"It's a fantastic coup to bring a quality player like Michael across to Western Australia," Perth Glory coach Ian Ferguson said.

"I am delighted, Michael is a leader and a winner."

Asked to describe Thwaite’s qualities, Ferguson highlighted the 29-year-old's ability to play the ball out of defence.

"He’s very comfortable in possession, he can switch the play, breaks the lines and can also can drive through the middle.

"Michael has been one of the league’s better players for the last three seasons."

A six- time Socceroos international, Thwaite has represented Australia at three different levels and also enjoyed a five year stint in Europe playing for National Bururesti (Romania), Wisla Krakow (Poland) and SK Brann (Norway).

Thwaite returned to Australia in the 2008-2009 A-League season and was on loan at Melbourne Victory before spending the last three seasons with now defunct Gold Coast United.

"I’m relieved to finally know where I am heading," Thwaite said.

"Within the Perth Glory squad I have previously played with eight or so of the boys and that was a big factor in my decision.

"I also spent two years together with the captain Jacob Burns in Poland so it’s nice to have these combinations.

"It’s great to be heading to Perth and I’d especially like to thank the coach Ian Ferguson and my manager Peter Kelly."

Jamieson is the fifth young player to sign for Glory's first team during the off-season alongside Brandon O'Neill (18), Chris Harold (19), Ndumba Makeche (20) and Adrian Zahra (21).

"I'm very excited to be heading to Perth," Jamieson said.

"Now I’m looking forward to playing with a group of talented players and developing my game with an astute coaching staff."

The left full-back has already played two games for Australia and in 2009 was awarded the A-League Youth player of the year.

Jamieson has played 95 A-League games for Adelaide United and Sydney FC and also spent three years at Bolton Wanderers from 2006-08.

"Scott is a player I have admired over the years," Perth coach Ian Ferguson said.

"He’s a great addition to our squad and will make us stronger.

"We were very keen to add youth to our squad and it's great we've now added five players under 23 who have A-League experience.

"The signature of Jamieson is a coup for Perth Glory."

The West Australian reported Thwaite, who played in Romania, Poland and Norway before joining Melbourne Victory on loan in 2008, has verbally agreed to a two-year deal worth $500,000.

It is believed Glory beat A-League rivals Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart to the 29-year-old’s services.

Thwaite is expected to make a seamless transition into the Glory lineup, having played alongside captain Jacob Burns at Wisla Krakow and Shane Smeltz, Bas van den Brink and Steve Pantelidis at Gold Coast United.

Joining Thwaite will be fellow defender Scott Jamieson, who confirmed on his Twitter page that he will be leaving Sydney FC, where he is off contract.

"I am heading to the West Of Australia (sic)," Jamieson wrote, before confirming to a number of followers that he is joining Glory.

Jamieson, who enjoyed a stint with Bolton Wanderers as a teenager, played for Adelaide United where he was crowned the A-League’s young player of the year in 2008-2009, before joining Sydney FC.

McGarry was considering moving elsewhere after being offered a reduced deal, but in the end decided to stay in Perth for at least another year.

"My preference was always to stay with Perth Glory in a city that has made me and my family extremely welcome," said McGarry, who played at St Mirren, Ross County and Motherwell before linking up with Perth in 2010.

"It's great to be involved in a club that had such a great end to the season.

"The possible prospect of playing in the Asian Champions League is exciting and a big step forward for the club."

McGarry played a key role in Perth's run to the grand final, scoring four goals as a valuable foil to Shane Smeltz and Billy Mehmet.

"Steven is a clever player and a goal-scoring midfielder who made a big difference to our team when he played an attacking role," Glory coach Ian Ferguson said.

"Retaining Steven was important and I glad we've been able to hold onto him."

In the past week, Glory has re-signed Steve Pantelidis, Dean Heffernan and McGarry, while former Victory midfielder Nick Ward, Melbourne Heart's Adrian Zahra and Gold Coast's Chris Harold have also been lured to Perth.

Neville's decision to knock back a new contract offer from Glory upset Perth coach Ian Ferguson.

“Scott was a player we wanted to keep so it’s disappointing has decided to leave,” Ferguson said.

“Scott has been a good player for the club - developed through our Youth system – and we wish him all the best for the future.”

Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond is in the process of re-building his squad, which had been delayed by uncertainty over the club's future.

Jets players had been advised to consider alternative playing arrangements as Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Hunter Sports Group (HSG) sought to resolve a dispute in which the latter had threatened to hand back its licence.

“Scott is a leader and a great character, he is just the type of player we want at the Jets,” Van Egmond said.

"It is a courageous move to come over here because he could have stayed in his hometown, where he has been captain of Perth Glory."

Goodwin, meanwhile, made his A-League debut in Round 19 against Melbourne Victory, where he was named man of the match.

“Craig is a great young talent that we are pleased to see him coming to the Jets,” Van Egmond added.

“He has a wonderful attitude and wants to become the best player he can possibly be.”

