2011–12 Brisbane Roar FC Season
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The 2011–12 season is Brisbane Roar's seventh season in the
A-League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
. Brisbane successfully defended their Championship by defeating
Perth Glory Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues. Founded in 19 ...
2–1 in front of 50,344, but relinquished the Premiership to Central Coast Mariners, who ended the regular season 2 points ahead of the Roar, with the result going to down to the last day of the regular season. They will compete in the
2012 Asian Champions League The 2012 AFC Champions League was the 31st edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 10th under the current AFC Champions League title. Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea wo ...
, for finishing the regular season first. On 2 August 2011, the club confirmed they would be supplied with kits and training gear by German multinational apparel company
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. It is the first time in the history of the club and
A-League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
that they will not be wearing a kit that is made by Reebok. On 4 October 2011, four days out from the start of the
2011–12 A-League The 2011–12 A-League was the 35th season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the seventh season of the Australian A-League soccer competition since its establishment in 2004. At the end of the previous season, the North Queensland Fury wer ...
season, The World Game reported that the Bakrie Group had struck a 10-year deal to take 70% ownership of the club, with the other 30% being occupied by the
FFA FFA may refer to: Aviation and military * First Flight Airport, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, United States * Free-fire area in U.S. military parlance * Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein, a Swiss aircraft and railway vehicle manufacturer * ...
. The deal was officially unveiled by the club on Friday, the day before the club faced Central Coast Mariners in a grand final rematch of the previous season. On 6 February 2012, it was announced that the Bakrie Group had acquired the full 100% stake in the club. Brisbane went on a 36-game undefeated streak, breaking the Australian football code record set by the
Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to: Places *Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India *Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia **Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia Sports clubs ;Association football *Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand * Eastern ...
rugby league team in 1935–37 (35 games).


Managers

*
Ange Postecoglou Angelos Postecoglou ( el, Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, ; born 27 August 1965) is an Australian association football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Born in Greece, he moved ...
– (16 October 2009 – 24 April 2012) *
Rado Vidošić Rado Vidošić (born 25 September 1961) is an Australian football (soccer) manager, who is currently the caretaker manager at A-League club Melbourne City. Managerial career Brisbane Roar Vidošić had served as the assistant coach of Brisbane ...
– (25 April 2012 – Current) On 24 April, Championship winning coach
Ange Postecoglou Angelos Postecoglou ( el, Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, ; born 27 August 1965) is an Australian association football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Born in Greece, he moved ...
, resigned from is post as manager just days after winning his second back to back championship for the Roar. The following day, long serving assistant manager and youth team coach
Rado Vidošić Rado Vidošić (born 25 September 1961) is an Australian football (soccer) manager, who is currently the caretaker manager at A-League club Melbourne City. Managerial career Brisbane Roar Vidošić had served as the assistant coach of Brisbane ...
was named successor to makes his return to head coach of the Roar having served as caretaker for one game after the sacking of former coach Frank Farina.


Squad lineup for 2011/12

Correct as of 2 February 2012 – players numbers as per the official Brisbane Roar website
Successful Trialists * Nicholas Fitzgerald from Central Coast Mariners Youth Team Football Federation Australia regulations allow for 3 players young enough to play in the NYL to be paid full-time wages outside the
A-League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
salary cap.
*
George Lambadaridis George Lambadaridis (born 23 April 1992) is an Australian soccer player who currently plays for Dandenong City in NPL Victoria 2. Club career George Lambadaridis started his career at Altona Magic. With the Magic, he would win his first team ...
from
Club Brugge (), known simply as Club Brugge (in English also: ''Club Bruges''), is a Belgian professional football club based in Bruges, Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,062.
* Corey Brown from AIS * Brandon Borello from
QAS The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) is the state emergency ambulance and patient transport provider in Queensland, Australia. QAS is part of the Queensland Government under the Queensland Health portfolio and is one of the largest ambulan ...
* Jack Bladen from
Macarthur Rams Macarthur Rams Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. The club compete in Football NSW League One, situated in the third tier of Australian football. The club's home ground is the ...
* Tomislav Cirjak from Sydney FC Youth Team * Jason Geria from AIS ;Notes Unsuccessful Trialists * Alan De La Cuadra from
Macarthur Rams Macarthur Rams Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. The club compete in Football NSW League One, situated in the third tier of Australian football. The club's home ground is the ...
* Daniel Angelucci from
Macarthur Rams Macarthur Rams Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. The club compete in Football NSW League One, situated in the third tier of Australian football. The club's home ground is the ...
* Paul-Jon Sludden from Taringa Rovers * Stefano Salandra from Ponte S Pietro * Joshua Jokic from Delta State University * Nikolas Schmitz from
1. FC Köln 1. Fußball-Club Köln 01/07 e. V., commonly known as simply FC Köln () or FC Cologne in English, is a German professional football club based in Cologne in North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs ''Kölner Ballspi ...
* Michael Hibbert from Free Agent


