It’s that time of the year again; the A-League is about to kickoff.  It was a massive 10th season last year with Melbourne Victory taking out the Premiership and the Championship to own all the bragging rights. They’ll be looking to go back-to-back but there are nine other teams that will have different ideas. I’m stoked to be back writing weekly previews for TheProfits, it will be my third season and I think I’m learning more and more about the intricacy’s of the A-League and the best way to try and make money out of it. The trade’s teams have made this season has been interesting, the last few years the off-season signings have been a big deal, but this year I don’t think there was any team changing signings, but I guess we’ll find out soon enough. Once again I’ll mainly be focusing on the Head to Head markets, as I think I have a real good grip on them, but I’ll also focus on the Over/Under markets and the Draw No Bet markets. Each week I’ll provide a preview of each game and which way I see the result going. I’ll then add in the best odds available for each team and the betting options I’m looking at, followed by my rated prices, then highlight where I think the best value in the match is. Below I’ve got a pre-season review of all the teams, with a small write-up on how they went last season and how I think they’ll go in the upcoming season, including where I rate the team. I’ve also got listed any transfers, both in’s and out’s, the teams have had since last season.

I know it’s crazy, but below is my predicted end of season ladder positions purely based on my team ratings, hopefully it’s pretty accurate, because if my ratings are accurate it goes a long way to being able to find some value throughout the season. As you’ll see, I think those positions from 5th – 8th are very tight and there’s a few different teams that could make the finals.

1:    Melbourne Victory
2:    Adelaide United
3:    Sydney FC
4:    Melbourne City
5:    Brisbane Roar
6:    Perth Glory
7:    Wellington Phoenix
8:    Western Sydney Wanderers
9:    Central Coast Mariners
10:    Newcastle jets

Also any feedback you have I’d love to hear about, just shoot me a tweet @AL_TheProfits and I’ll usually reply pretty quickly.

Hopefully we all have a very profitable 2015/16 A-League season.

@AL_TheProfits

Adelaide United

2014/15
Adelaide United finished the 2014/15 very strongly. They ended up finishing 3rd on the table and made it to the Semi Finals where they met Sydney FC away. Unfortunately they couldn’t get over the top of them to secure their self a place in the Grand Final, but it was an admirable effort. I had their end of season rating as the 3rd highest team, and there was a gap to the 4th rated team.

2015/16
Adelaide United should be confident going into the new season, they had a strong team last year and they haven’t changed it much. Bringing in Dugandzic should help them out wide a bit too. They will be very tough to beat at home this season and anything but a top 4 finish would be disappointing from them.

Ins: 
Iaccapo La Rocca (from Western Sydney Wanderers)
George Mells (Free Agent)
Eli Babalj (on loan from AZ Alkmaar)
Mate Dugandzic (from Melbourne City)

Outs: 
Nigel Boogaard (to Newcastle Jets)
Cassio (Released)
Miguel Palanca (Released)
Awer Mabil (to FC Midtjylland)
Cameron Watson (to Newcastle Jets)
Paul Izzo (to Central Coast Mariners)

Brisbane Roar

2014/15
Brisbane Roar fell from grace last season, after their dominance over the 2013/14 season I was expecting another big season from them, but the disappointed all the way through. They just snuck into a finals position after the Perth Glory fiasco, but it didn’t matter much anyway, Adelaide United knocked them straight out of the finals in the Elimination Final with relative ease. They finished the season with the equal 6th – 7th rating, which is very disappointing after start the season in equal 1st.

2015/16
Brisbane Roar can bounce back this season, but I doubt that they will. Their line-up is capable of big performances, but off last season it would be hard to back them in any matches outside of Queensland. They’ve picked up MacLaren from Perth Glory, which is a nice addition, but it will take more than him to get Brisbane up into the top half of the field.

