The big winners of Round 26 are...
Sydney FC, who afforded themselves a little bit of breathing space as they chase AFC Champions League 2 riches this midweek when they need to overturn a 2-0 first leg deficit at home to Singapore club Lion City.
Granted, the 2-2 draw against Auckland FC has gone down amongst the fans as points lost rather than points gained considering they gave up a 2-0 lead along the way, but every single point is going to count in the fight for sixth place; and with their superior goal difference to that of challengers Adelaide United, Macarthur Bulls and Newcastle Jets, they still lead the race to the playoffs.
Melbourne City defeated Sydney three starts back and have been quietly going about their business, winning five of their last six matches - most of them against sides currently outside the top six - to keep themselves in pole position for a top-two place, which would grant them direct qualification for the semi-finals.
They showed the mettle to not only come from behind against Brisbane Roar but to overcome a late Roar equaliser, "showing a lot of character" according to head coach Aurelio Vidmar.
The big loser of Round 26 is...
Adelaide United, whose horror season went from bad to worse when they were thrashed 4-1 by Perth Glory at HBF Park. Perth started the matchweek last in the standings with just two wins from 23 matches but shredded a club that seems to have lost all motivation despite being just one point off the pace.
They decided to part ways with head coach Carl Veart during the week but are finishing out their season in an awkward situation where Veart will finish off their failing campaign before departing, rather than an immediate clean break.
Veart will of course want to impress potential employers by turning Adelaide's failing campaign around to get them into the finals, but his team's broken defence shows no signs of getting any better.
They have conceded a hefty 17 goals in their four consecutive losses, but there's a chance for some relief in upcoming games against Brisbane Roar and Wellington Phoenix, who are two of the four poorest scoring teams in the competition.
Golden Boot race: Segecic makes a move
20-year-old Sydney FC star Adrian Segecic made it 1-0 and then 2-0 in the space of 20 minutes to delight 16,000 fans at Allianz Stadium, and in doing so he joined Adelaide United's Archie Goodwin at the top of the Golden Boot standings.
Segecic has reportedly attracted interest from English Championship club QPR after his 12 goals from 21 A-League appearances in addition to five fom ten games in Sydney FC's ACL2 campaign.
Goal of the Round: Jaylen Pearman, remember the name
He was unlucky not to be mentioned in this category last week for his strike away to Western United, but 18-year-old Jaylan Pearman could not be ignored when he produced the performance of the round with a brace and an assist in Perth Glory's 4-2 win over Adelaide United.
Pearman has already added enormous value to his impending move to QPR for 2025/26, which is perhaps why the London-based club are so keenly scouting the A-League for value talent.