2002 National Soccer League Playoff results
2001-2002 Season Playoff Series Matches
written by Thomas Esamie

The top six teams of the regular season meet in matches as shown in home and away legs. Matches marked '1', '2' and '3' are single elimination games, winner of Match 3 is crowned Champion of the 2001-2002 season.


Newcastle v Perth  -----winner--------------------------3___Grand Final
                      \____loser________________              /
                                                \2__winner___/
                                                 /
South Melb v Brisbane ---winner___              /
                                  \1___winner__/
Knights v Sharks __________winner_/


Grand Final Match, winner becomes champion
Played (12/05/2002) Subiaco Oval
Referee : M Shield, Crowd : 42735
Perth Glory
Jason Petkovic, Matthew Horsley, Jamie Harnwell, Scott Miller, Slobodan Despotovski, Bradley Hassell (Alistair Edwards 69), Edgar Aldrighi Junior, Damian Mori, Gary Faria (Nick Mrdja 69), Shane Pryce, David Tarka
0 - 1 Olympic Sharks
Clint Bolton, Paul Kohler, Wayne Srhoj (Dylan Macallister 69), Lindsay Wilson, Tom Pondeljak, Jade North, Greg Owens (Stephen Laybutt 88), Jeromy Harris (Hiroyuki Ishida 81), Ante Milicic, Andrew Packer, Ante Juric
Goal : Milicic 48

Preliminary Final, loser eliminated, winner into Grand Final
Played (05/05/2002) Energy Australia Stadium
Referee : S Micallef, Crowd : 17708
Newcastle United
Daniel Beltrame, Michael Prentice (Daniel McBreen 69), Andrew Roberts (Joseph Schirripa 84), Matthew Bingley, Travis Dodd, Joel Griffiths, Peter Tsekenis, Scott Baillie, Milan Blagojevic, Esala Masi, Alex Moreira
0 - 1 Olympic Sharks
Clint Bolton, Paul Kohler, Lindsay Wilson, Tom Pondeljak, Troy Halpin (Wayne Srhoj 41), Jade North, Jeromy Harris, Ante Milicic, Andrew Packer, Andrew Durante, Ante Juric (Hiroyuki Ishida 18 (Greg Owens 51))
Goal : Milicic 9

Minor Semi-Final, loser eliminated, winner into Preliminary Final
Played (28/04/2002) Marconi Stadium
Referee : E Lennie, Crowd : 6341
Olympic Sharks
Clint Bolton, Paul Kohler, Lindsay Wilson, Tom Pondeljak, Troy Halpin (Wayne Srhoj 85), Jade North, Jeromy Harris (Greg Owens 66), Ante Milicic (Dylan Macallister 75), Andrew Packer, Andrew Durante, Ante Juric
Goals : Pondeljak 10, Harris 40
2 - 1 South Melbourne
Michael Petkovic, Steve Iosifidis, Fausto De Amicis (Nick Sabljak 72), Mehmet Durakovic, Steve Panopoulos, Vaughan Coveny, Paul Trimboli (Robert Liparoti 68), Radomir Sekulovski (Joe Bacak 57), Massimo Murdocca, Patrick Kisnorbo, Con Boutsianis
Goal : Liparoti 93

Major Semi-Final, loser into Preliminary Final, winner into Grand Final
1st leg Played (20/04/2002) Subiaco Oval
Referee : E Lennie, Crowd : 31963
Perth Glory
Jason Petkovic, Matthew Horsley, Jamie Harnwell, Scott Miller, Brad Maloney, Slobodan Despotovski (Nick Mrdja 91), Bradley Hassell (Alistair Edwards 85), Edgar Aldrighi Junior, Damian Mori (Gary Faria 88), Shane Pryce, David Tarka
Goals : Despotovski 27, 79, Maloney 35, Mori 55
4 - 1 Newcastle United
Daniel Beltrame, Andrew Roberts, Chris Zoricich (Mark Wilson 57), Matthew Bingley, Travis Dodd (Alex Moreira 64), Joel Griffiths, Peter Tsekenis, Scott Baillie, Milan Blagojevic, Joseph Schirripa (Michael Prentice 76), Esala Masi
Goal : Moreira 81
2nd leg Played (26/04/2001) Energy Australia Stadium
Referee : S Micallef, Crowd : 17503
Newcastle United
Daniel Beltrame, Michael Prentice (Chris Zoricich 83), Andrew Roberts, Matthew Bingley, Travis Dodd, Joel Griffiths, Peter Tsekenis, Scott Baillie, Milan Blagojevic, Esala Masi, Alex Moreira (Daniel McBreen 72)
Goals : Masi 16, 41
2 - 0 Perth Glory
Jason Petkovic, Matthew Horsley, Jamie Harnwell, Scott Miller, Brad Maloney (Gary Faria 23), Slobodan Despotovski (Craig Deans 92), Bradley Hassell (Alistair Edwards 71), Edgar Aldrighi Junior, Damian Mori, Shane Pryce, David Tarka

