Brisbane were beaten 2-0 by second-placed Sydney in their final match of the regular season at Moreton Daily Stadium on Saturday.
Goals from Kosta Barbarouses and Harry Van der Saag opened the door for the Mariners to move above the Roar and take third place, an opportunity they grabbed with both hands.
Jack Clisby struck in the first half and Marco Urena sealed the victory in stoppage time at Central Coast Stadium.
Alen Stajcic will pit his wits against fellow former Matildas coach Ante Milicic in an all-New South Wales clash next Saturday.
The Roar will have an extra day to prepare for a home showdown with Adelaide United a week on Sunday, when a place in the semi-finals will be up for grabs.
Newcastle Jets moved off the bottom of the table courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Perth Glory, A Jonathan Aspropotamitis own goal giving them a point after Bruno Fornaroli opened the scoring.
That point moved the Jets above Melbourne Victory, while Perth remain ninth.
Western Sydney Wanderers will host Macarthur FC in the 2020-21 season opener on December 27, it was revealed on Tuesday.
The other opening games will see Western United host Adelaide United, Wellington Phoenix visit Brisbane Roar, Sydney FC take on Melbourne City and the F3 Derby between Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets.
The opening round would seem like just another game, but history shows otherwise.
With the help of Opta data, we assess just what round one means in the A-League.
Opening loss and trophies become difficult
Incredibly, only twice in A-League history has a team that lost in round one gone on to be crowned champions or premiers of that season.
The first instance came in 2011-12, when the Mariners were edged by Brisbane in round one, but went on to win the Premiers' Plate, finishing two points clear of the Roar.
Melbourne Victory were the second, going on to be crowned champions in 2017-18 despite a 1-0 loss to Sydney FC in round one.
In all, six of the nine teams to do the A-League double of being crowned premiers and champions in a single season have done so far after winning in round one. The other three drew. Of the 15 champions, seven have won and seven have drawn, to go with Victory's 2017-18 defeat, in round one. Nine of the 15 premiers have won in the first round, alongside five draws and the Mariners' loss.
Round one looks hugely important in the A-League.
Fast-starting Sydney, Glory woes
Sydney have scored more goals (21) in round one games than any other team in the competition, while earning the most points per game (1.7) of teams to have featured in at least five seasons.
The Sky Blues have lost just two round one matches in their history, and the most recent of those was in 2012-13. They face a huge test to begin 2020-21 season, hosting Melbourne City in a Grand Final rematch at ANZ Stadium.
On the other hand, Perth Glory have lost more games in round one than any other team in A-League history with seven.
In contrast to Sydney, Perth are winless in their past five openers, their last win coming in 2014-15.
Diamanti joined A-League newcomers Western United on a one-year marquee deal in July and the 37-year-old was a class above prior to the season being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The former West Ham, Bologna and Atalanta attacker – who arrived from Serie B side Livorno – scored five goals and supplied seven assists in 19 appearances in 2019-20.
Despite Diamanti's exploits for Western United, the veteran's future remains uncertain with his contract expiring.
But back in love with football thanks to Australia, Diamanti told Stats Perform: "Virus or no virus, I would have kept playing anyway. For sure I will still be playing football as long as I feel physically and psychologically like this, being able to offer great performances and loving to train everyday.
"Then to be honest, to come here gave me back that lightness and that passion you always tend to lose in Europe. I will stay here in Australia next season."
Diamanti added: "Football is the same everywhere. Then of course there are different cultural ways to let football grow and this may change from country to country.
"According to me here football is at a good level. There are interesting players and many talented youngsters who have improvement margins ahead. There are foreigners who have played abroad at high levels. Here it is physical, a lot, and very competitive. At the same time it is very cheerful, something the rest of the world [of football] should be too."
Diamanti was handed the armband at the A-League's newest club, a rare opportunity to lead a team from their inauguration.
"Maybe I accepted Australia for this idea," Diamanti said. "At the beginning of the season I met the owners of my club and they told me they wanted to start off this new club adventure with me at the heart of the project.
