.

PLAYOFFS
Confirming the playoff semi-final ties, 3rd placed Koan will tussle with 6th placed Tartan Soup Thistle, while the Thistle of the Edwardstown kind will lock horns with Citydale United. Good luck to the competitors.

C-LEAGUE UPDATE - 2/06/25
Unlike the B-League Playoff Final, Backstreet Moyes FC and FC Metal put on a classic at ALFALFA Stadium with the latter just shading it by the odd goal in 11 to win promotion to the B-League. The 6-5 win for 6th placed Metal was on the back of a hard fought Semi final win over 3rd placed FC FC (a tie that went all the way to extra time, Metal winning 12-10 in the end) and secured an incredible first for Alfalfa where all THREE end of season tournaments (A-League Finals, B & C Promotion Playoffs) were won by the team who finished the regular season in 6th place.

As for Backstreet Moyes FC, once they get over the heartbreak of this loss, they will hopefully reflect positively on a very solid debut season that saw them peak at the right time to reach the playoffs (5th place) and see off 4th placed Full of Ham FC in the semis with a 9-8 aggregate win after extra time. Congrats to FC Metal and indeed all those who secured promotion. Thank you all C-League participants!

OFFICIAL PRIZE MONEY WINNERS
C-League Champion: Matthew Allahmoradi (Rads FC) - $60
C-League Runners-up: Shaun H (Hat Bitt United) - $50
Promotion Playoff Winner: Leo S (FC Metal) - $40


C-LEAGUE UPDATE - 13/05/25

This season's story was all about one name, Rads FC. The newcomers blazed a trail through the entire league amassing a record number of points (64) on their way to the Championship which include 20 victories from the 26 games, suffering just two losses. And to put a cherry on top, they also secured the ALFALFA Cup to add further glory to an already remarkable year. Hats off to Rads for their incredible campaign and look out B-League as you are next!

The race for the 2nd automatic promotion spot was a much closer affair, with three sides in contention on the final day. The side with the toughest task was Hat Bitt United who faced a trip the Champions however they produced perhaps their finest performance of an impressive year, defeating the Champs 4-3 on their own turf and securing that second spot with 54 points, one ahead of the chasing pack. Huge congrats to HBU for securing promotion after suffering heartbreak in previous seasons.

FC FC (53) who expectedly eased past cellar dwellers Freakbob 2-0 on the final day had to settle for 3rd place and the first playoff spot. That said, it has been a very good debut season for this new team. The same can be said for Full of Ham FC, who despite having a last round brain fade, had a great debut to finish in 4th place on 50 points. Joining them in the playoffs will be Backstreet Moyes FC (48 pts) and FC Metal (47 pts) who drew 3-3 at Helios Arena on the final day to officially secure those playoff berths. It really is anyone's guess who will take out the playoffs!

Looking at the best of the rest, other than Long Jackets FC (7th place, 44 pts) and AEK (8th place, 38 pts) who had respectable if not good campaigns, the remaining sides left a lot to be desired and should they wish to continue their Alfalfa journey, face a long winter ahead of soul searching. But the only way is up though, right?

PLAYOFFS
Confirming the lineup for the C-League playoff Semi Finals which will be contested over two legs. FC FC face off against FC Metal, while Full of Ham FC will test their all swine-based diet against those wily singing and dancing machines known as Backstreet Moyes FC. One thing is for sure, a team with the letters 'FC' will win the playoffs, howaEUR(TM)s that for trivia!

RADS FC WIN THE 2025 ALFALFA CUP!

In a huge upset, runaway C-League leaders Rads FC have claimed the 2025 Alfalfa Cup in dramatic fashion, defeating B-League stalwarts Winterfell FC by 5 goals to 4 at ALFALFA Stadium.

In a topsy turvy clash, both sides cancelled each other out in the first half, scoring 3 goals each to leave things nicely poised at the break.

In the 2nd half, it was an early strike from Rads without reply that saw them edge in front and with both sides grabbing one more at the death, it was Rads who made history by claiming the trophy in their very first season! With the C-League title all but secured, Rads have already proven they have what it takes to match it with the big wigs of Alfalfa.