Elimination Final, loser eliminated, winner into Minor Semi-Final
1st leg Played (14/04/2002) Bob Jane Stadium
Referee : C Diomis, Crowd : 8450
South Melbourne
Michael Petkovic, Steve Iosifidis, Fausto De Amicis, Mehmet Durakovic, Steve Panopoulos, Vaughan Coveny (Joe Bacak 84), Paul Trimboli (Robert Liparoti 90), Radomir Sekulovski, Massimo Murdocca (Nick Sabljak 70), Patrick Kisnorbo, Con Boutsianis
Goals : Coveny 51pk, 53
2 - 0 Brisbane Strikers
Jason Kearton, Richie Alagich (Lawrence Drake 66), Shane Stefanutto, Jon McKain, Stuart McLaren, Peter Grierson (Paul Foster 70), Fernando Rech, Adam Webber, Kris Trajanovski, John Carbone (Matthew McKay 56), Wayne Heath
2nd leg Played (21/04/2002) Ballymore
Referee : B Hugo, Crowd : 5391
Brisbane Strikers
Jason Kearton, Richie Alagich (Joshua Rose 70), Shane Stefanutto (John Carbone 76), Jon McKain, Stuart McLaren, Fernando Rech, Adam Webber, Paul Foster (Peter Grierson 60), Kris Trajanovski, Wayne Heath, Matthew McKay
Goal : Rech 85
1 - 2 South Melbourne
Michael Petkovic, Steve Iosifidis, Fausto De Amicis, Mehmet Durakovic, Robert Liparoti (Vince Lia 78), Vaughan Coveny, Paul Trimboli (Joe Bacak 62), Radomir Sekulovski, Massimo Murdocca, Patrick Kisnorbo, Con Boutsianis (Nick Sabljak 71)
Goals : Boutsianis 55pk, Sabljak 76
Match report by Alan Clark
Match report by David Marshall

Elimination Final, loser eliminated, winner into Minor Semi-Final
1st leg Played (14/04/2002) Knights Stadium
Referee : M Breeze, Crowd : 3421
Melbourne Knights
Martin John, Rodrigo Vargas, Sasa Ognenovski, Steve Horvat, Andrew Marth, Kresimir Marusic, Joel Porter, Antonio Da Costa, Alex Kiratzoglou, Andy Vargas, Ivo De Jesus (Xhezair Sulemani 87)
0 - 0 Olympic Sharks
Clint Bolton, Stephen Laybutt, Lindsay Wilson (Paul Kohler 89), Tom Pondeljak, Troy Halpin, Jade North, Greg Owens, Ante Milicic (Jeromy Harris 80), Andrew Packer, Andrew Durante, Ante Juric
2nd leg Played (21/04/2002) Toyota Park
Referee : M Shield, Crowd : 5850
Olympic Sharks
Clint Bolton, Paul Kohler, Lindsay Wilson, Tom Pondeljak, Troy Halpin, Jade North, Jeromy Harris (Dylan Macallister 62), Ante Milicic (Hiroyuki Ishida 83), Andrew Packer, Andrew Durante (Greg Owens 83), Ante Juric
Goals : Milicic 12, 75pk, Pondeljak 42, Packer 47, Harris 56, Owens 88
6 - 2 Melbourne Knights
Martin John, Rodrigo Vargas, Sasa Ognenovski, Steve Horvat, Andrew Marth, Kresimir Marusic (Joey Rajher 83), Joel Porter (sent off 75), Antonio Da Costa, Alex Kiratzoglou (Xhezair Sulemani 56), Andy Vargas, Ivo De Jesus (Anthony Pelikan 71)
Goals : Porter 11, Marth 61