"They made me captain and asked me to help this club to improve. They gave me responsibilities and I have always got along well with responsibilities. I liked it a lot to be winning as a captain the first game of a newborn club. It is nice."
Western United – coached by Mark Rudan – were sixth after their 20 matches when the league was halted due to COVID-19.
The club occupied the remaining finals position on goal difference, ahead of Adelaide United.
"We started the season very well than, as it may happen, we had a slump in form due to injuries and some players who left," said Diamanti.
"We struggled a bit in the central part of the season but in the last two or three games we were back to our standard levels and we were aiming at the playoff to have our say.️"
In the second upset of the post-season, following Perth Glory's elimination match victory over Wellington Phoenix, Diamanti struck on Sunday to set up a last-four meeting with Melbourne City.
United, who finished fifth in the regular season, led after 21 minutes when the former Italy international swept in a sensational 25-yard effort, with Jamie Young only able to help the ball into the top-left corner.
Brisbane could have equalised before half-time but Matthew Ridenton sent his left-footed volley just wide.
Young kept his side in the gane with a brave double-save from Josh Risdon and 37-year-old Diamanti, before the Roar came again.
Jay O'Shea shot wastefully straight at Filip Kurto and then Brad Inman drove forward and blasted against the post, but United held on for a historic win.
James Meredith came closest to breaking the deadlock during a cagey 90 minutes, Mariners goalkeeper Mark Birighitti making a stunning save from his towering header, but the Macarthur defender would not complete the match.
Meredith clumsily pulled back Marco Urena with 15 minutes of regulation remaining and referee Shaun Evans' assertion that it amounted to a professional foul was upheld by the VAR.
Macarthur managed to see things through until the whistle and then hit the front three minutes into the first additional period via an own goal.
Substitute Ivan Franjic fashioned a cross from the right when there appeared to be little on and Markel Susaeta swept a shot against the post. Former Central Coast forward Charles M'Mombwa reacted quickest and his header was diverted in via the crossbar as Stefan Nigro desperately attempted to clear.
Kye Rowles blazed over for the Mariners after a 119th-minute scramble in the penalty box, but Macarthur made sure of a showdown with premiers Melbourne City when Jake Hollman released fellow replacement Michael Ruhs to coolly convert in stoppage time.
The campaign was suspended last month amid COVID-19, which has killed more than 183,800 people worldwide.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) said on Thursday it wanted to resume its season "as soon as possible".
"Our goal is to deliver live, professional football and complete the Hyundai A-League 2019-20 season, and we have set a number of criteria that will define when this is going to be possible," FFA chief executive James Johnson said in a statement on Thursday.
"Our priority remains the health and safety of all players and staff and we will need to be satisfied that appropriate measures are in place to ensure this. Secondly, we will need to meet all government restrictions in place at the time, including state/territory border controls. Finally, any decision to resume will be made in full alignment with government and its medical advisors.
"We will resume play as soon as possible, and the first stage would see the players return to training. We would then schedule matches. It is difficult to see that process beginning before the end of May, but we will work with all stakeholders to achieve the earliest possible resumption.
"Football takes its responsibilities as a good corporate citizen very seriously, and remains committed to working in partnership with the government to slow the spread of COVID-19. At the same time, we want to play our part in supporting the social and mental wellbeing of the Australian football family and all sports-loving Australians.
"Ultimately, the coronavirus will have the final say on when we can get the season started again, and completed.
"We want to thank the clubs and players who have been understanding of the current circumstances and worked collaboratively with us in relation to this matter throughout this period. I would also like to acknowledge our supporters, commercial partners and football community who continue to remain engaged and connected during this difficult time, and we thank them for their continued support."
Australia has more than 6,600 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 74 deaths.
The A-League had 27 regular-season fixtures left to play when it was suspended.
Fowler and his assistant Tony Grant will not return to the club when the season resumes, it was confirmed on Monday.
The former Liverpool forward oversaw 11 wins in 24 games at the helm of Brisbane.
"On behalf of myself and Tony, I would like to thank the club for the opportunity, and the Brisbane Roar FC fans for the warm welcome and support for me and the team," Fowler said.
