The Westfield FFA Cup 2015 concluded with Melbourne Victory lifting the trophy high after defeating Perth Glory 2-0 at AAMI Park on Saturday November 7, 267 days after the first preliminary FFA Cup matches were played. Here's how the Cup played out across Australia...
This year's Cup – only the second in its history - commenced in mid-February, when Alstonville defeated Lennox Head 3-1 and Lismore Thistles won 3-0 over Ballina, both matches played in far north NSW.
Including preliminary round matches, there were 634 matches played in this year's FFA Cup, with 2993 goal scored at an average of 4.7 goals per game. A total of 635 clubs took part in these games.
Just three matches ended 0-0: Arncliffe Aurora-Rockdale City Suns (NSW round 3), Oakleigh Cannons-Richmond (Vic round 6) and Coffs City United-Boambee Bombers (NNSW round 4).
Two games finished with the maximum 18 goals scored: Mayfield 17 - Dudley Redhead 1 (NNSW round 4) and Croydon Kings 18 - Apollo 0 (SA round 2).
Geographically, the 2015 FFA Cup games were spread almost the same distance north-south than west-east.
The northern-most matches were played at the Darwin Football Centre, with Sherburd Oval in Hobart - 3760 km to the south - the most southerly venue.
From west to east the maximum distance was 3800 km, from Geraldton's Eadon Clarke Field to Hervey Bay Fields.
For the first time in a top-level football competition in Australia clubs from all eight states and territories took part in the 2015 FFA Cup, including teams from Darwin and Alice Springs, and even Borroloola in the NT's Barkly Tablelands, 1000 km south east of Darwin.
Other inland regional centres represented in this year's cup included Kalgoorlie-Boulder (Twin City Saints and Boulder City), Barmera United from South Australia's Riverland, along with clubs from Toowoomba in Queensland, Cobram on the Victorian side of the Murray River and Wagga Wagga in the NSW Riverina.
The most remarkable scoreline in 2015 was the 6-6 result between Sunshine George Cross and North Sunshine Eagles in Victoria round five, where North took out the local derby on penalties.
The next highest-ranked games in terms of most goals scored by the losing team were Yagoona 6 - Oatley 5 (NSW round 2), Mackay Magpies 7 - Mackay Wanderers 5 (Qld - Mackay region - round two) and Coffs City 8 - Alstonville 4 (NNSW final playoff round).
The most stunning extra-time performance was from Melton Phoenix, who scored an additional four goals after the match ended 1-1 in regulation time to ultimately defeat Dandenong South 5-1 in Victoria round 2.
And the standout shoot-out in the preliminary rounds was Palm Beach's 12-11 win on penalties over Broadbeach following a 3-3 scoreline after extra time, in Queensland's Gold Coast final playoff.
Compared to the inaugural 2014 Westfield FFA Cup, the number of teams that played at least one match was up 9 per cent (from 585 to 635) in 2015, the number of games up 6 per cent (597 to 634) and goals scored was 14 per cent higher (2626 to 2993).
In the 31 matches played in the 2015 final round, the aggregate crowd of 113,752 was 21 per cent higher than the 2014 aggregate (93,711).
Goals scored was also up in the final round, from 95 last year to 105 this time.
After a tremendously successful Westfield FFA Cup in 2015, the countdown is on already for 2016!