Jets also announced it would not be re-signing Ali Abbas, Jeremy Brockie or Tarek Elrich for the 2012/13 A-League season.

“All players have been great contributors to the club and we wish them the best for the future.

“With more coaching positions finalised in the next week or so, this gives these players the best opportunity to secure their future.”

Midfielder Pantelidis was transformed into a central defender at Glory and was one-half of a formidable partnership with Bas van den Brink.

"He came into the team and filled a variety of gaps especially at centre back."

Heffernan also arrived during 2012 and made the left full-back spot his own.

"We still haven't seen the best of Dean Heffernan," Ferguson added.

"Dean will be even better once he gets a full pre-season completed.

"“Both players are very good signings for the club."

Pantelidis missed the opening third of the season through injury before playing every game as Perth charged in to the A-League grand final.

"I'd like to thank Ian Ferguson and Perth Glory," Pantelidis said.

"When I returned from Indonesia I wasn't sure if I'd return to the Hyundai A-League and I am very thankful Ian gave me that chance."

The playing squad returns for pre-season training on 11 June.

O’Neill, 18, and Makeche, 20, both made their debuts in the lead-up to the club's recent finals campaign and are promoted from Glory's youth team set-up.

"Absolutely delighted," O'Neill said.

"To go into last season as a youth team player and then get my debut in the starting line-up for the senior squad was incredible."

O'Neill played three games in total for the season and got a taste of finals football when he was a late substitute against Melbourne Heart.

A central midfielder, O'Neill said the chance to now train full-time alongside former internationals Jacob Burns and Liam Miller will play a big role in his development as a player.

Born in Zambia, Makeche is also coming off a stellar season with the Perth Glory youth side. Makeche scored eight goals in his first year with the team and is similarly looking forward to the next challenge.

"Firstly, I am really proud to sign for Perth Glory," Makeche said.

"To play football with this club means a lot to me and I’m keen to do my best.

"We have great strikers at Perth Glory with Shane Smeltz and Billy Mehmet and I’m excited by the challenges ahead."

Perth Glory coach Ian Ferguson said he was delighted to add more young talent to his squad.

"Both Brandon and Ndumba have been excellent and took their chance at the end of the season," he said.

"Getting some young local talent into the squad was always a priority and we are happy to have both players at Perth Glory."

The signatures of O'Neill and Makeche come after the club added 19 year-old Chris Harold and 21 year-old Adrian Zahra earlier in the week.

Clive Palmer was among those thanked by another FFA critic - Perth Glory owner Tony Sage - on Tuesday after emerging from the first Joint A-League Strategic Committee (JALSC) meeting convinced of a bright future for the league.

Sage was full of praise for FFA after 10 "critical" owner issues were addressed at the meeting, just hours after the governing body announced Nathan Tinkler's Hunter Sports Group (HSG) had reaffirmed its support for the Jets.

Palmer threatened legal action after being stripped of the Gold Coast United licence, but Sage believed the A-League owners' issues raised by the outspoken mining magnate and fellow billionaire Tinkler prompted a change of heart from FFA.

That theory was backed by news on Tuesday that FFA chairman Frank Lowy had flown to Brisbane to hold face-to-face weekend talks with Tinkler - with stunning results.

Tinkler stunned FFA last month when he announced his intention to hand back the Jets' licence because of "irreconcilable" differences with FFA.

But after the weekend talks, FFA had "resolved matters" with HSG - including the settlement of the ongoing Jason Culina insurance matter - to ensure it would keep the Jets' licence until 2020.

"I understand why Clive lost his licence but he put $18 million into the game and I respect him for that and his opinion," Sage told AAP.

"He did precipitate a lot of the media hype (about owners' issues) and the FFA may have felt they needed to respond.

"He and Nathan Tinkler have had a lot to do with it (FFA change of heart).

"You would have to ask the FFA but maybe they could see the dominos tumbling (after Palmer and Tinkler's departure).

"For someone like Nathan Tinkler to put his support behind the Jets - it is an indication of just how much the FFA have changed their thinking.

"And we got that positive vibe (at the meeting) that things were looking up."

Sage said it was not being melodramatic to describe Tuesday's JALSC meeting in Sydney as crucial to the A-League's future.

He represented the owners along with Peter Sidwell (Melbourne Heart) and Greg Griffin (Adelaide United) at the meeting also attended by FFA directors Brian Schwartz, Joseph Healy and Phill Wolanski as well as CEO Ben Buckley.

Sage said owners would save up to $3 million a year on "key issues" already addressed, with up to 20 points still to be discussed.

The JALSC will next meet in June.

"I have been openly critical of the FFA for many years - I think this is the first time I have something nice to say about them," Sage laughed.

"But we have been looking at other leagues for a guide on what is fair and we are not asking for anything that is not fair or unreasonable."

Tinkler said he had warmed to renewing talks with Lowy after discovering FFA chairman would fly to Brisbane just to meet him.

"I took that as a sign of goodwill. It was a gesture I certainly appreciated," Tinkler revealed via a statement.

