Is true champion the team finishes the A-League on top or wins the grand final ... - NEWS.com.au

An Alessandro Del Piero goal, two red cards and a delightful free kick from Shannon Cole sees the final Sydney derby end in an thrilling draw.

Who are the true champions? ... Robbie Slater asks: are you new or old football? Source: News Limited

Pop quiz: would you rather finish first past the post or take out the grand final?

Kick Off's Friday Focus asks is the new A-League finals format fair to the team that finishes first at the end of the regular season?

You can't be greedy, you can only choose one. The answer comes down to which side of the fence you live - old football or new football. I know which side I'm on.

Much more has been made of the Premiers Plate this season, especially over the past few weeks. Is that because of the Western Sydney Wanderers' fairytale run or because they are owned and raised by Football Federation Australia?

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Western Sydney	26	17	3	6	17	54
2	Central Coast	25	14	6	5	23	48
3	Victory	26	12	5	9	2	41
4	Adelaide	25	12	4	9	3	40
5	Sydney	26	9	5	12	-8	32
6	Perth	26	9	4	13	-2	31
7	Newcastle	26	8	7	11	-12	31
8	Brisbane	25	8	5	12	0	29
9	Heart	25	8	3	14	-6	27
10	Wellington	26	7	6	13	-17	27

With every win, the red-and-black juggernaut has gathered steam; we have all been swept up in this incredible story. So what happens if they lose their first final and the dream is suddenly over; how does history judge them then?

Old football people will tell you that finishing top of the league is all that counts and it doesn't receive anywhere near the recognition it should here.

Yes, finals and grand finals are the lifeblood of other codes but, in our game, sustained excellence has always been prized above all else.

Ask Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson if he would rather win the Premier League or the Champions League, and he will take the domestic title every time.

Tony Popovic sees the positives in his side's draw with Sydney FC, the Wanderers no unbeaten in their last 11 matches.

When I started out in the old NSL, the champions were the team that finished top of the league. End of story.

I was lucky enough to win a grand final with St George after we were second in the table, but the title that means most to me was the year after when we were first past the post.

The attitude shifted towards the end of the NSL's colourful life, when finals were given more clout to attract fans from other codes. However, those of us who grew up following overseas competitions have always struggled with the idea of play-offs being used to decide the country's best team.

Still, I can't wait for the finals to begin. Sudden-death matches provide great theatre, they are played with an extra edge and every sense is heightened. But they should always be the cherry on top of the season - our version of a cup competition.

The Wanderers deserve all the accolades that have come their way. The team, the fans and this improbable story have added so much to the season. The Sydney derby is a brilliant night for the code.

Next comes the challenge of playing in the finals - and that will present its own difficulties.

The Wanderers will get the first week off and for a team that has built such irresistible momentum, is that necessarily a good thing? I'm not sure.

Mariners coach Graham Arnold is happy to have an Asian Champions League match scheduled in the off week so his team stays in the rhythm of regular games.

Only hindsight will give us the answers. The one thing we do know is the new finals format offers no margin for error. Every game is sudden death: lose and you're out.

The Wanderers are hard to break down, so their game should be suited to this type of football. Their coach Tony Popovic is one of the best defenders Australia has produced and he has been through the grind of World Cup campaigns.

That all works in their favour. Still, a look up the F3 shows how fluky finals can be. The Central Coast have been a model of consistency since the A-League began.

They have finished top of the league twice, yet they haven't won a grand final. They were the better team in the decider two seasons ago against Brisbane Roar but lost on penalties. They dominated Perth Glory in last season's preliminary final and again lost on penalties.

After missing five spot kicks in succession, Arnold's team have a clear mental block in this aspect of their game. And the season could all come down to penalties again. It's such a fine line.