Transfers


In


Out


Season


Season recap

On 10 February 2011, Brisbane Roar announced the signing of talented young defender Matthew Jurman from
Sydney FC Sydney Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was fo ...
, to take the spot left open by
Luke DeVere Luke Ramon DeVere (born 5 November 1989) is an Australian professional footballer who plays for A-League side Wellington Phoenix. DeVere made his debut for Australia in 2015, having previously played for the nation's under-20 and under-23 sid ...
from the previous season. After making a solid return to the
A League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competit ...
after spending a few years in Germany, defender
Milan Susak Milan Susak (, born 29 January 1984) is an Australian retired footballer who last played for Yangon United as a defender. He is currently a trainer at the youth soccer team of western Sydney. Club career Early years Susak is also of Serbian d ...
jetted off to Indonesia to play for Minangkabau F.C. in Liga Primer Indonesia. After weeks of speculation about his impending move to Melbourne Victory, it was revealed on 28 March that Costa Rican forward
Jean Carlos Solórzano Jean Carlos Solórzano Madrigal (born 8 January 1988) is a Costa Rican footballer who plays as a forward for Brisbane Strikers in the Football Queensland Premier League. On 26 January 2020, he officially became an Australian citizen. Club care ...
had indeed made the move south. Football Federation Australia made their first bit of business after taking back the license, other than re-signing
Ange Postecoglou Angelos Postecoglou ( el, Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, ; born 27 August 1965) is an Australian association football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Born in Greece, he moved ...
, by having Roar CEO Peter McLennan step down at the end of April. It was revealed by both the Roar and the Courier Mail that Eugenie Buckley, a sports lawyer that helped out with the formation of the
A League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competit ...
and its push into Asia, had become the new general manager for the team, taking over from the spot left by Peter McLennan. On 2 May, it was announced that
Rocky Visconte Rocky Visconte (born 22 April 1990) is an Australian footballer who plays for Cumberland United. Club career Croydon Kings In 2005, he made his first senior appearance for local South Australian Premier League club Croydon Kings. He went on ...
had signed a deal with the club for a further two seasons after coming off contract with the club at the end of the season. On 21 June, former Socceroo
Paul Trimboli Paolo "Paul" Vincenzo Trimboli (born 25 February 1969) is a former Australian international football (soccer) player. Trimboli is of Italian ancestry and attended Xavier College, where he was a member of the First XI, and was captained by his ...
was appointed the general manager of Football, a role that was expanded from the position of Football Manager, held previously by Thiago Cruz. On 27 June, the club announced it had signed current Young Socceroo
Kofi Danning Duke Kofi Appiah Danning (born 2 March 1991) is a Ghanaian-born Australian footballer who plays for National Premier Leagues club Belconnen United. Biography Early life Danning was born in Kumasi in southern central Ghana. Kofi's mother initi ...
, who was released by
Sydney FC Sydney Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was fo ...
at the end of the
2010–11 A-League The 2010–11 A-League was the 34th season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the sixth season of the Australian A-League soccer competition since its establishment in 2004. The home and away season began on 5 August 2010 and concluded on 13 ...
Season. On 4 July 2011, the Roar announced they had signed young Australian defender
Jack Hingert Jack Hingert (born 26 September 1990) is an English-Australian-Sri Lankan football (soccer) player who plays as a defender for A-League club Brisbane Roar. In 2016, Hingert became an ambassador for the RSPCA Queensland a fitting role for t ...
from
Dandenong Thunder Dandenong Thunder SC is a soccer club from Dandenong, a suburb in the South-East region of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They are an Albanian Australian-backed club. Thunder compete in the National Premier Leagues Victoria. In 2012, Dandeno ...
. On 16 July 2011, the Roar revealed that leading goalscorer from the 10/11 season, Kosta Barbarouses, had signed with Russian outfit FC Alania Vladikavkaz on a 3yr deal. On 2 August 2011, the Roar announced they had signed a 3yr deal with apparel company
Puma Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...
. After much speculation in the media, former Bahraini International
Sayed Mohamed Adnan Sayed Mohamed Adnan ( ar, سيد محمد عدنان; born 5 February 1983) is a Bahraini footballer who once played for the national team, and currently playing for Al Hidd. International career He was a member of the Bahrain national football ...
signed a 1yr deal on 16 August 2011. Just a day later, the Roar announced a second signing in Albanian International striker Besart Berisha. The striker impressed Roar assistant coach Rado Vidosic during a match for German outfit
Arminia Bielefeld DSC Arminia Bielefeld (; full name: ; commonly known as Arminia Bielefeld (), also known as ''Die Arminen'' or ''Die Blauen'' ), or just Arminia (), is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of ...
, where the Roar Youth team coach was watching his son Dario Vidosic, who was then on loan from
German Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footbal ...
side
1. FC Nürnberg 1. Fußball-Club Nürnberg Verein für Leibesübungen e. V., often called 1. FC Nürnberg (, en, 1. Football Club Nuremberg) or simply Nürnberg, is a German association football club in Nuremberg, Bavaria, who currently compete in the 2. Bund ...
. After over a month of uncertainty, the Roar were left with a massive hole in the side when skipper and original Roar player/captain Matt McKay was granted a UK working visa for his move to
Scottish Premier League The Scottish Premier League (SPL) was the top level league competition for professional football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football' ...
side Glasgow Rangers FC on 25 August. On 30 August 2011, the club announced they had signed Canadian International midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran from Danish top-flight team AC Horsens on a one-year deal. On 5 September 2011, the club released their kits for the upcoming season. The day after the kit unveiling, the club announced Matt Smith as the successor to Matt McKay's captaincy, with the midfielder having moved to Glasgow Rangers FC. On 20 September, CEO Eugenie Buckley announced her departure, stepping down after her contract runs out, believed to be at the end of September. For Brisbane Lions CEO Michael Bowers will take the reins of the club for the time being, until new owners are found for the Roar. On 23 September, the Roar announce they had signed 3 young Australians ( Nicholas Fitzgerald,
George Lambadaridis George Lambadaridis (born 23 April 1992) is an Australian soccer player who currently plays for Dandenong City in NPL Victoria 2. Club career George Lambadaridis started his career at Altona Magic. With the Magic, he would win his first team ...
& Corey Brown), each to two-year contracts. Football Federation Australia regulations allow for 3 players young enough to play in the NYL to be paid full-time wages outside the
A-League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
