# 1997–98 National Soccer League

The 1997–98 National Soccer League season, was the 22nd season of the National Soccer League in Australia.

## Overview

It was contested by 14 teams, and South Melbourne won the championship. First year Carlton SC competed.

## Regular season
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | South Melbourne (C) | 26 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 56 | 41 | +15 | 48 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 2 | Carlton | 26 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 44 | 24 | +20 | 45 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 3 | Adelaide City | 26 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 45 | 30 | +15 | 43 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 4 | Sydney United | 26 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 37 | 26 | +11 | 43 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 5 | Marconi Fairfield | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 33 | 25 | +8 | 43 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 6 | Wollongong Wolves | 26 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 51 | 33 | +18 | 42 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 7 | Melbourne Knights | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 37 | 35 | +2 | 39 | |
| 8 | Perth Glory | 26 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 35 | 40 | −5 | 36 | |
| 9 | UTS Olympic | 26 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 37 | 43 | −6 | 35 | |
| 10 | West Adelaide | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 32 | 38 | −6 | 34 | |
| 11 | Gippsland Falcons | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 36 | −8 | 31 | |
| 12 | Brisbane Strikers | 26 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 23 | 40 | −17 | 23 | |
| 13 | Newcastle Breakers | 26 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 30 | 50 | −20 | 21 | |
| 14 | Canberra Cosmos | 26 | 3 | 8 | 15 | 29 | 56 | −27 | 17 | |

## 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 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | 16 May 1998 | 16 May 1998 | 16 May 1998 |
| | | | | | 2 | Carlton | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | | South Melbourne | 2 |
| | | | | | 1 | South Melbourne | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 May 1998 | 10 May 1998 | 10 May 1998 | Carlton | Carlton | 1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Carlton | 1 | | | |
| 5 | Marconi Fairfield | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | 2 | Carlton | 1 | | | |
| 5 | Marconi Fairfield | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | 5 | Marconi Fairfield | 0 | | | |
| 4 | Sydney United | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | | 5 | Marconi Fairfield | 0 | | | |
| 4 | Sydney United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | Marconi Fairfield | Marconi Fairfield | Marconi Fairfield | 2 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Wollongong Wolves | Wollongong Wolves | Wollongong Wolves | 1 | | | | | | |
| 6 | Wollongong Wolves | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | Wollongong Wolves | Wollongong Wolves | Wollongong Wolves | 1 | | | | | | |
| 3 | Adelaide City | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
* Marconi Fairfield 1-0 : 1-0 Sydney United
* Wollongong Wolves 3-0 : 2-2 Adelaide City
* Marconi Fairfield 2-1 Wollongong Wolves
* Carlton 1-2 : 0-1 South Melbourne
* Carlton 1-0 Marconi Fairfield

### Grand Final

SOUTH MELBOURNE: :
| GK | 1 | Michael Petkovic |
| MF | 2 | Steve Iosifidis |
| DF | 3 | Fausto De Amicis |
| DF | 5 | Con Blatsis |
| MF | 6 | David Clarkson |
| MF | 7 | Steve Panopoulos |
| FW | 9 | Paul Trimboli (c) |
| MF | 11 | Bill Damianos |
| MF | 15 | Goran Lozanovski | 74' |
| DF | 16 | Tansel Başer |
| FW | 17 | John Anastasiadis | 85' |
| Substitutes: |||
| FW | 8 | Vaughan Coveny | 74' |
| FW | 10 | Michael Curcija |
| MF | 12 | Con Boutsianis | 85' |
| MF | 19 | George Goutzioulis |
| Manager: |||
| Ange Postecoglou ||||
| Joe Marston Medal: |||
| Fausto De Amicis ||||
CARLTON SC: :
| GK | 1 | Dean Anastasiadis |
| DF | 2 | Rob Trajkovski |
| DF | 5 | Sean Douglas (c) |
| MF | 7 | Krešimir Marušić |
| MF | 10 | Lupo Lapsansky |
| FW | 11 | Andrew Vlahos | 65' |
| DF | 12 | Simon Colosimo |
| FW | 14 | John Markovski |
| DF | 15 | David Cervinski | 78' |
| MF | 17 | Mark Atkinson |
| MF | 23 | Mark Bresciano |
| Substitutes: |||
| MF | 3 | Marcus Stergiopoulos | 78' |
| FW | 9 | Alex Josifovski |
| DF | 18 | David Della Rocca |
| FW | 25 | Adrian Cervinski | 65' |
| Manager: |||
| Eddie Krnčević ||||