2012 A-League Grand Final
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| Event | 2011–12 A-League | ||||||
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| Date | 22 April 2012 | ||||||
| Venue | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Jacob Burns, Perth Glory | ||||||
| Referee | Jarred Gillett | ||||||
| Attendance | 50,334 | ||||||
The 2012 A-League Grand Final was the seventh A-League Grand Final, which took place on 22 April 2012 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane for the second year running. Brisbane Roar played in their second Grand Final in two years, and were aiming to become the first A-League team to win back-to-back Championships. Perth Glory played in their first Grand Final since the 2004 NSL Grand Final, and their first A-League Grand Final. Additionally, it was the first Grand Final since 2006 that did not include the Premiers.
Brisbane Roar won the game, coming from behind after conceding an own goal, through Besart Berisha's two late goals including a controversial penalty in the final minute of injury time after the Glory had been reduced to ten men two minutes earlier. As the Grand Final winner, Brisbane Roar qualified for the 2013 AFC Champions League.
The Roar went into the 2012 A-League Grand Final as clear favourites, with most pundits expecting an easy victory for the reigning Champions who were hosting the Grand Final for the second consecutive season. The Roar had easily accounted for 2011 runners-up, Central Coast Mariners 5-2 on aggregate in the major semi final, as they had done in the previous season to earn the rights to host the Grand Final at Suncorp Stadium. Perth also qualified for the final by defeating the Mariners; the Glory upset the 2012 Premiers in a tense Penalty Shoot-out in the Preliminary Final at Bluetongue Stadium.
In front of an official-sellout crowd of 50,334, it would be Brisbane Roar who would become the first A-League team to win back-to-back titles, at the expense of their West coast opponents, in the dying minutes of the game.
The opening half an hour was evenly contested with both sides not really threatening, the best chance for either team fell to Sayed Mohamed Adnan who mistimed a free header over the crossbar from a Thomas Broich corner. Perth suffered a scare after 15 minutes when the A-League’s all-time leading goal-scorer, Shane Smeltz suffered a deep laceration to the face following an accidental collision with Roar captain, Matt Smith. The Kiwi striker was treated on the pitch and played on but was substituted, for tactical reasons, in the 80th minute. Smeltz would later be taken to hospital where he would be treated by a plastic-surgeon and receive 50 stitches to repair the damage.
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