salary cap. On 4 October 2011, it was announced that the Bakrie family had acquired 70% of the club for a fee thought to be around $8M. The new Chairman of the club will be former AFC executive committee member Dali Tahir. On 28 October 2011, the Roar set a new record for the biggest victory by the club, beating Adelaide United 7–1 at Suncorp Stadium. The scoreline also created another record, being the most goals in a match with 8. New striker Besart Berisha also created history, scoring the most goals in a game for Brisbane with 4. The Roar went on to draw their following 2 games, 2–2 away vs Melbourne Victory and 1–1 at home to Wellington Phoenix. The style of play being played against the Roar was described as "parking the bus", a term meaning the opposition side would defend, with most, if not all, players behind the ball to protect the scoreline. The following week, Brisbane recorded a 2–1 win away to Newcastle Jets, with the result being the Roar's 35th consecutive unbeaten match, equaling the 74-year-old record for all Australian sporting codes, held by Rugby league Eastern Suburbs, who are now known as the Sydney Roosters. A week later, Brisbane defeated
Perth Glory Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues. Founded in 19 ...
4–0 at home, the team's 36th consecutive match without loss, to set a new record for the longest unbeaten streak at the top level of any football code in Australia. The Roar's streak came to an end a week later against
Sydney FC Sydney Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was fo ...
in wet and windy conditions at
WIN Jubilee Oval Jubilee Stadium, also known as Kogarah Oval or by its sponsored name Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, is a multipurpose stadium in Carlton, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. The stadium is mainly used for rugby league and the A-League, and is one ...
. A goal in the first minute and another 20 minutes later saw the Roar lose for just the second time in 42 matches. On 6 December 2011, the draw for the group stages of the
2012 Asian Champions League The 2012 AFC Champions League was the 31st edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 10th under the current AFC Champions League title. Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea wo ...
was made. The Roar, drawn in
Group F Group F may refer to: * A set of international motor racing regulations used in touring car racing * One of six or eight groups of four teams competing at the FIFA World Cup ** 2022 FIFA World Cup Group F ** 2018 FIFA World Cup Group F ** 2014 FIF ...
faced the winners of the Japanese
2011 Emperor's Cup The was a regular edition of an annual Japanese national cup tournament. It started on 3 September 2011 and ended on 1 January 2012 with the final at National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, won by FC Tokyo 4–2 against Kyoto Sanga. The cup winner wer ...
winners and 2011 J. League Division 2 champions
F.C. Tokyo Football Club Tokyo, commonly known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chōfu, Tokyo. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The team is one of only four in the J.League to be simp ...
,
2011 K-League The 2011 K League, officially known as Hyundai Oilbank K-League 2011, was the 29th season of the K League. It was sponsored by Hyundai Oilbank. Teams General information Managerial changes Regular season League table Positions by matchd ...
runners-up Ulsan Hyundai &
2011 Chinese Super League Eleven or 11 may refer to: *11 (number), the natural number following 10 and preceding 12 * one of the years 11 BC, AD 11, 1911, 2011, or any year ending in 11 Literature * ''Eleven'' (novel), a 2006 novel by British author David Llewellyn *''El ...
runners-up Beijing Guoan. Following the defeat to
Sydney FC Sydney Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was fo ...
, the Roar then suffered a succession of defeats to Melbourne Heart (1–2 at home), Wellington Phoenix (0–2 away), Central Coast Mariners (1–2 at home) and Gold Coast United (0–1 away). The defeats coincided with the loss of key first team players
Thomas Broich Thomas Broich (born 29 January 1981) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. A SpVgg Unterhaching youth product, Broich went on to play for Wacker Burghausen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, 1. FC Köln, and ...
, Henrique,
Mitch Nichols Mitchell Ian "Mitch" Nichols (born 1 May 1989) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gold Coast United FC in the National Premier Leagues Queensland. Club career Brisbane Roar He signed a two-year deal on 11 M ...
, James Meyer and club captain, Matt Smith. In addition to a poor spell of form and injuries, the Roar were on the end of some contentious refereeing decision, no more notable than the 88-minute penalty awarded to
Gold Coast United Gold Coast United Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in Gold Coast, Queensland. The earliest incarnation of the club formed in 1966 and its home ground was at Nikiforides Family Park in Broadbeach. The first era of Gold Coast Unit ...
for a foul that appeared to have occurred outside the penalty box. This defeat consigned the Roar to their longest losing streak to date of 5 matches. In Round 14, in front of a home crowd, the club snapped their losing streak in unlikely style. The Roar came from behind after conceding an early goal to win 3–1 against a star-studded Melbourne Victory. The Roar followed this up in Rounds 15 and 16 with draws away from home against
Perth Glory Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues. Founded in 19 ...
(3–3) and Adelaide United (1–1). Like, the defeat to Gold Coast in Round 13, both matches were overshadowed by contentious penalty decisions which cost the Roar a potential win on both occasions. In their Round 15 clash with Perth Glory, it looked as though Brisbane's form slump continued as they conceded two early goals to the Perth side, only to come back to be leading 3–2 with 20 minutes to play. However, in the 79th minute, referee Chris Beath pointed to the spot after
Mile Sterjovski Mile Sterjovski (born 27 May 1979) is an Australian former football (soccer) player. Sterjovski played mainly as a right winger or as a second striker, but also played as a left winger and central midfielder. He is currently the head coach of Mac ...
went down softly under the challenge of
Ivan Franjic Ivan Frankie Franjic (born 10 September 1987) is an Australian Association football, soccer player who plays for Heidelberg United FC, Heidelberg United in the NPL Victoria. Club career Victorian Premier League Franjic played at Junior level ...
, the penalty was converted by Sterjovski and the Roar came away with only one point. The Roar's bad luck with the match officials continued in their Round 16 draw with Adelaide United. The Roar dominated the match in terms of possession and chances and were awarded with a goal to winger, Issey Nakajima-Farran with a half-hour to play. However, for the second match running, in the 79th minute referee Ben Williams awarded Adelaide a dubious penalty. Matt Smith appeared to be accidentally tripped by Adelaide striker
Bruce Djite Bruce José Djité (French pronunciation: ; born 25 March 1987) is an Australian executive and former association football (soccer) player. As a player, Djite is known for his speed, strength and good height with ball heading skills and pre ...
, former Roar striker
Sergio van Dijk Serginho "Sergio" van Dijk (born 6 August 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was the top goal scorer in the 2010–11 A-League regular season and made a name for himself in Australian football for his prolifi ...
then fell over the fallen Roar captain and the penalty was awarded. The penalty was converted and Brisbane again went home with just a single point. In the buildup to the Round 17 clash with
Sydney FC Sydney Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was fo ...
, Ange Postecoglou announced that key playmakers