"We now have a way forward and I remain committed to ensuring the Newcastle Jets is one of the most successful clubs."

The 21-year old made 19 appearances for Heart during his debut campaign but none during 2011-2012 as he embarked on a lengthy road to recovery from a serious knee injury, the Melbourne club said.

Praising his tenacity and contribution, chief executive officer Scott Munn wished Zahra well as he moves across the Nullarbor to launch the next phase of his professional career.

“Adrian is one of the great success stories of our club, a Victorian Premier League graduate (from Melbourne Knights) who successfully made the transition to A-League football with ease,” Munn said.

“In successfully navigating his way through a difficult period of his career, Adrian has demonstrated immense character and deserves an opportunity to press his claims for first team football.

“Moving to a team such as Perth Glory will offer Adrian a chance to further his football development and we wish him well for the future.”

Glory confirmed the acquisition of young Zahra and fellow striker Chris Harold from Gold Coast United.

“I am delighted to sign with Perth Glory and really want to thank Ian Ferguson for the opportunity,” Zahra said.

“Perth had a great season and I’m looking forward to starting a new chapter.”

Harold will arrive in Perth in June after he completes his semester at University. He is currently studying law-commerce.

“I am really excited to prove myself at a club that made it all the way through to the grand final and got so close to winning the championship,” Harold said.

“Moving back to Perth is a fresh start and I’m keen to try and make my mark.”

The 27-year-old midfielder joins the club after a stint in England and spells with Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix.

"It’s exciting to be returning to Perth Glory," Ward said.

"The club is coming off a great finals campaign and hopefully we can go one step better next season."

Perth coach Ian Ferguson greeted Ward with open arms.

"It’s great to welcome Nick back," Ferguson said.

"Nick has great energy and drive from midfield and can play in numerous positions.

"He ticks all the boxes."

Ward played two National Soccer League games for Perth Glory in the 2003/2004 championship season before starring for the club in the inaugural A-League season.

In 21 games, Ward scored five goals and was crowned the competition’s young player of the year.

As Ward arrives, Ferguson said the decision to release four players was “tough”.

Former Australia defender Chris Coyne, Todd Howarth, Josh Mitchell and Tommy Amphlett were not offered new contracts.

“It’s been a hard day,” Ferguson said.

“It’s tough to let four players go because they have all been good for the club and all contributed to last season.

“Releasing the boys is certainly the toughest part of my job but we need to make these decisions.

“The four players were extremely professional and we wish them all the best.”

Dashing fullback Josh Risdon was crowned the players’ player of the year at a special Chairman’s dinner.

“I’m really humbled to win this award because I have the highest respect for my teammates and coaches,” Risdon said.

“I’d really like to thank all the coaches for helping me improve my game.

“This season has been a great experience and one I have thoroughly enjoyed.”

In a breakthrough season for the 19-year-old, Risdon played 24 games and was exceptional in the club’s finals campaign.

The club had entered discussions with the player, however he will now leave after his contract expires at the end of this month.

“Andre did well for us this season and we wish him all the best,” Perth Glory coach Ian Ferguson said.

“With the budget cuts for next season, it’s going to be difficult to keep all the players together.”

Perth captain Jacob Burns remained adamant Glory was "robbed" in Sunday's 2-1 loss despite opinions being divided over whether Berisha was fouled in stoppage time, leading to the Roar striker's match-winning penalty.

But Broich reckoned it was time Glory accepted the result and stopped complaining.

"It keeps upsetting me I have to say," he told AAP on Tuesday.

"If you look at the full 90 minutes Perth didn't create one single goal-scoring chance.

"And they are still whinging about what turned out to be a penalty.

"Is that sportsmanship? I really question that."

In contrast, Burns believed Perth had won new fans with its post-match conduct.

"It is a very hard pill to swallow. There was a lot of controversy around the penalty but I am proud about how we went about our business - I think we won over a lot of fans," he told Fox Sports.

Burns said he wasn't surprised A-League referees boss Mark Shield had defended grand final whistleblower Jarred Gillett this week.

"I am sure it is going to divide opinions but I was very close to it and I spoke to a lot of the Brisbane players after the match and the general consensus was that we were robbed, even by their own guys," he said.

"If they don't want to admit it and the referees won't own up then you can't change it - you've got to roll with it."

Burns was not getting any sympathy from Broich.

"We were the better team for 90 minutes. They were a man down (after a red card to Dean Heffernan) and we were pushing - one way or another we would have won that game," the 2012 Johnny Warren medallist said.

"The result reflected the game."

Still Burns pushed for video technology to be introduced to avoid further controversies.

"I think it has to be looked at," he said.

"You don't want to take anything away from the game but I think when it is such an important game and it is a grand final, these mistakes rob you of titles."

Broich and his Roar team-mates celebrated like worthy champions when they received a ticker-tape parade in Brisbane's CBD on Tuesday.

Broich and Berisha received some of the loudest cheers from thousands of fans, who packed King George Square for the reception that followed.

"It's a bit different, this year it was more of a challenge," Broich said of their second straight A-League title.

