The Australia Cup is back for 2024, as 32 sides from both the A-League Men and various semi-pro competition's around the country look to win Australian football premier cup tournament.
It is one of the most unique in Australian sport due to the fact a professional team can be eliminated by a semi-pro side, and this has happened on multiple occasions in the previous eight editions of the competition.
Many A-League sides have fallen victim, including defending A-League and Australia Cup champions, and future continental champions.
Ahead of this years competition, The Sporting News looks back at the giant killings in the Australia Cup since its inception in 2014.
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Australia Cup format: When do A-League teams enter tournament?
A true cupset - where an A-League side is defeated by a semi-pro side - is only possible from the Round of 32 onwards, as this is the beginning of the Australia Cup proper.
Beforehand, a series of qualifying rounds takes place where sides from all levels of Australia football, even at Sunday League level, can participate and attempt to qualify for the Round of 32.
Each state has a different allocation of teams that can make the Australia Cup proper, with NSW and Victoria generally getting the largest allocation of non-A-League sides in the tournament.
From the Round of 32 onwards, if a semi-pro team is drawn against a side from the A-League Men's the state side will automatically be granted home ground advantage, increasing the likelihood of a cupset.
When was the first Australia Cup giant killing?
The first cupset in the Australia Cup came in the inaugural edition of the competition - then known as the FFA Cup - in 2014, and as far as giant killings go, it may be the biggest.
The Western Sydney Wanderers had taken Australian football by storm, winning the minor premiership and reaching two grand finals in their first two seasons, and in 2014 they were also on a deep run in the Asian Champions League.
Yet despite their quality and achievements, they fell victim to South Australian side Adelaide City, who defeated the Red and Black 1-0 thanks to a goal from Thomas love with 15 minutes to go.
The first ever cupset in the competition was all the more remarkable, as the Wanderers would go on to win the Asian Champions League later that year in an Australian first. Does this make Adelaide City the unofficial 2014 Asian champions?
When was the last Australia Cup giant killing?
The latest cupset came in the Round of 16 in this year's competition, as Moreton City Excelsior from the NPL Queensland dumped Perth Glory out,
In a dramatic match, the NPL side came from 2-0 down early on to record a dramatic 3-2 win from behind, with a Joseph Scott header in the 86th minute securing the famous win.
The 2024 round of 32 was been the most prolific when it comes to cupsets, with four A-League teams eliminated by NPL sides.
It got started with a big one as last years winners Sydney FC had their cup defence end at the first hurdle, losing to Oakleigh Cannons 3-1.
Amazingly, it was the second time Sydney have been knocked out by Oakleigh, with the Cannons also beating the Sky Blues in 2022.
In the next gameweek, Wellington Phoenix and Central Coast Mariners were bundled out by South Melbourne and Heidelberg United, respectively, adding to the successful campaign for the Victorian NPL teams.
A fourth minute goal for Harry Sawyer was enough for South Melbourne to get through, while Heidelberg needed two extra-time goals to complete a 3-1 victory over the Mariners.
List of Australia Cup giant killings
Overall, there have been 13 Australia Cup upsets since the competitions inception in 2014.
The only year featuring no cupsets was 2015, with every other edition featuring at least one A-League side suffering the ignominy of being eliminated by a semi-pro side.
| Year | Round | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Round of 32 | Adelaide City 1-0 Western Sydney Wanderers |
| 2016 | Round of 32 | Redlands United 2-1 Adelaide United (AET) |
| 2016 | Round of 32 | Green Gully 2-1 Central Coast Mariners |
| 2017 | Round of 32 | Heidelberg United 1-0 Perth Glory |
| 2017 | Round of 32 | Blacktown City 3-2 Central Coast Mariners |
| 2018 | Round of 32 | Bentleigh Greens 1-0 Wellington Phoenix |
| 2018 | Round of 16 | APIA Leichhardt FC 3-2 Melbourne Victory |
| 2019 | Round of 32 | Brisbane Strikers 2-2 Wellington Phoenix (Brisbane Strikers won 4-2 on penalties) |
| 2021 | Round of 16 | APIA Leichhardt FC 2-1 Western Sydney Wanderers |
| 2022 | Round of 16 | Sydney United 1-1 Western United (Sydney United won 4-3 on penalties) |
| 2022 | Quarter-finals | Oakleigh Cannons 2-1 Sydney FC |
| 2022 | Semi-finals | Sydney United 3-2 Brisbane Roar (AET) |
| 2023 | Round of 32 | Campbelltown City 2-1 Macarthur FC |
| 2024 | Round of 32 | Oakleigh Cannons 3-1 Sydney FC |
| 2024 | Round of 32 | South Melbourne 1-0 Wellington Phoenix |
| 2024 | Round of 32 | Heidelberg United 3-1 Central Coast Mariners |
| 2024 | Round of 16 | Moreton City Excelsior 3-2 Perth Glory |
A-League sides eliminated by semi-pro teams
Of the 12 A-League sides who have participated in the Australia Cup to date, 10 have been victims of a cupset at least once.
Central Coast Mariners and Wellington Phoenix have the added 'distinction' of being knocked out by semi-pro clubs three times, with Western Sydney, Sydney FC and Perth Glory falling victim twice.
The only teams yet to fall to a cupset in the competition are Melbourne City and Newcastle Jets; Auckland City have not participated in the Australia Cup and will not do so until 2025.
| Team | Years eliminated by semi-pro side |
|---|---|
| Central Coast Mariners | 2016, 2017, 2024 |
| Wellington Phoenix | 2018, 2019, 2024 |
| Western Sydney Wanderers | 2014, 2021 |
| Sydney FC | 2022, 2024 |
| Perth Glory | 2017,2024 |
| Melbourne Victory | 2018 |
| Brisbane Roar | 2022 |
| Adelaide United | 2016 |
| Macarthur FC | 2023 |
| Western United | 2022 |
Which semi-pro side has pulled off the most cupsets?
NPL NSW sides APIA Leichhardt FC and Sydney United, and NPL Victoria teams Oakleigh Cannons and Heidelberg United have had the most cupsets in Australia Cup history with two; Sydney United's both came in their run to the 2022 final, where they became the first semi-pro side to reach the showpiece event.
As it stands, only teams in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia have been able to pull off giant killings.