Thomas Broich Thomas Broich (born 29 January 1981) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. A SpVgg Unterhaching youth product, Broich went on to play for Wacker Burghausen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, 1. FC Köln, and ...
and Henrique who were returning from injury were likely to feature. Both Broich and Henrique made their return, both coming on as 56th-minute substitutes as the Roar completed a come-from-behind win in spectacular fashion.
Mark Bridge Mark Robert Bridge (born 7 November 1985) is an Australian professional football (soccer) player who plays as a striker for NPL club Mounties Wanderers. Bridge is the Western Sydney Wanderers' first ever goalscorer, earning himself the nickn ...
gave Sydney a 39th-minute lead, before
Sayed Mohamed Adnan Sayed Mohamed Adnan ( ar, سيد محمد عدنان; born 5 February 1983) is a Bahraini footballer who once played for the national team, and currently playing for Al Hidd. International career He was a member of the Bahrain national football ...
curled a sumptuous 25-yard free-kick over the wall in the fourth minute of the allocated five minutes' injury time. Besart Berisha completed the stunning comeback with just 15 seconds remaining, netting his 10th goal of the season after some good buildup play on the left from
Shane Stefanutto Shane Stefanutto (born 12 January 1980) is an Australian former professional footballer who is the Technical Director of Brisbane Roar. He previously played for Brisbane Strikers, Lillestrøm, Lyn, North Queensland Fury, Brisbane Roar, Olympic ...
. At the end of the game, Besart Berisha took off his shirt whilst running towards
Sydney FC Sydney Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Sydney, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues (APL). The club was fo ...
defender
Pascal Bosschaart Pascal Bosschaart (born 28 February 1980 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch retired footballer and current assistant manager of SC Cambuur. Club career Eredivisie Bosschaart made his professional league debut for FC Utrecht in the 1997–98 season, playi ...
before grabbing his arm and gesturing towards the players tunnel. This caused an altercation between the two sides, with teammates wrestling with one another and against players from the opposition side. The actions from Berisha were thought to have stemmed from the last time the two teams played each other, where it was alleged that Bosschaart made derogatory comments towards Berisha's family. Later that week, Berisha was sent a "Please explain" letter by Football Federation Australia following his actions the resulted in the post match altercation. The Roar had the option of accepting a 1 match ban or opting to choose whether or not to appeal. The club chose the latter, allowing the striker to play against Melbourne Heart the following week. The match against the Heart ended 1–1 in controversial fashion with Berisha scoring the leveling goal for the Roar, after an earlier
Jonatan Germano Jonatan Miguel Germano (born 31 May 1988 in San Nicolás) is an Argentine-Australian footballer who currently plays for National Premier Leagues Victoria 3 club Preston Lions FC. Early life Germano's odyssey into football began when he joined ...
goal had put the Heart in front. In the week following the draw, the club opted to not appeal the suspension, resulting in the Albanian striker missing the 1–0 home defeat to Newcastle Jets the following week. On 2 February 2012, the club announced the signing of 17-year-old Young Socceroo Anthony Proia on a -year contract. The following round, Brisbane stunned the league leaders' Central Coast Mariners at Bluetongue Stadium running out 2–0 winners thanks to first-half goals from Besart Berisha and Erik Paartalu, keeping intact the Roar's unbeaten record at the Gosford venue. The Roar then went on to record back-to-back wins the following round away against second placed Wellington Phoenix. A first time volleyed Besart Berisha goal on the stroke of half-time after an inch perfect lob over the top of the Phoenix defence gave the Roar the lead. Despite looking to let the Phoenix back into the game, returning Olyroo
Mitch Nichols Mitchell Ian "Mitch" Nichols (born 1 May 1989) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gold Coast United FC in the National Premier Leagues Queensland. Club career Brisbane Roar He signed a two-year deal on 11 M ...
settled the game with his seventh goal of the season – a curling long-range effort that gave Wellington 'keeper
Mark Paston Mark Nelson Paston (born 13 December 1976) is a New Zealand former Goalkeeper (association football), football goalkeeper who most recently played for the Wellington Phoenix FC, Wellington Phoenix in the A-League before announcing his retireme ...
no chance. This game also saw
Massimo Murdocca Massimo Murdocca (born 2 September 1984) is an Australian professional Association football, soccer player who plays as a Right midfielder, right or central midfielder for National Premier Leagues club Nunawading City FC. Club career Before jo ...
equal the club appearance record of 131, held by former captain Matt McKay. Prior to the Phoenix match, on 6 February 2012, The Bakrie Group announced that it had acquired 100% ownership of the club. On 14 February 2012, it was announced that striker Besart Berisha had agreed a new two-year contract extension, taking him through to the end of the 2013/14 season. On 18 February 2012, the Roar saw 2 club records broken as they defeated Melbourne Victory 3–2.
Massimo Murdocca Massimo Murdocca (born 2 September 1984) is an Australian professional Association football, soccer player who plays as a Right midfielder, right or central midfielder for National Premier Leagues club Nunawading City FC. Club career Before jo ...
became the most capped player for the Roar, playing in his 132nd match on the night that he also picked up the Man of the Match award. Albanian striker Besart Berisha also became a record holder, scoring both his 14th and 15th goals respectively to become the club's highest scoring player in a single season, surpassing the 13 held by
Sergio van Dijk Serginho "Sergio" van Dijk (born 6 August 1982) is a former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was the top goal scorer in the 2010–11 A-League regular season and made a name for himself in Australian football for his prolifi ...
scored in the
2008–09 A-League The 2008–09 A-League was the 32nd season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the fourth season of the A-League competition since its establishment in 2004. Two new clubs, North Queensland Thunder and Gold Coast Galaxy had received tentativ ...
season. The following round, the Roar played away to
Perth Glory Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues. Founded in 19 ...
, winning the game 3–0 with Besart Berisha scoring 2 goals after Henrique opened the scoring. The Brazilian was also sent off after slapping Jacob Burns in the throat following a nasty challenge by the former Socceroo. Henrique picked up the mandatory 1-game suspension, with the Match Review Panel adding 1 game to the ban. In Round 24, the following round to the Perth game, the Roar had the chance to claim equal first on the ladder, with the Central Coast Mariners to play the following day, if they beat Melbourne Heart at home that night. The Roar went up 1–0 via
Mitch Nichols Mitchell Ian "Mitch" Nichols (born 1 May 1989) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gold Coast United FC in the National Premier Leagues Queensland. Club career Brisbane Roar He signed a two-year deal on 11 M ...
with Heart youngster Curtis Good leveling the scores in the 49th minute. With the scores locked at 1–1, Roar and
league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...
topscorer Besart Berisha won a penalty in the 3rd minute of extra time. Bahraini International