"Last year we took the league by surprise.

"This year we were about confirming we are a strong side.

"And the way we did it makes us very proud."

Debate continued to rage on Monday over Gillett's awarding of a spot kick to striker Besart Berisha at Suncorp Stadium, which allowed the Roar to steal a 2-1 win over Perth and claim back-to-back titles.

Glory players and staff claimed they had been robbed by the decision, claiming there was no, or minimal, contact from midfielder Liam Miller, but Shield on Monday praised Gillett for making the call "without fear or favour".

Shield also defended the appointment of Gillett for the decider, despite the fact he is from Brisbane and his partner works in the Roar's media department.

Shield said Gillett's officiating had been outstanding all season and praised his performance in the grand final.

"His general decision making was excellent, player management and game control, exemplary, and in my view he showed a great example for aspiring referees," Shield said on Monday.

"... Referees don't mind criticism on individual decisions but linking that debate to previous matches, the state in which the referee resides or matters to do with his personal life are out of order."

Asked whether he would have given the penalty, Shield said: "My very first instinct was (it was a) penalty at the time ... Like everyone else, I've had a look the replay and there's some inconclusive angles but there's one particular angle that shows, in my view, that there was enough contact to warrant a penalty given."

It is not the first refereeing controversy of the finals series, with Central Coast Mariners coach Graham Arnold angered by several decisions in recent weeks.

Shield acknowledged officials had erred with some offside calls but described the overall standard of refereeing "exceptionally good".

The A-League's all-time leading goalscorer bravely played out 80 minutes of the decider after a horrific gash under his nose due to a sickening collision with Brisbane Roar skipper Matt Smith.

Smeltz copped an accidental elbow from Smith in the 15th minute of Glory's dramatic 2-1 loss which saw his skin split from his nose to his lip and also inside his mouth.

Play was stopped for four minutes as Glory medics attempted to stem the bleeding as he was treated on the field.

It was suspected Smeltz's nose was broken in the collision and Perth coach Ian Ferguson admitted he almost replaced the New Zealand international at half-time as he struggled to breathe.

Smeltz's wife Nikki posted a graphic picture of his face on Twitter with the title 'getting ready for plastic surgery!'

With a bandage wrapped around his nose and lip, the All Whites striker unsurprisingly failed to make the impact expected as Perth didn't have a shot on target all match.

Subsequently Smeltz needed 50 stitches to repair the split.

"I'm a bit sore but the pain killers are keeping me good at the moment," Smeltz said Monday.

"In terms of pain, it was the hardest game I have had to get through.

"With the blood continually dripping and the bandages, it was tough to breathe when I was running.

"I'd like to thank the plastic surgeon who treated me and everyone for their messages of support."

Ange Postecoglou (Brisbane coach): "It is quite overwhelming. Both clubs went at it for 90 minutes and the boys never gave up. We left it late but we got there and we are going to enjoy this."

"From my point of view, regardless of what the headlines are, as I sit here we deserve to be Champions."

"As a team we’ve always been the ones to try and take the initiative. I've always believed that if you do that, you’ll be rewarded more often than not."

Ian Ferguson (Perth coach): "It is never going be easy but we stopped them from playing and we were 10 minutes away from victory. There was no way back from the penalty, which was an air swing and Berisha lost his balance.

Matt Smith (Brisbane captain): "I can't believe it. It happened so fast. They say the league is dead ... just look at this crowd. Our fans have been behind us all season."

Jacob Burns (Perth captain): "I'm gutted to lose a grand final like that. I thought we did enough tonight. It's disappointing that the referee made such a kneejerk reactlon to award the penalty."

Thomas Broich (Brisbane midfielder): "I've got nothing much to say. Let's jam all night and play some music."

Besart Berisha (Brisbane striker): "This is my first championship and I could not be more happy. I love Brisbane. About the penalty there was a touch but these things happen in football."

For the second year in a row Ange Postecoglou's men have been the finest and most entertaining team in the competition but when it came to the grand final they twice fluffed their lines.

Let there be no doubts about this.

Last year Central Coast Mariners should have won the match but two late, late goals in extra-time gave Roar a title it deserved overall, but not on the day.

On 22 April 2012 it was the same story.

Make no mistake. Perth Glory was mugged and robbed at Suncorp Stadium.

Ian Ferguson picked the right way to stop Brisbane from developing its moving and passing game.

For most of a tight and tense match played on a sub-standard pitch Perth looked capable of withstanding Roar's somewhat laboured attacks and going on to snare its first championship.

But it was not to be.

Thomas Broich made an exquisite equaliser for Besart Berisha with six minutes to go.

The feisty Albanian, who promised during the week that this grand final would be his moment, was true to his word when he sealed the match deep into injury-time.

To his credit he never gave up possession when surrounded by four Perth players but he lost his balance when he had an air swing in front of goal.

Young referee Jarred Gillett, who otherwise had a very good match, may have betrayed his inexperience by being swayed by the baying crowd's cry for a penalty and he dramatically awarded a spot-kick, presumably for a trip by Liam Miller.