Ins: 
Jamie MacLaren (from Perth Glory)

Outs: 
Andrija Kaluderovic (Released)
Adam Sarota (to FC Utrecht – Loan Ended)
Kofi Danning (to Oakleigh Cannons)
Lachlan Jackson (to Newcastle Jets)

Central Coast Mariners

2014/15
Much like Brisbane Roar, Central Coast Mariners had a great 2013/14, but come 2014/15 the wheels fell off. They somehow only finished the season with 5 wins, which will never get you into the finals; they ended up dropping down to 8th by the end of the season. I had them 9th in the ratings and was struggling to have any confidence about them, even against the likes of Newcastle Jets.

2015/16
I don’t think they can be any worse this year, and they’ve done the right thing getting in some fresh blood to try and change things around. They could be a chance of making finals this year, but I think it will still be a struggle for them. They’re a club that’s had a fair bit of success and I can’t imagine fans taking to another poor season too well. It’s also notable the amount of players they released after last season, management mean business.

Ins: 
Mitch Austin (from Cambridge United)
Roy O’Donovan (from Mitra Kukar)
Paul Izzo (from Adelaide United)
Harry Ascroft (Free Agent)
Daniel Heffernan (from Heidelberg United)

Outs: 

Richard Vernes (to Budapest Honved – Loan Ended)
Zac Anderson (Released)
Dejan Pandurevic (Released)
Tom Slater (Released)
Hayden Morton (Released)
Isaka Cernak (Released)
Brent Griffiths (Released)
Matt Simon (Released)
John Hutchinson (Retired)
Travis Major (Released)
Zac Cairncross (Released)
Matt Nash (Retired)

Melbourne City

2014/15
Melbourne City had an OK season, finishing up in 5th position and then making it to the Semi Finals where they came up against the rivals Melbourne Victory. They were no match for the Premiers, but that’s nothing to be discouraged by. From their point of view it might be a little disappointing though, they bought in some big guns with the intention of some silverware, but it didn’t pan out that way for them. I had them finish the season as the 4th highest rated team.

2015/16
I think Melbourne City could have a big season ahead of them. They should definitely be playing finals and should be aiming for a top 4 finish. They’ve signed quite a few players to try and improve on their 5th placing last season. I think at home they’ll be very tough to beat, and we’ll get a real idea of where they are at when they come up against Melbourne Victory in week two.

Ins: 
Corey Gameiro (from Sydney FC)
Ivan Franjic (from Torpedo Moscow)
Steve Kuzmanovski (from Western Sydney Wanderers)
Aaron Hughes (Free Agent)
Michael Zullo (from FC Utrecht)
Bruno Fornaroli (Free Agent)
Thomas Sørensen (Free Agent)
Jason Trifiro (from Western Sydney Wanderers)

Outs: 
Andrew Redmayne (to Western Sydney Wanderers)
Mate Dugandzic (Released)
Iain Ramsay (Released)
Rob Wielaert (Released)
Kew Jaliens (Released)
Damien Duff (Released)
Josh Kennedy (Retired)

Melbourne Victory

2014/15
What can you say about Melbourne Victory last season, they were super impressive. They finished on top of the table, with the most wins and the highest goal difference. At home there was no team tougher to beat. They then cleaned up in the finals winning both of their games 3-0 to lift the Championship trophy with utter ease. Unsurprisingly I had them rated the best team in the league.

2015/16
Melbourne Victory should be supremely confident going into this season, they had clearly the best side last season, and when they were right no team could get near them. Unlike a few of the other teams, I think they might have gone slightly backwards in the transfer market. Losing Milligan is a big loss for them and it could hurt their drive through the middle. I still think they are the team to beat though.

Ins: 
Danny Vukovic (from Perth Glory)
Oliver Bozanic (Free Agent)

Outs: 
Mark Milligan (to Bani Yas)
Andrew Nabbout (Released)
Nathan Coe (Released)
Jordan Brown (Released)

Newcastle Jets

2014/15
Over the past few years there hasn’t been many worse than Newcastle Jets’ 2014/15 campaign. They only managed to win 3 games for the whole season, and the ended up with a horrible goal difference of -32. There’s not a lot more to say about them on the field, and off the field they weren’t much better. Obviously I had them the worst rated team of last season, and they held that title basically the whole season.