Sayed Mohamed Adnan Sayed Mohamed Adnan ( ar, سيد محمد عدنان; born 5 February 1983) is a Bahraini footballer who once played for the national team, and currently playing for Al Hidd. International career He was a member of the Bahrain national football ...
stepped up to take the spot kick, blasting it to the top left hand corner of the goal only for Heart Goalkeeper
Clint Bolton Clint Brian Bolton (born 22 August 1975) is an Australian former goalkeeper. He was one of the most experienced goalkeepers in the history of the National Soccer League, which preceded the A-League. He played over 300 games for Brisbane Strik ...
to get a hand to it and turn it past the post for a corner which eventuated to nothing. Mid week the Roar made their
AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...
debut at home to J-League outfit
FC Tokyo Football Club Tokyo, commonly known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chōfu, Tokyo. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The team is one of only four in the J.League to be si ...
. The match turned out to be a baptism of fire with the Roar unable to contain the Japanese team, losing 2–0 with goals from
Tatsuya Yazawa is a Japanese football player who plays for Fujieda MYFC. Playing career Yazawa was born in Yaizu on October 3, 1984. After graduating from Shizuoka Gakuen High School, he joined J1 League club Kashiwa Reysol in 2003. He played many matches ...
and Aria Jasuru Hasegawa. At the end of the week, the Roar played at home again on 11 March 2012 against then 2nd last team Adelaide United, with the chance to go equal first again after the Mariners drew 1–1 the previous week. With that in mind, the Roar conceded first through a counterattack, with speedster
Ian Ramsay Professor Ian Ramsay (born 7 October 1958) is Harold Ford Professor of Commercial Law, Melbourne Law School and director of their Centre for Corporate Law and Securities Regulation in Melbourne, Australia. He is an academic lawyer, author, and ...
opening the scoring via a low cross by
Bruce Djite Bruce José Djité (French pronunciation: ; born 25 March 1987) is an Australian executive and former association football (soccer) player. As a player, Djite is known for his speed, strength and good height with ball heading skills and pre ...
. The Roar were given some hope when in form striker Besart Berisha scored in the 70th minute. The hope in the match came to nothing however with the match ending 1–1. The hope, though, rolled over to the next match between the Central Coast Mariners and
Perth Glory Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues. Founded in 19 ...
when an uncharacteristic error by Matt Ryan led to the only goal by
Travis Dodd Travis Dodd (born 6 January 1980) is an Australian former Association football, football (soccer) player who last played for North Eastern MetroStars SC in the National Premier League - South Australia competition. He played as an Attacking mid ...
. The result meant the Roar trailed top spot by 2 points with 2 games left in the regular season. On 17 March 2012, the Roar played away to Newcastle Jets with the Central Coast Mariners playing at the same time against Adelaide United. The Roar went up 1–0 through a toe-poked goal by Berisha before a sublime free kick by Ali Abbas leaving Michael Theoklitos stranded to level the scores at 1–1. The Roar got a Penalty after a foul on
Jack Hingert Jack Hingert (born 26 September 1990) is an English-Australian-Sri Lankan football (soccer) player who plays as a defender for A-League club Brisbane Roar. In 2016, Hingert became an ambassador for the RSPCA Queensland a fitting role for t ...
. Henrique took the penalty but it was hit poorly, making an easy save for Ben Kennedy. During the match, the Mariners scored through
Bernie Ibini-Isei Bernie Alpha Ibini-Isei (born 12 September 1992), also known simply as Bernie Ibini, is a professional soccer player who plays as a winger and a forward. Born in Nigeria, he represented Australia internationally. Early life Bernie Ibini-Isei ...
, meaning the Roar have to win to keep their title hopes alive. They got another chance to take the lead when a foul on Erik Paartalu got another penalty for the away side. This time they benefited through
Mitch Nichols Mitchell Ian "Mitch" Nichols (born 1 May 1989) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gold Coast United FC in the National Premier Leagues Queensland. Club career Brisbane Roar He signed a two-year deal on 11 M ...
, who scored the winning goal, leaving the race for the title to go down to the final round. Before that could happen, the Roar travelled to China to face Beijing Guoan on Matchday 2. The Roar went down 1–0 in the 8th minute through Piao Cheng. The Roar scored 13 minutes later though, with a cross from
Ivan Franjic Ivan Frankie Franjic (born 10 September 1987) is an Australian Association football, soccer player who plays for Heidelberg United FC, Heidelberg United in the NPL Victoria. Club career Victorian Premier League Franjic played at Junior level ...
being headed home by
Mitch Nichols Mitchell Ian "Mitch" Nichols (born 1 May 1989) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gold Coast United FC in the National Premier Leagues Queensland. Club career Brisbane Roar He signed a two-year deal on 11 M ...
to level the score. The Roar dominated the rest of the first half but were not able to add to the 1 goal they had scored. The tide turned though in the second with the Roar being outplayed for most of the second half. The Roar started to get the upper hand at the back end of the second half but neither sides being able to take their chances With the Roar to face
Gold Coast United Gold Coast United Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in Gold Coast, Queensland. The earliest incarnation of the club formed in 1966 and its home ground was at Nikiforides Family Park in Broadbeach. The first era of Gold Coast Unit ...
in the M1 Derby in the last round, the Roar had to hope that Wellington Phoenix would draw or defeat the Mariners to have any hope of clinching the Minor Premiership for the second straight season. The opposite of what the Roar wanted happened, with the Mariners winning 2–1, meaning the Roar rested most of their first XI in preparation for the major semi-final 1st leg at home the following week.
James Donachie James Kevin Donachie (born 14 May 1993) is an Australian soccer player who plays as a centre back for Sydney FC in the A-League. Club career Brisbane Roar In 2010, he signed a youth contract with A-League club Brisbane Roar Brisbane ...
made his debut for the club at Centre Back with other young players making up the starting XI and bench spots.
Andrew Redmayne Andrew James Redmayne (born 13 January 1989) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Sydney FC in the A-League and the Australia men's national team. Redmayne was born in Gosford and played youth football w ...
also made his first start for the club against the only side he'd played against in a Roar jersey. The Roar went down 1–0 to ex-Roar player
Daniel Bowles Daniel Bowles (born 19 October 1991) is a retired A-League Australian professional football (soccer) player. Club career Early career Bowles played all of his junior football in Toowoomba, initially with St Albans Football Club followed by th ...
and went into Half-Time down by the goal. The Roar came out hungry to gather some form prior to the Finals series and got a goal through young prodigy Nicholas Fitzgerald, who scored his first A-League and Roar goal with an assist by the inside of the frame of the goal. In the last minute of the regulated time, another youngster in
George Lambadaridis George Lambadaridis (born 23 April 1992) is an Australian soccer player who currently plays for Dandenong City in NPL Victoria 2. Club career George Lambadaridis started his career at Altona Magic. With the Magic, he would win his first team ...