Berisha picked himself up and kept his nerve to score easily and turn Suncorp into a den of bedlam and pandemonium.

Perth was shocked by this cruel sequence of events because, with captain and man of the match Jacob Burns fighting magnificently in the thick of things, it had done enough to at least go to extra-time, even though it would have been up against it after Dean Heffernan got himself needlessly sent off a minute from the end, just before all hell broke loose.

In a highly embarrassing incident, Broich was given the Joe Marston Medal for best on ground by mistake.

The A-League later apologised for the comical blunder, claiming an "administrative error", and gave the medal to its rightful recipient Burns during a post-match press conference.

Brisbane's failure to impose the full force of its game in two consecutive grand finals comes as a surprise to many fans who have grown to admire a team that has taken local football to a new level.

It cannot possibly be a lack of big-match temperament.

On both occasions Brisbane's players showed their amazing never-say-die spirit that enabled Roar to take last year's grand final to penalties when it was two down with four minutes left and win Sunday's match with two goals in the last 10 minutes.

Brisbane deserves full credit for the way it keeps fighting till the bitter end whenever it is in trouble.

Yet it might just be that Brisbane, being a team that happily adopts a 'play and let play' approach to the game, does not feel comfortable with an 'in your face' type of opponent like the Mariners were last year and Glory was on Sunday.

Brisbane encountered a similar problem during the week in its home 2-1 loss to Ulsan Hyundai in the AFC Champions League.

The team from Korea Republic showed that it had done its homework on Brisbane and limited the space and time afforded to the home team.

Brisbane played generally well but lacked a cutting edge up front mainly because Berisha and Broich were tightly marked, sometimes by two men each.

Not surprisingly, Perth applied roughly the same approach in the grand final it was not supposed to win and very nearly went home with the trophy.

It would have been a massive surprise but certainly no injustice.

Last season Roar famously came back from 2-0 down in extra-time to down Central Coast Mariners in a dramatic penalty shootout.

It was a hard act to follow but Roar did its darndest in front of yet another sold-out Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, this time 50,334 fans attended.

Yet as well as it played, Roar became the first team to win back-to back A-League titles thanks to a contentious call from referee Jarred Gillett in stoppage time.

The highlight of a cagey first half was a diving save by Perth's Danny Vukovic to turn a shot from Ivan Franjic to a corner.

Vukovic came to Perth's rescue again when he stopped a fierce shot from Thomas Broich five minutes into the second half.

Seconds later Glory went ahead with an own goal from Franjic.

He delivered to the right flank where Travis Dodd skidded through a low cross which ricocheted off Franjic and into the back of the net.

Brisbane probed and pushed relentlessly in chase of the equaliser, and in the end it was produced by the likely suspects.

A-League Player of the Year Thomas Broich sent in the perfect cross for Golden Boot winner Berisha to head past a helpless Danny Vukovic.

Momentum appeared to be going Roar's way but nothing could prepare anyone for what was to come.

Just when Roar looked to have locked in another extra-time grand final nailbiter, Berisha slalomed his way into the Glory penalty box and appeared to be tripped while taking a shot on goal.

The Perth players remonstrated furiously, with replays showing little, if any, contact had been made on the Albanian frontman.

But they were powerless to stop Berisha hammering home the spot-kick to claim a brace and win the match in dramatic and controversial fashion.

Albanian international Berisha had equalled the season record tally of 19 goals in 2011-2012 before the final but there were no prizes for guessing which one he cherished the most in his first season with Brisbane.

It was a cruel fate for Perth who at one stage looked set to become the first team since Sydney FC in the 2009-2010 season to win an away A-League final.

Glory looked solid throughout the game but Dean Heffernan left the visitors a man down three minutes into time added on, after taking out Franjic in injury time to collect his second yellow card, having earned his first for a needless challenge on Broich.

It may be a fitting farewell for Roar coach Ange Postecoglou as he is expected to make a lucrative move to Melbourne Victory next season.

As speculation mounts that Postecoglou is headed to Melbourne Victory next season, the Roar coach admitted he has taken a walk down memory lane before the season decider to the last time he led teams to back-to-back national titles with South Melbourne.

And he hopes to have found a good omen as Jacob Burns prepares to lead Glory to what would have been considered an unlikely A-League title push just four months ago.

"I had a look back at a few things last night and the last time I was in this position trying to win back-to-back the opposition had a J Burns in the midfield (for Sydney United)," said Postecoglou, who famously led South Melbourne to titles in 1998-99.

"He was still kicking and harassing people back then.

"It just goes to show, while it is fantastic to be in this position you never take it for granted."

Family ties are expected to ensure Postecoglou will ignore a reported four-year $1.25 million per year deal offered by Roar, to link with the Victory.

Even if Postecoglou becomes the first man to steer a side to consecutive A-League championships.

Not that he was letting on when the elephant in the room was finally acknowledged in the dying minutes of the half-hour grand final press conference.