"We are very proud of what we achieved."
Brisbane were fourth in the table when the season was suspended in March due to COVID-19, with the campaign set to restart next month.
"Robbie has not only provided stability but a refreshing injection of knowledge and insight into the Roar," Roar deputy chairman Chris Fong said.
"We are disappointed that the global pandemic has impacted our plans together but completely understand that family comes first during these difficult times."
The Mariners finished third last season before failing to advance to the semi-finals in the post-season but have ended the first round of 2021-22 fixtures on top of the table.
Joshua Nisbet squeezed a low finish past Newcastle goalkeeper Jack Duncan shortly after half-time, and a second away goal soon followed through Jacob Farrell's thumping header.
Angus Thurgate's superb cross teed up substitute Valentino Yuel 12 minutes from time to set up a tense finish, but the Jets could not recover a first point of the season, slipping to a second consecutive home defeat in the F3 derby for the first time in A-League history.
The spoils were then shared between Macarthur and Wellington Phoenix in a 1-1 draw that extended the nominal away side's record unbeaten run to 12 matches.
Macarthur pipped their opponents to a Finals place by a single point last term, but they were forced to play in Newcastle due to the poor standard of their Campbelltown Stadium pitch and then trailed to Gary Hooper's penalty midway through the first half.
Lachlam Rose's 61st-minute finish beat Oliver Sail to get Macarthur back on terms, although there were grateful to Tomislav Uskok for a goal-line clearance in the closing stages.
The A-League clash between Victory and City on December 17 saw flares thrown by both sets of fans during the opening quarter of the game at AAMI Park.
Trouble escalated when a flare hit a pitchside cameraman before exploding, with City keeper Glover throwing two flares off the field, one of which landed in the stands.
Fans behind the goal stormed the pitch and Glover was hit in the face with a metal bucket, while referee Alex King was also struck, leading to the game being brought to an end.
Three men have subsequently been charged by Victoria Police, while an independent match review panel (MRP) was tasked with determining if Glover deserved to be punished.
After reviewing the match footage and consulting referee King's match report, it was announced on Tuesday that no further action will be taken against Glover.
King confirmed in his report that he saw the incident involving Glover and he did not in any way feel the 25-year-old intentionally meant to throw a flare into the stands.
"Since the independent MRP was satisfied that the incident had not escaped the referee's attention, the MRP did not proceed to consider whether Glover should have been sanctioned with a direct red card," a Football Australia (FA) spokesperson said.
"Accordingly, the MRP has not cited the incident pursuant to the regulations."
Glover was therefore cleared to play for City in Tuesday's A-League encounter with Central Coast Mariners.
Victory were last week hit with a range of attendance-related sanctions by FA, with the club unable to sell tickets for any game up to and including January 15.
Additionally, the "active supporter bays" at both ends of AAMI Park are to be shut, and Victory fans will be unable to attend away games unless they appear on a pre-approved FA list of individuals who can qualify for complimentary tickets, though there will only be 1,000 of those available.
Even more significant punishments are still expected to be dished out to Victory, with FA adding "no determination regarding the final sanctions" had been made yet, with potential fines or points deductions reportedly on the table.
The game at AAMI Park saw flares thrown by both sets of fans during the first 22 minutes, before trouble escalated when a flare seemed to hit a pitch-side cameraman before exploding, while City goalkeeper Tom Glover threw another flare back into the crowd.
This led to many fans storming the pitch, with Glover being hit in the face with a metal bin that had been used for other flares. His club later said the 24-year-old "likely has a concussion" and was being treated by medical staff.
Football Australia was dismayed by what it called "shocking scenes", saying the match officials had rightly abandoned the game, while Melbourne Victory said the club were "devastated" and condemned the actions of their supporters.
In a statement, Football Australia said: "Such behaviour has no place in Australian football, with a full Football Australia investigation to commence immediately, where strong sanctions will be handed down."
The Australian Professional League (APL) said referee Alex King had also been injured in the melee.
