Unite Round pre-game between Adelaide United and Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium in January 2024.

Unite Round was an A-Leagues event in which all fixtures were played in one city for one week during the A-League Men's and Women's season. The event was held twice during the 2023–24 and 2024–25 A-Leagues seasons in Sydney, in partnership with Destination NSW. It was not renewed for the 2025–26 season.

Background

In December 2022, the Australian Professional Leagues made a decision to move the following three A-Leagues Grand Finals (2023, 2024 and 2025) which would be hosted in Sydney in a deal with Destination NSW. The decision was met with universal backlash from fans and clubs. The decision had the possibility of being reversed during September 2023, in response to the unpopularity with the fans on the decision, and the potential to be replaced with a "Magic Round–style" event.

History

On 18 October 2023, the Australian Professional Leagues officially reversed the decision on the Grand Final hosts, renegotiating the contract into a Unite Round as a replacement.

It was first held in January 2024, with twelve fixtures of all participating A-League Men and Women teams in the 2023–24 season, played at three stadiums (Allianz Stadium, CommBank Stadium, and Leichhardt Oval). As Unite Round was introduced after the release of the 2023–24 A-Leagues fixtures, the 2023–24 Unite Round event changed fixture details in certain match weeks of both the A-League Men's and Women's original fixture lists. The men's Unite Round fixtures were used as an additional match week (Round 27) to the regular season, and the women's Unite Round fixtures replaced the existing match week of Round 12 where the venues and times were changed to the specific Unite Round details. The 2023–24 Unite Round event attracted a total attendance of 47,425.

A second Unite Round (as part of the 2024–25 A-Leagues seasons) was played during November 2024, using Allianz Stadium and Leichhardt Oval. Due to the 2024–25 A-League Men season having an odd number of teams, this meant Melbourne City received a bye for this event. The Unite Round hosted two derbies for the first time, those being the F3 Derby and Sydney Derby.

On 25 July 2025, it was announced that the Unite Round would not held for the upcoming season.

List of Unite Rounds

SeasonDatesCityVenues (matches)Attendance
MenWomenTotal
2023–2412–14 January 2024SydneyAllianz Stadium (4), CommBank Stadium (4), Leichhardt Oval (4)36,20311,22247,425
2024–2522–24 November 2024Allianz Stadium (6), Netstrata Jubilee Stadium (6)61,9119,39471,305

Matches

All times are in AEDT

2023–24

A-League Men

12 January 2024Macarthur FC3–3Western UnitedCommBank Stadium
17:30Dávila 32', 51', 90'Garuccio 3' Penha 74', 85'Attendance: 3,441 Referee: Adam Kersey
12 January 2024Melbourne City0–1Western Sydney WanderersCommBank Stadium
19:45Pierias 27'Attendance: 7,117 Referee: Jonathon Barreiro
13 January 2024Central Coast Mariners1–1Melbourne VictoryAllianz Stadium
16:45Reec 89'Arzani 33'(pen.)Attendance: 8,147 Referee: Ben Abraham
13 January 2024Adelaide United4–3Sydney FCAllianz Stadium
19:30Ibusuki 24', 34', 73' Irankunda 50'Caceres 7' Lolley 76', 90+5'Attendance: 11,918 Referee: Alex King
14 January 2024Perth Glory3–4Wellington PhoenixCommBank Stadium
19:15Taggart 7' Susnjar 50' Carluccio 70'Barbarouses 29', 73' Rufer 45+2' Paine 57'Attendance: 1,632 Referee: Tim Danaskos
14 January 2024Brisbane Roar3–2Newcastle JetsAllianz Stadium
19:15O'Shea 61', 90'(pen.) Markovski 82'Stamatelopoulos 18' Cancar 65'Attendance: 3,948 Referee: Jack Morgan

A-League Women

12 January 2024Melbourne Victory1–1Perth GloryLeichhardt Oval
16:30Lowe 28'Rankin 60'(o.g.)Attendance: 1,130 Referee: Caitlin Williams
12 January 2024Wellington Phoenix1–2Central Coast MarinersLeichhardt Oval
19:15Main 3'Badawiya 23' Trimis 34'Attendance: 1,938 Referee: Bec Mackie
13 January 2024Canberra United3–1Adelaide UnitedLeichhardt Oval
16:30Michelle Heyman 50', 51' Milivojević 64'Hodgson 46'Attendance: 1,183 Referee: Rebecca Durcau
13 January 2024Brisbane Roar1–2Newcastle JetsLeichhardt Oval
19:15Corbin 65'Bolden 63' Yallop 77'(o.g.)Attendance: 1,417 Referee: Isabella Libri
14 January 2024Western Sydney Wanderers1–0Melbourne CityCommBank Stadium
16:30Caspers 67'Attendance: 1,515 Referee: Isabella Blaess
14 January 2024Western United0–1Sydney FCAllianz Stadium
16:30Vine 70'Attendance: 4,039 Referee: Casey Reibelt

2024–25

A-League Men

22 November 2024Perth Glory1–3Western UnitedAllianz Stadium
17:00Ostler 52'Leonard 60' Ibusuki 65', 76'Attendance: 2,425 Referee: Alireza Faghani
22 November 2024Newcastle Jets1–2Central Coast MarinersAllianz Stadium
19:30Aquilina 64'Kaltak 66' Šušnjar 75'(o.g.)Attendance: 5,156 Referee: Shaun Evans
23 November 2024Brisbane Roar2–3Adelaide UnitedAllianz Stadium
16:30Jelacic 6' O'Shea 43'(pen.)Mauk 33' Clough 46' Goodwin 62'Attendance: 15,249 Referee: Alex King
23 November 2024Sydney FC4–2Western Sydney WanderersAllianz Stadium
19:05Lolley 33' Courtney Perkins 48' Ouhaim 54'(pen.) Klimala 82'Sapsford 45+4' Antonsson 78'Attendance: 30,777 Referee: Daniel Elder
24 November 2024Wellington Phoenix1–0Melbourne VictoryAllianz Stadium
13:00Barbarouses 82'Attendance: 3,478 Referee: Casey Reibelt
24 November 2024Macarthur FC0–1Auckland FCAllianz Stadium
15:30May 34'Attendance: 4,826 Referee: Ben Abraham

A-League Women

22 November 2024Adelaide United0–1Wellington PhoenixNetstrata Jubilee Stadium
17:00McCutcheon 45+3'Attendance: 878 Referee: Isabella Mossin
22 November 2024Western Sydney Wanderers0–4Brisbane RoarNetstrata Jubilee Stadium
19:45Hayashi 18', 45+1' Yallop 67' Pringle 84'Attendance: 1,398 Referee: Kelly Jones
23 November 2024Central Coast Mariners1–1Melbourne VictoryNetstrata Jubilee Stadium
13:45Morrison 85'Rasmussen 12'Attendance: 1,238 Referee: Georgia Ghirardello
23 November 2024Newcastle Jets1–1Western UnitedNetstrata Jubilee Stadium
16:30Cicco 71'Maher 80'Attendance: 1,494 Referee: Rebecca Durcau
24 November 2024Canberra United1–1Perth GloryNetstrata Jubilee Stadium
13:00Stanic-Floody 69'Dalton 41'Attendance: 1,237 Referee: Beth Rattray
24 November 2024Sydney FC1–1Melbourne CityNetstrata Jubilee Stadium
15:45Hawkesby 6'Bosch 11'Attendance: 3,149 Referee: Rachael Mitchenson

See also

External links

  • at A-Leagues