2015/16
Newcastle Jets will surely have a better season this year, because I don’t think it’s possible to have a worse one. They’ve done the most work in the off-season, and while there are no real stars amongst the new signings, it will be a new look Newcastle and that’s got to be good thing. I don’t think they have much of a chance in making finals this season, but if they can at least be competitive when at home it will be a step up from last season.

Ins: 
Themba Muata-Marlow (from Sydney FC )
Andy Brennan (from South Melbourne)
Nigel Boogaard (from Adelaide United)
Mark Birighitti (from AS Varese – Loan Ended)
Lachlan Jackson (from Brisbane Roar)
Jason Hoffman (from Melbourne City)
Mateo Poljak (from Western Sydney Wanderers)
Labinot Haliti (from Western Sydney Wanderers)
Cameron Watson (from Adelaide United)
Leonardo Vitor Santiago (Free Agent)
Milos Trifunovic (Free Agent)

Outs: 
Scott Neville (to Western Sydney Wanderers)
Jacob Pepper (to Western Sydney Wanderers)
John Solari (Released)
Sam Gallagher (Released)
James Virgili (Released)
Taylor Regan (Released
Jess Vanstrattan (Released)
Zenon Caravella (Released)
Andrew Hoole (to Sydney FC)
Travis Cooper (Released)

Perth Glory

2014/15
Perth had a really good season last year, started with a bang, but dropped a little towards the end of the season. They had some controversy that caused them to lose their spot in the finals, which was a shame because they would of finished 3rd on the table and been in good stead to have a decent crack at the finals. While they had a good season, the fact that they tapered off towards the end of the year means they only rated equal 6th -7th.

2015/16
Another team with quite a bit off-season movement, which could improve their chances, namely the signing of Covic, one of the better keepers in the A-League over the past few seasons. The loss of Keogh could leave a big gap up front for them though. Being in Perth means they have a huge home ground advantage, and they’re always sure to pick up plenty of points when playing in WA, but on the flipside, they can find matches on the road pretty difficult at times. I think they are another of these teams on the verge of a finals spot, can’t see them finishing higher than 5th, but think they’ll do better 8th.

Ins: 
Jerrad Tyson (from Sun Pegasus)
Alex Grant (from Stoke City)
Antony Golec (from Western Sydney Wanderers)
Hagi Gligor (from Sydney FC)
György Sándor (Free Agent)
Ante Covic (from Western Sydney Wanderers)
Diego Castro (Free Agent)
Marc Warren (from APIA Leichhardt)
Guyon Fernandez (from NAC Breda)

Outs: 
Danny Vukovic (to Melbourne Victory)
Scott Jamieson (to Western Sydney Wanderers)
Brandon O’Neill (to Sydney FC)
Daniel De Silva (to Roma – Loan Ended)
Youssouf Hersi (Released)
Jack Duncan (to Randers FC)
Rostyn Griffiths (Released)
Riley Woodcock (to Sydney FC)
Jamie Maclaren (to Brisbane Roar)
Andy Keogh (Released)

Sydney FC

2014/15
Sydney FC had a great 2014/15 season, pretty much everything went to plan except for the last game of the year. They were very strong throughout the season and ended up only losing 5 games. I think they needed the home ground advantage to beat the very top teams, but they were good non the less. Nothing went right for them in the Grand Final when Melbourne Victory beat them 3-0, but the fact they got there speaks panels about how good they were going. I had them finish the season with the 2nd highest rating and I think that is justified.

2015/16
Similar to the other top team from last season, Melbourne Victory, I think that Sydney FC hasn’t done all that well in the off-season trades. They’ve picked up a few handy players, but the loss of Ibini is a big one, and could hurt their overall performance. I still have high hopes for them this season though; I think they only have to play as good as last season to be able to hold a position in the top 4 of the table.