"Thanks for bringing it up. I hope it has unsettled the Perth players enormously (spending) every waking moment wondering what I am doing next year," Postecoglou said.

"Four o'clock tomorrow is all I and the boys are interested in.

"If anyone thinks I am going to waste a minute of my time thinking about anything else they are kidding themselves."

Postecoglou reiterated that winning a title on Sunday would surpass last season's last-gasp championship victory.

No wonder - while juggling AFC Champions League duties Roar overcame a mid-season five match losing run and the loss of the likes of skipper Matt McKay to come within an ace of the Premiers' Plate.

"It was always going to be hard to back up," Postecoglou said.

"Last year we took a lot of teams by surprise so by the time we got to grand final the momentum carried us through.

"This year we have had our challenges.

"When we went to the Mariners (mid-season) we were 11 points behind and playing them away - I was looking at our draw and thinking unless we hit some form we will end up fourth, fifth or sixth.

"But to the players' credit we have not missed a beat since - and while juggling the ACL."

Glory coach Ian Ferguson also took plenty of pride out of his side making the final after it lost six of eight games early in the season.

"We have taken a lot of crap from a lot of people and it's nice to see us in the grand final," he said.

Brisbane has beaten Glory in 13 out of 21 matches, including twice this campaign.

Glory's last win over the Roar was in 2009 - at Suncorp Stadium.

Especially after his now infamous last appearance in an A-League decider.

Yet Vukovic not only was the first to prompt punters about his career-defining gaffe four years ago as Central Coast Mariners' ill-fated gloveman, he willingly volunteered on Saturday that a win would finally bring him closure.

History shows that a young Vukovic was slapped with a nine month ban - also costing him a 2008 Olyroos campaign - after hi-fiving A-League grand final referee Mark Shield when a handball call was knocked back during the frustrating 1-0 extra-time loss to arch rival Newcastle Jets.

They say time heals all wounds, but it seems only a championship win will help Vukovic make some peace and finally ditch his "notorious" tag.

"I think so. Obviously with what I did, it was a tough time in my life," Vukovic said on Saturday.

"That will always live in my memory, something terrible that I did - a stupid mistake.

"Unfortunately I will be remembered for that rather than my performances on the pitch.

"But to not win a grand final after being in two of them (for the Mariners) is also something very tough.

"Everyone knows what happened the last time I was in a grand final.

"This is is a good chance to rectify the wrongs I have done.

"I haven't won one yet - hopefully tomorrow is the day."

Vukovic wasn't alone when he arrived at Perth this season hoping for A-League Glory.

He was one of 12 newcomers along with the likes of Shane Smeltz and Travis Dodd to have arrived at Perth hoping for a championship tilt.

Despite the spate of new faces, Vukovic always believed they would slot into a championship mix.

"I always had belief. That's why I came to the club," he said.

"We had the makings of a very good side.

"We didn't know how long it was going to take for us to gel.

"But we managed to turn it around after that form slump (in December after going 11 games out of 12 without a win) - we always had that belief."

"The first time I meet Thomas I said: 'Thomas, you are the heart of the team'," said Berisha, acknowledging many of his goals this season have come from the German's silky touch.

"He is a very special player.

"He sometimes does things in a game that you're very surprised about.

"Thomas is a very special talent, he's the best player in the A-League."

Berisha's record 19-goal debut season was recognised on Thursday when he was named the Football Media Association's Player of the Year.

Golden Boot winner Berisha and Johnny Warren Medal recipient Broich are coach Ange Postecoglou's dynamic duo in a quality Brisbane side shooting for a second straight title against a dangerous Perth Glory at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

Broich starred in last year's amazing comeback grand final victory over Central Coast.

But for the fiery Berisha, who has played extensively in Europe, it's his first chance to win a big title and he's pumped for the game of his life.

Talk to Broich about Berisha and the respect for his team-mate bursts through.

"Bes is a very passionate player and he's never won a championship before so this means everything to him," says Broich, who is close to being back to his deadly best after a slow comeback from a shoulder injury.

"You can see he is obsessed by his dream of winning a title.

"If everybody works as hard as they can, they can make the dream come true for him."

The ice-cool Broich is the total opposite to an emotional Berisha, who's run foul of officials a number of times this season.

"I love his passion," smiles a relaxed Broich.

"Off the pitch he's such a calm and peaceful man.

"It's just his burning desire to win everything."

While Berisha can win the game for Brisbane, underdog rival Perth has its own goal-scoring genius in Shane Smeltz, who has scored eight goals in his last four matches.

Broich had an air of confidence about him this week when asked his thoughts on Sunday's final.

"I feel pretty fit again and my touch has been alright and I feel confident at the moment," he said.

"These are the games you really look forward to.

"It's a big day and on a big days everyone needs to lift their game, myself included. I have to be at my best."

Broich conceded Perth had some momentum going and were very dangerous up front with Smeltz in such hot form.

"We've played them three times this year and scored at least three goals against them each time," he said.

"If we achieve that again, a win should be ours."