The referee was standing next to Glover as fans poured onto the pitch from behind the goal and was covered in ash as smoke filled the air, before he took the players off the pitch.
Melbourne Victory said the behaviour of the club's supporters was "not acceptable under any circumstance" and apologised to Glover, King and the cameraman.
The club said: "Tonight, Melbourne Victory Football Club is devastated. The club unequivocally condemns the actions of fans at Saturday night's match against Melbourne City at AAMI Park.
"The actions that occurred, that saw spectators enter the pitch and injure a Melbourne City FC player, an official and a Network Ten cameraman, are not acceptable under any circumstance and have no place in football.
"The security and welfare of everyone involved in a football match is paramount and the club will not accept this behaviour.
"The club would like to formally apologise to Tom Glover, match official Alex King and the camera operator as well as all players, officials and those who witnessed the appalling behaviour.
"This conduct will not be tolerated and the club, along with AAMI Park and Victoria Police, will undertake a full investigation into the incident.
"Melbourne Victory would like to reiterate there is no place in football for what was witnessed tonight."
The game was played against the backdrop of fan protests earlier in the week after both the men's and women's A-Leagues announced the sale of the rights to their grand finals to the New South Wales government.
Both finals will be played in Sydney for the next three years after a deal reported to be worth eight figures was reached, with several prominent individuals involved in Australian football speaking out against the move away from the tradition of the highest-placed team hosting the game.
Playing under interim boss Steve Kean for the first time, Victory were ahead in the 14th minute through Ben Folami's first goal in Australia's top flight, with Storm Roux heading home Jake Brimmer's left-wing corner to double their advantage.
James Troisi reduced the arrears for Wanderers by hammering in via the crossbar, but Folami had his second in first-half stoppage time – a pinpoint Brimmer delivery and appalling Western Sydney marking again factors.
Brimmer saw a 63rd-minute penalty saved by Daniel Margush, who was let down again from the resulting corner as Dylan Ryan scored.
Jacob Butterfield then clattered in a brilliant long-range effort, meaning Graham Dorrans' 76th-minute spot-kick looked little more than a consolation.
Mitchell Duke converted Troisi's cross and substitute Nicolai Muller got in on the act, but Kean's men held on.
A 10-point suspended deduction has also been imposed on the club, along with restrictions on fan attendance at games, with Victory found to have brought the game into disrepute.
The December 17 game saw flares thrown by both sets of fans during the opening quarter at AAMI Park. Trouble escalated when a flare hit a pitchside cameraman before exploding, with City keeper Tom Glover throwing two flares off the field, one of which landed in the stands.
Fans behind the goal stormed the pitch at that point, and Glover was hit in the face with a metal bucket, while referee Alex King was also struck, leading to the game being brought to an end.
More than 30 people have been charged by Victoria Police, with fans now barred from sitting behind the goals in the North End of AAMI Park for the rest of the season, and no areas at away grounds will be allocated to away supporters for the same duration.
Football Australia (FA) warned in a statement: "The suspended 10-point deduction – ending at the end of the 2025-26 Isuzu UTE A-League season – may be triggered for each instance of serious supporter misconduct during this term and the next three campaigns."
FA said the derby game would resume on April 23 from the 22nd minute, the point at which it was abandoned, with City leading 1-0.
FA CEO James Johnson described the behaviour of the Victory fans who invaded the field as "inexcusable", saying it meant the club "committed a serious breach of our rules and regulations".
"The sanctions we have issued against Melbourne Victory are the heaviest in the A-League era," Johnson said. "These sanctions are reflective of our desire to remove this behaviour, and those that perpetuate it, from our game."
He added: "The field of play is sacred and the safety of our players and match officials is paramount. Those individuals that illegally entered the field of play, caused damage, and verbally and physically assaulted players and officials, crossed the line.
"We have worked closely with Victoria Police to identify these individuals and will continue to do so to ensure those that display anti-social and criminal behaviour at football events are not involved in our game in any way."
Melbourne Victory said they would "comply with all sanctions handed down by FA".