scored the winning goal with a curling left footed effort from outside the penalty area to win the game 2–1. With the 2 legged Semi-final teams already being known prior, the Roar hosted the first leg of the tie on 31, 4 March days before the club faced Ulsan Hyundai FC. The Roar gained the advantage for the second leg, keeping a clean sheet as they ran out 2–0 winners. Goals by Henrique and Erik Paartalu saw the club in good stead for the return fixture a week later. The only sour bit of the first leg was a missed penalty by Henrique, just a minute before he put the home side ahead. The boys flew out the following day to South Korea, where they faced K-League outfit Ulsan Hyundai. The Roar grabbed the first goal and went into half time 1–0 courtesy of a well-crafted goal taken by youngster Nicholas Fitzgerald. Just 2 minutes into the second half, the Roar conceded a penalty through Matthew Jurman, who was sent off with a straight red card. The Roar was reprieved as goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos parried the effort to keeper the away side ahead. The save counted for little when the home side grabbed an equaliser 4 minutes later, started via a corner. The corner kick was cleared only for it to be crossed back in, with central defender Lee Jae-Seong swinging his left foot to drill the ball into the back of the net. The Roar returned to Australia to play the second leg of the major semi-final. With the Central Coast Mariners needing to score 3 goals at minimum to host the grand final, the home side's hopes took a dent with a
Thomas Broich Thomas Broich (born 29 January 1981) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. A SpVgg Unterhaching youth product, Broich went on to play for Wacker Burghausen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, 1. FC Köln, and ...
's free kick floating untouched past the crowd of players into the far side of the net after just 2 minutes of play. In the 26th minute, the Roar went up 2–0 after a lovely passing move saw the ball at the feet of
Mitch Nichols Mitchell Ian "Mitch" Nichols (born 1 May 1989) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gold Coast United FC in the National Premier Leagues Queensland. Club career Brisbane Roar He signed a two-year deal on 11 M ...
, who scored his 10th
A-League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
goal of the season. The visitors conceded just 3 minutes where a long striker by
Patrick Zwaanswijk Patrick Zwaanswijk (born 17 January 1975) is a Dutch ex-professional who is retired from professional football. A product of the Ajax Youth Academy, Zwaanswijk retired from professional football in 2013 following a successful career with Ajax F ...
went into the bottom corner of the net. Another 3 minutes passed before the game was level once more through striker
Adam Kwasnik Adam Kwasnik (born 31 May 1983) is an Australian former professional association football player who played as a striker. Club career Kwasnik was part of the inaugural Central Coast Mariners squad in 2005–06, and was a substitute in the ...
, found a small amount of space to guide the ball into the same corner of the net. With the sides locked at 2–2, it meant the Mariners needed to score another 3 goals and not concede to win the hosting right of the Grans Final. With their chances slim at best, they were all but washed away when Henrique nutmegged Matt Ryan to pass the ball into the net to put the away side up 3–2. The match ended with that scoreline and the aggregate score at 5–2, meaning the Roar became the first side in
A-League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
history to host, and later win, 2 consecutive grand finals. Before they hosted their second consecutive Grand final, they faced Ulsan Hyundai FC on the Tuesday before the grand final in a must win fixture to have any hope of continuing through to the knock-out phase of the
2012 AFC Champions League The 2012 AFC Champions League was the 31st edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 10th under the current AFC Champions League title. Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea wo ...
. Their chances hit a temporary snag when a sublime strike by Julián Estiven Vélez left goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos no chance of keeping the ball out of the net. With the strike swerving all over the place, the best effort by the custodian was to get a palm of the ball, doing little to help. A short while later, the Roar grabbed their equaliser, where a cross field ball was attempted to be centered by
Shane Stefanutto Shane Stefanutto (born 12 January 1980) is an Australian former professional footballer who is the Technical Director of Brisbane Roar. He previously played for Brisbane Strikers, Lillestrøm, Lyn, North Queensland Fury, Brisbane Roar, Olympic ...
. The attempt went at defender Kwak Tae-Hwi, taking a minor deflection that guided it past the South Korean's goalkeeper. Although the ball's course was diverted, it was deemed not to be an own goal, gifting the Roar left-back his first goal for the club. Things, however, ended in vain where a contentious penalty was given when
Sayed Mohamed Adnan Sayed Mohamed Adnan ( ar, سيد محمد عدنان; born 5 February 1983) is a Bahraini footballer who once played for the national team, and currently playing for Al Hidd. International career He was a member of the Bahrain national football ...
was adjudged to have fouled one of the Ulsan Hyundai players. Ironically, Kwak Tae-Hwi converted the penalty to give Ulsan Hyundai FC the win. The Roar turned their focus to the buildup of the grand final, dubbed "Orange Sunday II". With all the buildup, the lingering rumours of coach
Ange Postecoglou Angelos Postecoglou ( el, Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, ; born 27 August 1965) is an Australian association football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Born in Greece, he moved ...
leaving the club were the only dampener on a grand final that created history, regardless of the winner or result. The big day came on 22 April 2012, a day that created a number historic moments. The crowd was decked out in orange and purple, the colours of both respective clubs. The first bit of history was made before the whistle sounded, with the size of the crowd reaching 50,334, becoming Brisbane Roar's largest ever attendance, with 166 more people attending than that of last year's attendance of 50,168. Kick off sounded at 4 pm ( UTC+10:00), where Perth Glory had the bulk of possession in the first 5–10 minutes. Brisbane started to work their way back into the game, having a number of chances to score early but failed to take advantage of them. The away side started to level out the game, pressuring every pass and movement the host team made. Both sides counted the other side out, leading the score going into half time at 0–0. The away side came out in the second half the same way they started the first, pressuring the Roar and creating a number of chances. The Glory got the opener of the match, where a cross by
Travis Dodd Travis Dodd (born 6 January 1980) is an Australian former Association football, football (soccer) player who last played for North Eastern MetroStars SC in the National Premier League - South Australia competition. He played as an Attacking mid ...
took a major deflection off
Ivan Franjic Ivan Frankie Franjic (born 10 September 1987) is an Australian Association football, soccer player who plays for Heidelberg United FC, Heidelberg United in the NPL Victoria. Club career Victorian Premier League Franjic played at Junior level ...
, rolling into the back of the net to give the Perth side the lead. The Roar started to dominate the match, as they had done most of the season, nearly scoring a number of times. Things didn't change much, until the 84th minute, where a teasing cross by