Andrezinho, who injured his groin in last Saturday's preliminary final win over Central Coast Mariners, has failed to train all week but flew over to Brisbane with the rest of the squad on Friday.

Ferguson said he would make a final call on Andrezinho at training on Saturday, but rated the 27-year-old as a 60 per cent chance to start against the Roar.

Miller's chances are even stronger, with the former Manchester United midfielder almost certain to play despite experiencing tightness in his hamstring at training on Wednesday.

"Liam Miller has come back and the scans have been great so there's no problems at all," Ferguson said at Perth airport on Friday.

"There's no tear or anything, no strain, so hopefully he should take his place.

"He's too important a player to leave out and he's been influential in the last three or four games for us in there with Jacob Burns.

"It's a gamble we'll have to take, but I'm sure he's going to be OK."

Attacking midfielder Steve McGarry, who is carrying a knee injury, will start on the bench.

Roar has enjoyed the wood over Perth this season, posting crushing 4-0 and 3-0 wins either side of a 3-3 draw.

But Ferguson believed his team would be far better prepared and more settled this time around, and were looking forward to proving their critics wrong.

"We've been slaughtered from day one," Ferguson said.

"We're in a grand final and we're still getting it, (people saying) we've just got a long ball game or we play unattractive football.

"We're there and that's the main thing."

Perth's season looked dead and buried in late December when it slipped to eighth on the table after a morale-sapping 3-1 home loss to the Mariners.

But a run of 12 wins and three draws from their past 18 games has left the Glory squad oozing confidence ahead of the biggest game of the year.

Even Ferguson is daring to dream, with the 45-year-old desperate to get his hands on some silverware after being part of two losing grand finals as an assistant coach with Central Coast.

"Hopefully third time lucky that we can go in there and get a winners' medal," said Ferguson, whose transformation of Perth Glory was rewarded with a two-year contract extension last month.

Despite Brisbane being hot favourites to secure their second straight championship, Glory winger Travis Dodd believed Roar was beatable.

"Certainly we believe there are weak points in the squad and we're certainly going to look out to exploit them," Dodd said.

Gillett, who at 25 is the youngest referee in the A-League, will control the championship decider between Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory at Suncorp Stadium two weeks after being involved in a controversial finals match in Gosford.

Gillett allowed a first-minute goal from Brisbane's Thomas Broich against Central Coast Mariners to stand despite Mitch Nichols being in an offside position and he denied the Mariners a penalty for a handball by Henrique.

However the A-League's referee of the year for 2012 was given a strong vote of confidence when he was named to control his first A-league grand final.

”Jarred has been our best official and quite rightly deserves to control the grand final,” referees boss Mark Shield said.

”There were some controversial incidents in that match in Gosford but Jarred generally had a good game.

”And I have complete and absolute confidence in his ability to do a good job on Sunday.

”It is very important for Jarred and his team to treat the grand final as just another game.

”Obviously a grand final has an added pressure because there is a few more people watching.

”However he will have the same rules to follow and interpretations to apply and our pre-match game talk will be simple, to treat it like any game he has refereed this season.

”You don't change instructions for just one game.”

Shield, 38, is a former FIFA referee who controlled three World Cup finals group matches in 2002 and 2006, the AFC Asian Cup final in 2007, the AFC Champions League final in 2006 and three A-League grand finals before he retired in 2008 to concentrate on his business.

At the start of this season Shield was given the job of A-League refereeing supervisor and he promptly sought to give the sector more transparency and make it more open to dialogue.

Shield said he was happy to note that the men in black had ironed out several difficulties they encountered at the start of the A-League season.

”I'm very satisfied with what we have done,” he said.

”At the start of the season we set some clear benchmarks as to what we wanted to achieve.

”At first there were a few controversial decisions and some games that did not go quite the right way in terms of getting interpretations right.

”However post-Christmas we reiterated those benchmarks, reviewed the referees' performances and gave them feedback and I'm glad to say that general performances have been exceptionally good.”

Shield said he had complete faith in the refereeing team for the grand final.

”We always try to get 100 percent of the decisions right but obviously that does not happen,” he said.

”Expecting that we make the right decisions all the time is unrealistic because these things happen everywhere in football.

”You look at games right around the world. Sometimes referees just make mistakes but they do not go out there to make mistakes.

”The aim is to get the interpretations right but if it does not happen that is part of the game that we all love.”

This will be the second fixture between Brisbane and Perth that Jillett controls this season.

The Sydney referee was in charge of Roar's unbeaten record-setting 4-0 win over Glory at Suncorp on 26 November.

Andrezinho, who injured his groin in last week's preliminary final win over Central Coast, has failed to train all week and is facing an uphill battle to be a part of Glory's squad.

Miller suffered an injury scare at training on Wednesday when he felt hamstring tightness.

The 31-year-old was immediately pulled from the park, but subsequent scans cleared him of any damage.

Glory coach Ian Ferguson is confident the former Manchester United midfielder will be fit to take on Roar.

But it's not looking as rosy for Andrezinho, who will be heavily scrutinised at training on Friday to deem if he's worth the risk.

