2013 A-League Grand Final
| Event | 2012–13 A-League | ||||||
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| Date | 4pm AEST, 21 April 2013 | ||||||
| Venue | Allianz Stadium, Sydney | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Daniel McBreen | ||||||
| Referee | Peter Green | ||||||
| Attendance | 42,102 | ||||||
The 2013 A-League Grand Final was the eighth A-League Grand Final, which took place at Allianz Stadium, Sydney on 21 April 2013. The match was won by Central Coast Mariners, who beat Western Sydney Wanderers 2–0, in front of 42,102 people. This was the first time the Central Coast Mariners became champions of Australia, after losing three previous grand finals.
Both teams came into the final in good form, the Wanderers undefeated in 13 games and the Mariners having won their past 4 A-League games in a row. The sides had previously met three times over the course of the season, with each team winning one match as well as one draw.
In their inaugural season, Wanderers performed strongly. Mixed early results were followed by a streak of 12 undefeated games, including a run of 10 wins in a row, which saw the side top the regular season table, winning the A-League premiership. In the semi-final, the Wanderers beat Brisbane Roar 2-0, scoring a goal in each half to qualify for the grand final.
Entering the season as reigning A-League premiers, the Mariners had a strong season, highlighted by the fact that they lost only one match at their home ground, Bluetongue Stadium- against the Wanderers. After finishing second in the regular season, the Mariners played Melbourne Victory in the semi-final, winning 1-0 through a Daniel McBreen goal and so qualifying for the final.
The top six teams from the 2012-13 season qualified for the finals series, with the top two receiving byes into the semi-finals.
It was announced by the FFA, following Western Sydney Wanderers earning the right to host the grand final, that the match would be played at the Sydney Football Stadium due to its greater capacity than the Wanderers usual home ground, Parramatta Stadium. The match was played in front of a sold out crowd of 42,102 at the Sydney Football Stadium- the largest crowd of the 2012-13 A-League. In Australia, it was shown live on Fox Sports.
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