Johnny Warren Medal The Johnny Warren Medal is awarded to the best player of the Australian national soccer club competition. It was first awarded in the National Soccer League in 1990, and upon the NSL's demise in November 2004, was carried forward into the new na ...
winner
Thomas Broich Thomas Broich (born 29 January 1981) is a German former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. A SpVgg Unterhaching youth product, Broich went on to play for Wacker Burghausen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, 1. FC Köln, and ...
was met with a precise header Golden Boot winner Besart Berisha. The Albanian was the first player to score more than 20 goals in a full season, making another historic moment. The Roar continued to push for the win, and just 6 minutes after the goal, in the 90th minute, they got the upper hand, when Glory left-back
Dean Heffernan Dean James Heffernan (born 19 May 1980) is a former professional football (soccer) player. Club career With the Central Coast Mariners he scored 8 goals from left back in 24 games and was subsequently named in FourFourTwo's A-League dream team. ...
collected his second yellow card, after a foul on Broich, to be sent off. Things fell the way of the home side, when a contentious penalty was given after a lunging tackle from behind on Berisha by Glory midfielder
Liam Miller Liam William Peter Miller (13 February 1981 – 9 February 2018) was an Irish professional footballer. Miller began his career with Celtic and was later loaned to Aarhus in 2001. He returned to Celtic Park and broke into the first-team squa ...
was adjudged to have made contact on the Albanian striker as he was about to take a shot on goal after weaving through the Glory defence. Despite
Perth Glory Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues. Founded in 19 ...
players' best efforts to appeal the decision by referee of the year
Jarred Gillett Jarred Gavan Gillett (born 1 November 1986) is an Australian football referee in the Premier League, following the announcement on 3 August 2021 that he had been promoted to the Select Group referees list. Career Gillett has refereed five Hyun ...
, the penalty stood and the Brisbane striker lined up, and converted successfully, to get the winning goal to send the biggest crowd to attend a football match at Suncorp Stadium into raptures in the last minute of extra time. Post game, Glory captain Jacob Burns condemned the decision, saying the "decision cost us (Perth) the game". Despite the
Joe Marston medal The Joe Marston Medal is an A-League award given to the player of the match in the A-League Grand Final each year. Introduced in 1990, previously the award was also given to the best player in the National Soccer League grand final. The medal i ...
being announced to have gone to Broich, the real winner, Jacob Burns, was announced to have won via Twitter and the official
A-League A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
website. Just two days later, the Roar was honored for their achievements with a ticker tape parade, with the side showing off their defended silverware in front of thousands of adhering Roar fans. This was soured just an hour later, where the rumours of
Ange Postecoglou Angelos Postecoglou ( el, Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, ; born 27 August 1965) is an Australian association football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Born in Greece, he moved ...
leaving the side were confirmed, as the master coach resigned from the post of head coach of the club, effective immediately. Just the following day,
Rado Vidošić Rado Vidošić (born 25 September 1961) is an Australian football (soccer) manager, who is currently the caretaker manager at A-League club Melbourne City. Managerial career Brisbane Roar Vidošić had served as the assistant coach of Brisbane ...
was appointed the head coach, signing a 5-year contract to graduate to the head role having served under all three former head coaches in Miron Bleiberg, Frank Farina and the departed
Ange Postecoglou Angelos Postecoglou ( el, Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, ; born 27 August 1965) is an Australian association football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Born in Greece, he moved ...
. The Roar had a short turn around after their heroics against
Perth Glory Perth Glory Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Perth, Western Australia. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, under licence from Australian Professional Leagues. Founded in 19 ...
, taking on
FC Tokyo Football Club Tokyo, commonly known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chōfu, Tokyo. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The team is one of only four in the J.League to be si ...
in matchday 5 of the
2012 AFC Champions League The 2012 AFC Champions League was the 31st edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 10th under the current AFC Champions League title. Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea wo ...
. Despite getting the first goal through Besart Berisha early on, the Roar went on to lose the game 4–2 in a thrilling game showcase by the slick attacks and end to end football. Needing to win to keep their hopes of progressing to the group stages, the loss spelled the end of their campaign in Asia. Just 3 days later, the Roar staged their annual awards night, with star Albanian striker Besart Berisha taking all the top awards for the night, including the famed Gary Wilkins Medal. Things took a sour note though, with recently departed coach Postecoglou being banned from attending the awards ceremony. Throughout the week, rumours began to stem from the media that the Roar were locking horns with
Ange Postecoglou Angelos Postecoglou ( el, Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, ; born 27 August 1965) is an Australian association football manager and former player, who is the current manager of Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Born in Greece, he moved ...
's Melbourne Victory for the signature of in demand ex-
Gold Coast United Gold Coast United Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in Gold Coast, Queensland. The earliest incarnation of the club formed in 1966 and its home ground was at Nikiforides Family Park in Broadbeach. The first era of Gold Coast Unit ...
striker
Ben Halloran Benjamin Halloran (born 14 June 1992) is an Australian football player who plays as a winger for A-League Men club Adelaide United. Club career Gold Coast United Halloran made his debut for Gold Coast United as a substitute in their Round 4 ...
. The
Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
product eventually signed a 3-year deal with the Roar, citing it was the best decision for his career to make the move to the Roar, with another factor being said for his desire to stay in Brisbane with his family. Things turned to the last game of the season, a home game in the final game of the Group stages of the
2012 AFC Champions League The 2012 AFC Champions League was the 31st edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 10th under the current AFC Champions League title. Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea wo ...
. The game also marked the first home game of
Rado Vidošić Rado Vidošić (born 25 September 1961) is an Australian football (soccer) manager, who is currently the caretaker manager at A-League club Melbourne City. Managerial career Brisbane Roar Vidošić had served as the assistant coach of Brisbane ...
's tenure as Roar coach. The Roar took the lead through in form striker Berisha, with the Albanian scoring his 23rd goal of the season in 35 matches. The Roar, however, were pegged back through a cracking goal by Li Hanbo which flew into the top corner of the net. In front of the lowest crowd of the game, a mere 5,615, the Roar recorded their 3rd draw of the Asian Champions League to finish 4th in their group, with the Chinese side pinching 3rd on goal difference.