Salvachua stepped up from his role as assistant coach in January following Marco Kurz's sacking through just 13 matches in charge.
Victory were second from bottom in the A-League after 21 matches when the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, while Salvachua had secured the club's place in the AFC Champions League group phase.
But the 47-year-old Spaniard will not return to Melbourne as the A-League prepares to restart in July, opting to continue his coaching career in Europe and to be closer to his extended family in Spain.
"On behalf of everyone at Melbourne Victory we would like to thank Carlos for his professionalism, hard work and commitment to our club over the past two seasons," Victory chief executive Trent Jacobs said in a statement on Saturday, with the club already in the process of searching for a new permanent coach.
"Given the current environment around the world and the fact we are working through a process to appoint our next A-League head coach, we understand and accept Carlos' decision to return to Europe.
"Carlos arrived as Kevin Muscat's assistant ahead of the 2018-19 season, before stepping up as head coach during the 2019/20 season. Carlos' short tenure as head coach included securing our club's first away win in the AFC Champions League, ultimately seeing us qualifying for the 2020 group stage. We wish Carlos and his family a safe return to Europe and we wish him all the best for the next chapter in his coaching career."
Salvachua, who joined Victory as an assistant in 2018-19, added: "I would like to thank Melbourne Victory for the way they have looked after myself and my family since we arrived in Australia.
"It has been a pleasure to help coach the club over the past two seasons. The decision to return to Europe is an opportunity to continue my coaching career, and the other major upside which is to be closer to our extended family in Spain.
"I want to personally thank the Victory board, players, football and administration staff for all their hard work and support and thank you to the members and fans for supporting the team. I wish everyone at Victory all the best for future. Continue to look after each other and stand by the club. Adios and thank you Melbourne."
Portuguese winger Nani has experienced derbies in some of the world's great football cities, having played for Sporting CP, Manchester United, Lazio and Fenerbahce during an illustrious career.
Now an A-League derby awaits the 35-year-old, and he says the occasion will be comparable to his previous experiences of gunning for local bragging rights.
"A derby is a derby. You need to take it the way it is, you need to win," Nani said.
"Derbies are there to win, not to lose, because if you lose, it is the worst day of your life. You cannot go out. I don't feel in the mood to walk around, and you know you feel the shame.
"This is a moment of pride, so you want to give your fans a beautiful night, special feelings, and make them feel we are the best in the country."
Nani said hosts Victory will need to put in an almighty effort to earn all three points in front of a sell-out crowd at AAMI Park.
"We know it's a tough game," he said. "They are a strong opponent as well, so to win we need to give everything we've got and let's wait for the game and see what we can do."
Victory began the season with a 3-2 win over Sydney FC, before falling 1-0 to Western City Wanderers last week.
Last season saw Victory finish one point behind their neighbours, who topped the table in the regular season. Melbourne City then went on to lose to Western United in the Grand Final.
Melbourne City have begun this campaign with two wins, an early indication they should be challengers again.
Nani sees Victory as underdogs this weekend, saying Melbourne City "have a fantastic squad".
"I think probably they've been showing they're better than us on the field, the way they've been performing," Nani said. "So, it will be very tough for us. We need to be a compact team, we need to work very hard, and then try our best to beat them."
At the age of 35, Nani says he is putting in the hours to get in the best possible shape for his latest career challenge in Australia.
Asked if he might produce one of his famous backflips should he grab a derby goal, Nani said: "Yeah, why not? Let's see. I let the environment and the moment make the decision. So, what comes in the brain, we will do."
Dimitri Petratos' double lifted the Jets to a deserved win in wet conditions at McDonald Jones Stadium.
With Carl Robinson, who will take over as Jets head coach on Monday, watching on from the stands, Newcastle recorded just their third victory of the A-League season.
They remain bottom of the table with 10 regular-season games remaining, but are now nine points behind sixth-placed Brisbane Roar, who hold the last finals place.
Petratos' powerful finish put them ahead before the attacker's corner found Nikolai Topor-Stanley unmarked at the back post to make it 2-0.
