# 2000–01 in Australian soccer

The 2000–01 season was the 32nd season of national competitive association football in Australia and 118th overall. From July 2000 to June 2001, it was a highly active period for Australian Soccer. The Socceroos participated in their second FIFA Confederations Cup, defying expectations yet again by finishing third, after finishing runners-up in the 1997 edition. They also broke several international records during World Cup Qualification in beating Tonga and America Samoa 22–0 and 31–0 respectively. The Matildas competed in the 2000 Olympic Games. Domestically, Wollongong Wolves won their second consecutive and overall National Soccer League grand final, in addition to winning the 2001 Oceania Club Championship and the NSW Sapphires were unbeaten in the Women's National Soccer League, with the grand final being won by the Canberra Eclipse.

## Men's soccer
### National Soccer League
#### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | South Melbourne | 30 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 70 | 24 | +46 | 69 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 2 | Wollongong Wolves (C) | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 80 | 40 | +40 | 61 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 3 | Perth Glory | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 73 | 33 | +40 | 61 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 4 | Sydney Olympic | 30 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 58 | 37 | +21 | 57 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 5 | Marconi Fairfield | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 42 | 33 | +9 | 50 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 6 | Melbourne Knights | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 61 | 46 | +15 | 49 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 7 | Adelaide Force | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 54 | 54 | 0 | 43 | |
| 8 | Football Kingz | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 52 | 52 | 0 | 43 | |
| 9 | Parramatta Power | 30 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 42 | 44 | −2 | 42 | |
| 10 | Sydney United | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 46 | 56 | −10 | 42 | |
| 11 | Canberra Cosmos | 30 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 49 | 55 | −6 | 37 | |
| 12 | Brisbane Strikers | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 52 | 56 | −4 | 35 | |
| 13 | Northern Spirit | 30 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 39 | 50 | −11 | 32 | |
| 14 | Newcastle United | 30 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 37 | 56 | −19 | 30 | |
| 15 | Eastern Pride | 30 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 32 | 61 | −29 | 0 | |
| 16 | Carlton | 30 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 90 | −90 | 0 | Withdrew |
* ↑ Eastern Pride were stripped of all their points following a breach of regulations.
* ↑ Carlton withdrew after eight rounds. All games against them were awarded 3–0.

### Finals series
#### Bracket

| Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Major/Minor semi-finals | Major/Minor semi-finals | Major/Minor semi-finals | Major/Minor semi-finals | Major/Minor semi-finals | Preliminary Final | Preliminary Final | Preliminary Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 June 2001 | 3 June 2001 | 3 June 2001 |
| | | | | | 2 | Wollongong Wolves | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | Wollongong Wolves | 2 |
| | | | | | 1 | South Melbourne | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | South Melbourne | South Melbourne | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 1 | South Melbourne | 2 | | | |
| 6 | Melbourne Knights (a) | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 1 | South Melbourne | 2 | | | |
| 6 | Melbourne Knights (a) | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 4 | Sydney Olympic | 0 | | | |
| 3 | Perth Glory | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 4 | Sydney Olympic | 0 | | | |
| 3 | Perth Glory | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | Melbourne Knights | Melbourne Knights | Melbourne Knights | 0 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Sydney Olympic | Sydney Olympic | Sydney Olympic | 1 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Sydney Olympic | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | Sydney Olympic | Sydney Olympic | Sydney Olympic | 1 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Marconi Fairfield | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | |

#### Elimination finals

* Melbourne Knights 0–0 : 2–2 Perth Glory
* Sydney Olympic 3–1 : 2–0 Marconi Fairfield

#### Minor semi-final

* Melbourne Knights 0–1 Sydney Olympic

#### Major semi-final

* Wollongong Wolves 2–1 : 2–1 South Melbourne

#### Preliminary final

* South Melbourne 2–0 Sydney Olympic

#### Grand final

WOLLONGONG WOLVES: :
| GK | 26 | Dean Anastasiadis |
| DF | 2 | George Sounis |
| DF | 3 | Alvin Ceccoli | 79' |
| DF | 5 | David Cervinski |
| MF | 6 | Matt Horsley (c) |
| MF | 7 | Paul Reid |
| FW | 9 | Sasho Petrovski | 73' |
| FW | 10 | Stuart Young |
| MF | 15 | David Huxley |
| DF | 17 | Ben Blake |
| MF | 27 | Robbie Middleby | 90+1' |
| Substitutes: |||
| GK | 1 | Daniel Beltrame |
| DF | 4 | Robert Stanton | 73' |
| MF | 8 | Max Nicholson |
| FW | 14 | Jay Lucas |
| MF | 23 | Dino Mennillo | 90+1' |
| Manager: |||
| Ron Corry ||||
| Joe Marston Medal: |||
| Matt Horsley ||||
SOUTH MELBOURNE: :
| GK | 1 | Michael Petkovic |
| MF | 2 | Steve Iosifidis | | 36' | | 71' |
| DF | 3 | Fausto De Amicis | (c) | | 89' |
| DF | 4 | Mehmet Durakovic |
| MF | 7 | Steve Panopoulos |
| FW | 8 | Vaughan Coveny |
| MF | 10 | Con Boutsianis |
| FW | 13 | Andrew Vlahos |
| FW | 14 | Vas Kalogeracos | | 65' |
| DF | 16 | Zeljko Susa | | 65' |
| DF | 25 | Simon Colosimo |
| Substitutes: |||
| GK | 20 | Chris Jones |
| MF | 6 | David Clarkson |
| FW | 9 | Paul Trimboli | | 65' |
| FW | 11 | John Anastasiadis | | 71' |
| MF | 15 | Goran Lozanovski | | 65' |
| Manager: |||
| Mike Petersen ||||