The 1977 National Soccer League season was the first season of the National Soccer League of Australia. The league was not only the first national soccer league in Australia but the first of any of the forms of football in Australia. Clubs predominantly joined from the top leagues in each state, with the exception of Tasmania and Western Australia, and Canberra City forming in 1977 to join the league. The inaugural champions were Eastern Suburbs.
Background
Attempts had been made to start a national league several times during the 1960s and 1970s, however it wasn't until 1975 that the talk became serious. In April 1975, nine clubs from New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia agreed to form a national league in either 1976 or 1977. Frank Lowy, president of Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs and Alex Pongrass, St George-Budapest president led a concerted effort to bring in teams from Victoria over objections from the state association. Eventually, four Victorian clubs joined with the addition of a team from the Australian Capital Territory.
Teams Stadiums and locations
Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Stadium CapacityAdelaide CityAdelaideOlympic Sports FieldBrisbane CityBrisbanePerry ParkBrisbane LionsBrisbanePerry ParkCanberra CityCanberraQueanbeyanManuka OvalSeiffert OvalFitzroyMelbourneOlympic Park StadiumFootscrayMelbourneMiddle Park StadiumMarconi FairfieldSydneyMarconi StadiumMooroolbarkMelbourneMiddle Park StadiumEsther ParkWembley ParkSouth MelbourneMelbourneMiddle Park StadiumSt GeorgeSydneySydney Sports GroundMarconi StadiumEastern SuburbsSydneySydney Sports GroundSydney OlympicSydneySydney Sports GroundWentworth ParkWestern SuburbsSydneySydney Sports GroundEnglefield Stadium?West AdelaideAdelaideHindmarsh Stadium
League table
Results
Season statistics
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Dixie DeansAdelaide City162 Terry SmithEastern Suburbs143 Murray BarnesEastern Suburbs12 John KosminaWest Adelaide5 Gary ColeFitzroy United116 Geoff MorrisBrisbane Lions107 Branko BuljevicFitzroy United9 Graham NorrisWestern Suburbs John NyskohusAdelaide City Peter SharneMarconi Fairfield
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ref Eastern Suburbs Adelaide City 6–1 (H) 7 May 1977 Eastern Suburbs Brisbane Lions 4–0 (A) 5 June 1977 Marconi Fitzroy 8–1 (A) 20 June 1977 Brisbane Lions Western Suburbs 4–0 (H) 25 July 1977 South Melbourne Mooroolbark 4–2 (A) 29 August 1977 Adelaide City Mooroolbark 10–3 (H) 5 September 1977 Adelaide City Footscray 4–3 (A) 12 September 1977
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Alan MaherMarconi Fairfield122 Terry EatonWestern Suburbs113 Peter BlasbyFitzroy United9 Roger RomanowiczAdelaide City5 Gary MeierSydney Olympic86 Dennis BolandFootscray JUST7 Osvaldo BorziBrisbane City Jack ReillySouth Melbourne9 Martyn CrookWest Adelaide6 Phil DandoBrisbane Lions
Discipline
Player Most yellow cards: 7 Kevin Mullen (Eastern Suburbs)
Most red cards: 2 Alan Niven (Brisbane Lions) Graham Norris (Western Suburbs) Graham Honeyman (West Adelaide) Dave Pillans (West Adelaide)
Club Most yellow cards: 29 West Adelaide
Fewest yellow cards: 5 Fitzroy United
Most red cards: 5 West Adelaide
Fewest red cards: 0 Seven teams
Awards Award Name ClubPlayer of the YearJimmy RooneyMarconiYoung Player of the YearJohn KosminaWest AdelaideCoach of the YearRale RasicMarconi
Source:
References Footnotes
General references OzFootball Archives - 1977 NSL Table