Ins: 
Riley Woodcock (from Perth Glory)
Brandon O’Neill (from Perth Glory)
Andrew Hoole (from Newcastle Jets)
Filip Holosko (Free Agent)
Milos Ninkovic (Free Agent)
Zac Anderson (from Central Coast Mariners)
Matt Simon (Free Agent)
Alex Mullen (from Mars Hill University)

Outs: 
Nikola Petkovic (to KVC Westerlo)
Sasa Ognenovski (Released)
Corey Gameiro (to Melbourne City)
Hagi Gligor (Released)
Peter Triantis (Released)
Nick Carle (Released)
Marc Janko (to FC Basel)
Bernie Ibini (to Shanghai SIPG – Loan Ended)
Terry Antonis (to PAOK)

Wellington Phoenix

2014/15
Wellington had a great season on paper, finishing in the top 4, but I think their season fell off towards the end. They earned themselves a home Elimination Final, but couldn’t beat Melbourne City in that match up. I think you’d have to give them a pass mark, but I wasn’t convinced. After their end of season slump I ended having them 5th on my ratings, so just better than average.

2015/16
This is a side I can really see slipping, I don’t think their season was as good as it first looked last year, and with the loss of Burns, I can’t see them going better than last season. They haven’t picked up any players of note either. I’m thinking the last of the finals placing could be their best chance; they don’t look like they’ll be a top half of the table team to me.

Ins: 
Blake Powell (from APIA Leichhardt)
Jeffrey Sarpong (Free Agent)

Outs: 
Nathan Burns (to FC Tokyo)
Michael Boxall (to SuperSport United)
Jason Hicks (Released)
Josh Brindall-South (Released)
Kenny Cunningham (Released)
Tyler Boyd (to Vitoria Guimaraes)

Western Sydney Wanderers

2014/15
Probably the biggest disappointment of the 2014/15 season was the Western Sydney Wanders. How they went from what they did in 2013/14 to what they did last year, I don’t know. They only managed 4 wins for the year, and ended up just 1 point ahead of Newcastle Jets on the table. I rated them 8th at the seasons end, and realistically that could be a little kind. They’ll want to put that season behind them.

2015/16
Western Sydney Wanderers looks the team that could have the biggest form swing from last year with numerous player changes. The losses of Covic and Juric will hurt, but picking up Vidosic, Nichols, Redmayne and others, could really improve their side. For such a new team they have an incredible fan base, and they won’t stand for another season like last year, and I don’t think they will have to. I’m pretty confident they can change their fortunes and be back into a finals position again this year, maybe not top 4, but 5th – 6th is definitely within their grasp.

Ins: 
Dario Vidosic (from FC Sion),
Mitch Nichols (from Cerezo Osaka)
Andrew Redmayne (from Melbourne City)
Scott Jamieson (from Perth Glory)
Jacob Pepper (from Newcastle Jets)
Scott Neville (from Newcastle Jets)
Andreu Guerao Mayoral (from Racing Santander)
Federico Piovaccari (Free Agent)
Dimas Delgado (Free Agent)
Alberto (Free Agent)

Outs: 
Tomi Juric (Released)
Ante Covic (to Perth Glory)
Kerem Bulut (to Iraklis)
Nikita Rukavytsya (Released)
Jason Trifiro (Released)
Nick Ward (Injury Replacement)
Nick Kalmar (Injury Replacement)
Antony Golec (to Perth Glory)
Adrian Madaschi (Injury Replacement)
Iacopo La Rocca (to Adelaide United)
Yojiro Takahagi (to FC Seoul)
Yusuke Tanaka (Released)
Yianni Perkatis (to Blacktown City)
Steve Kuzmanovski (to Melbourne City)
Matthew Spiranovic (to Hangzhou Greentown)
Labinot Haliti (to Newcastle Jets)
Mateo Poljak (to Newcastle Jets)