However, Central Coast found a way back into the contest from two set-pieces either side of half-time as Ruon Tongyik and Jack Clisby headed home.
Another well-taken finish from Petratos restored the Jets' lead before a Kim Eun-sun own goal and they survived late on despite Chris Harold's fine strike on debut for the Mariners.
The Jets ended a two-game winless run against the Mariners and the victory was their sixth in the past eight meetings between the clubs.
Interim coach Grant Brebner named four teenagers in his starting XI for the clash at Sydney's Netstrata Jubilee Stadium as Victory ended an unwanted club record four straight defeats.
They had to be patient as Perth controlled most of the early possession but Rojas leathered in a 25-yard effort into the top-right corner to get them up and running.
Tarek Elrich dragged down Andrew Nabbout on the hour, with the winger converting the penalty he won, before Rojas' composed finish – his fourth goal in two games – meant it was game over.
Elvis Kamsoba scored his first A-League goal in injury time to complete proceedings, as Victory – who are guaranteed to finish 10th with just one game to play – returned to winning ways.
Glory's third loss in five since the season resumed means their spot in the top six is still not officially locked in, although their Finals place will be confirmed if Adelaide United do not beat Melbourne City on Tuesday.
The A-League Men's clash between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory had already seen flares thrown by both sets of fans during the first 22 minutes, before things escalated.
With hosts City 1-0 up at AAMI Park thanks to an 11th-minute goal from Aiden O'Neill, a flare seemed to hit a pitch-side cameraman before exploding, while City shot stopper Glover threw another flare back into the crowd.
This led to a number of fans storming the pitch, with Glover being hit in the face with a metal bin that had been used for other flares. The club later said the 24-year-old "likely has a concussion".
The referee had been stood next to Glover and was covered in ash, before taking the players off the pitch, with the game later being abandoned.
There had already been fan protests earlier this week after both the men's and women's A-Leagues announced the sale of the rights to their grand finals to the New South Wales government.
Both finals will be played in Sydney for the next three years after a deal reported to be worth eight figures was reached, with several prominent individuals involved in Australian football speaking out against the move away from the tradition of the highest-placed team hosting the game.
Protests also took place at other A-League games, including Central Coast Mariners fans leaving just 20 minutes into their clash with Sydney FC, while Newcastle Jets supporters also left during the first half of their match against Brisbane Roar.
APL chief executive Danny Townsend, who has come under fire for the decision, described the deal as "a unique opportunity" for a week-long "festival of football" around the men's and women's grand finals.
A two-time championship winner as a player at the club, Brebner will oversee Victory's last five games of the campaign, which is suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, after Carlos Salvachua left to return to Europe last month.
Victory's women's team and academy head coach Jeff Hopkins will serve as the former Scottish midfielder's assistant.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has presented the club with numerous, unexpected hurdles, but our people continue to respond to the challenge," Victory chief executive Trent Jacobs said in a statement.
"Grant Brebner and Jeff Hopkins are excited about the opportunity to oversee the A-League program for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.
"Grant and Jeff know our players well, and we want the transition to be as seamless as possible. Their priority will be to get the team to the fitness level required to perform, once the season resumes in mid-July.
"With respect to the search for our next A-League head coach, the recruitment process is progressing and remains on track. We will provide a further update in due course.
"It is not our intention for the successful candidate to be involved in the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, therefore they will be officially taking over in preparation for the commencement of the 2020-21 pre-season."
A former Manchester United youth member, Brebner spent several seasons with Victory as a player.
The 42-year-old hopes Victory, who are 10th in the table, can produce a good finish to the campaign.
"It's obviously been a challenging few months, so it's great to get back to work and start preparing to play football again," Brebner said.
"This season hasn't unfolded as planned, but over the coming months the focus for the team will be to enjoy what we do and play tough attacking football, which is what our members and fans expect.
"This was the philosophy drummed into me as a Victory player, and I really want our players to play with freedom and embrace the brand of football our club has been known for over the past 15 years.
"We have a great opportunity over the coming months to build some strong foundations which the next head coach can then build on next season."