Pre-Season

It was announced by the Roar on 5 July that the club would not be playing an overseas team in a match for the Translink CupBrisbane Roar
;Notes


2011–12 Hyundai A-League


Regular season


Finals series

Brisbane Roar advance to host the grand final by winning the tie 5–2 on aggregate


2012 Asian Champions League

Brisbane qualified for the
2012 AFC Champions League The 2012 AFC Champions League was the 31st edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 10th under the current AFC Champions League title. Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea wo ...
as a result of finishing the
2010–11 A-League The 2010–11 A-League was the 34th season of top-flight soccer in Australia, and the sixth season of the Australian A-League soccer competition since its establishment in 2004. The home and away season began on 5 August 2010 and concluded on 13 ...
season as Champions. They will enter the competition at the group stage along with K-League team Ulsan Hyundai, Beijing Guoan from the Chinese Super League and the winner of the Japanese
2011 Emperor's Cup The was a regular edition of an annual Japanese national cup tournament. It started on 3 September 2011 and ended on 1 January 2012 with the final at National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, won by FC Tokyo 4–2 against Kyoto Sanga. The cup winner wer ...
,
FC Tokyo Football Club Tokyo, commonly known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chōfu, Tokyo. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. The team is one of only four in the J.League to be si ...
. Due to Asian Football Confederation strict kit regulations, it was necessary for the club to use an alternate kit for the Champions League competition; this was released on 24 February 2012. The Roar made their debut in the
Asian Champions League The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...
at Suncorp Stadium against the FC Tokyo on 6 March 2012. A strong performance from the Japanese side, saw the Roar outclassed as they went down 2–0 courtesy of goals to
Tatsuya Yazawa is a Japanese football player who plays for Fujieda MYFC. Playing career Yazawa was born in Yaizu on October 3, 1984. After graduating from Shizuoka Gakuen High School, he joined J1 League club Kashiwa Reysol in 2003. He played many matches ...
and Aria Jasuru Hasegawa. On Matchday 2, a much better performance from the Roar resulted in the club scoring their first ever goal in the competition – through a
Mitch Nichols Mitchell Ian "Mitch" Nichols (born 1 May 1989) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gold Coast United FC in the National Premier Leagues Queensland. Club career Brisbane Roar He signed a two-year deal on 11 M ...
header – and picking up their first competitive point in a 1–1 draw away to Beijing Guoan.


Statistics


Starting XI


Squad statistics

Statistics accurate as of 16 May 2012
90 Minutes played is counted as a full game.
Injury Time Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
is not counted. A sub's appearance is counted up to the 90th minute as well

A-League Games played: 27
A-League Finals series Games played: 3
ACL Games played: 6


Disciplinary record

Correct as of 16 May 2012


League Goalscorers by round


ACL Goalscorers by matchday


Home Attendance


League attendance and average includes Finals series


Ladder


2012 Asian Champions League (Group F)


References


See also

* Brisbane Roar FC records and statistics * List of Brisbane Roar FC players * Brisbane Roar end of season awards *
2012 AFC Champions League The 2012 AFC Champions League was the 31st edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 10th under the current AFC Champions League title. Ulsan Hyundai from South Korea wo ...

Brisbane Roar website

A-League website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brisbane Roar Season 2011-12 Brisbane Roar FC seasons 2011–12 A-League season by team