Commiserations to Winterfell FC who were incredible all competition, just falling short at the final hurdle. They can hopefully take solace in the fact that they are in the mix for a promotion playoff berth in the B-League, with promotion back to the A-League the ultimate goal.

OFFICIAL PRIZE MONEY WINNERS
Winner: Matthew A (Rads FC) - $60
Runner-up: Ali V (Winterfell FC) - $40

EDWARDSTOWN THISTLE TAKE OUT THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!

B-League side Edwardstown Thistle emerged victorious in a breathless Champions League final against The Yahoos. The all new competition has produced it's fair share of dramatic moments and fans were not left wanting in the final game which included 11 goals across 120 minutes.

Thistle took the lead midway through the first half and doubled it just before the break but it was quickly cancelled out by The Yahoos to keep things tight at 2-1 as they headed into the sheds.

The second half started like a house on fire with both sides grabbing two more each before Yahoos snatched a late equaliser at the death to send the fixture into Extra Time at 4-4.

The Extra Time period saw 3 more goals scored. Both Thistle and Yahoos grabbed one each just before the end of the first 15 minutes but just before penalties looked to be required, Thistle did to Yahoos what had been done unto them at the end of regulation time, grabbing a last gasp winner to send the Thistle faithful (try saying that numerous times in a row) into delirium and Yahoos into despair!

Congrats to Thistle who secured their first trophy since their 2011 B-League title.

OFFICIAL PRIZE MONEY WINNERS
Winner: Kevin D (Edwardstown Thistle) - $60
Runner-up: Peter T (The Yahoos) - $40

WOMEN'S SUPER LEAGUE REVIEW - SEASON 2024/25

It was a history making year for the competition with the inaugural Alfalfa Women's Super League being contested. The structure saw 12 teams competing against each over of a 22-round traditional home and away league format. At the conclusion of the league, the top four sides would compete in a finals series to determine the ultimate Premiers.

The regular season quickly saw a few frontrunners emerge, with a clear split between the top and bottom halves. By the end of the season this had spread more into three different groups with Beaza Girls taking out the Championship with 43 points, just one ahead of FC Unreality in second. Red Mist FC (39 pts) finished in 3rd place, three points further back alongside InThain FC (also 39 pts).

Perhaps the most unfortunate to miss out on finals football was Maxine Power who despite having scored the 2nd highest number of goals, could only manage 36 points and thus, a 5th place finish. Looking at the mid-table, Knickerbocker Glory (33 pts), West Boinging Albion (32 pts), Short Skirts FC (29 pts) and The Yaherrs (28 pts) all had inconsistent campaigns, however they will no doubt build on the positives and tidy up the negatives.

Down at the bottom, it was a very tough year for The Tillies (16 pts), Frockeroos (16 pts) and Hat Bitt United (11 pts) who just could never find the right form and struggled throughout. HereaEUR(TM)s hoping they can bounce back well for season two!

Moving onto the Final Series and it was disaster for both InThain FC and FC Unreality in the first legs, both going down 4-1 and 4-0 respectively against Beaza Girls and Red Mist FC. It is at this point that FC Unreality threw in the towel and Red Mist rested all their players are the 2nd leg was a complete snooze fest, finishing 0-0. In the other tie, credit at least to InThain for throwing a few punches as they drew 3-3 however the class of Beaza shone through overall to win 7-4 on aggregate.

While the Semis were so-so, the Grand Final matches the Alfalfa Cup Final in terms of goals Beaza Girls claiming the crown by just the odd goal in nine. The 5-4 win saw them complete a dominant Championship-Premiership double and stamp their authority on the womenaEUR(TM)s game.

A huge thank you to all twelve teams who participated, we hope to see you back for more next season!

OFFICIAL PRIZE MONEY WINNERS
Grand Final Premiers: Mark B (Beaza Girls) - $65
Grand Final Runners-up: Robert G (Red Mist FC) - $35
Highest Ranked Losing Semi-Finalist: Sergiy S (FC Unreality) - $20

Congratulations to 2024 Cup Winners Max Power who defeated 2024 A-League double Championship and Premiership winners Klopp of the Pops 8 goals to 7 in the Community Shield season curtain raiser.

With both sides locked together at 5-5 after regulation time, Extra Time was needed to determine a winner and it was the Cup specialists who prevailed