"Time will tell. Once he's on the training park, we'll see what happens," Ferguson told Perth radio station 6PR.

"Liam was more precautionary. He felt a bit tight in the hamstring and we just decided to pull him off the training track.

"The scans came back okay. There's no tear or anything. We've done the right thing in pulling him off straight away. We're hoping it's just a bit of tightness."

Glory captain Jacob Burns said the team was "over the moon" to make the grand final, and couldn't wait to take on Brisbane Roar.

Burns' successful penalty in the shoot-out against the Mariners sealed the win for Perth, and the 33-year-old said the team would be confident of a similar result if the grand final also went to penalties.

"I think in the finals, it's been a huge test of our character," Burns said.

"We've come from behind twice, we've gone through on penalties and we'd be more than happy to go through any way we can just to get our hands on that trophy."

A careless piece of play in the 11th minute, which created the opportunity for lightning quick Colombian striker Juan Velez to rifle home a shot, was the start of a woeful night for Nichols which only ended after coach Ange Postecoglou hooked him in the 75th minute.

"I had a touch and I probably could have gone past Velez but, instead, he tackles me and puts it in the top corner almost," Nichols said.

"It was probably my worst performance of the year, to be honest.

"The effort and everything else was there but nothing was clicking."

The lethal combination of Johnny Warren medal winner Thomas Broich, who's showing signs of regaining his touch, and Golden Boot winner Besart Berisha, who's never won a title, will go a long way towards securing Brisbane another A-League championship.

But a lot hinges on skipper Matt Smith's ability to limit the opportunities presented to Perth Glory's prolific goal-scorer Shane Smeltz.

The New Zealand international who this season passed Archie Thompson as the A-League's all-time leading goal scorer with 66 from 102 matches, has netted eight goals from his past four games.

"From a personal perspective, I'm the person lining up against him," said Smith.

"I know over past experiences the way he plays, the runs he makes, his strengths and his weaknesses.

"Individually, I'll do as much as I can to ensure he doesn't get anything on grand final day."

Smith, who has taken the captain's armband from last season's inspirational skipper Matt McKay, admits he's living the dream leading Brisbane in a grand final.

"This is something I've always dreamt of doing and I'm really pleased it's with a manager and players with the desire to do well," he said.

"I don't think I'll ever forget the last two years of my career in Brisbane.

"It's something that's come late in life for me but which I will always cherish."

Smith also dismissed concerns about the condition of the pitch, which will host a Super Rugby clash 48 hours before the grand final.

"The pitch will be what it will be on Sunday. It will be the same for both teams," he said.

With Glory coach Ian Ferguson preferring the combination of Shane Smeltz and Steve McGarry up front for much of the second half of the season, Mehmet was forced to patiently bide his time off the bench.

But the England-born striker has made the most of starting roles in the past two weeks, firing home the equaliser in the semi-final win over Wellington Phoenix before setting Smeltz up for a goal in Saturday's preliminary final triumph over Central Coast Mariners.

With McGarry still getting over a recent knee injury, Mehmet is expected to retain his starting role up front alongside Smeltz.

But the 28-year-old is taking nothing for granted ahead of the club's most important match since the A-League's inception seven years ago.

"Everyone is fighting for their spots this week," Mehmet said.

"A couple of weeks ago against Wellington, people were saying that I was in because McGarry was injured, but I already knew that I was going to be playing that game beforehand.

"Obviously, I came in and did well and kept my spot.

"I've scored against Wellington and I set the goal up for Smeltzy on Saturday. There's not much more I can do so we'll just wait and see what happens."

Glory has slugged through two 120-minute games over the past two weeks.

Mehmet admitted the extra playing time had taken its toll, but said the adrenaline associated with a grand final would be more than enough to pull the team through.

"We're a little bit tired but we've just got to get on with it," Mehmet said.

"We've got a big game coming up and we don't just want to turn up - we want to get there and win the trophy.

"Everyone is buzzing to get to the grand final, especially with where we were at the halfway point of the season."

Glory winger Andrezinho remains in doubt for the decider after injuring his groin against the Mariners.

Should Andrezinho be ruled out or relegated to the bench, Todd Howarth is favoured to take his spot in the starting XI.

The Pristina-born 26-year-old, who played for German first division club Hamburg before stints in Denmark, Norway and the Bundesliga 2., has never won a title which is why the thought of breaking through has him so pumped.

To achieve it front of 50,000 fans - most hoping Brisbane becomes the A-League's first back-to-back champion after last year's Suncorp Stadium heartstopper - has him even more excited.

"This is the first time in my career I have the chance to win a title and a very special title," an exuberant Berisha said.

"This is my time, my moment."

Berisha's trademark, apart from his passion, is how much he gives of himself in pursuit of victory.

"I always give 100 per cent, but this game is so special to me, I will give 200 per cent," he said.

"I will run more than I have ever run, I will try to score more goals than I've ever scored."

Berisha's unbridled passion earned him a yellow card in Tuesday night's 2-1 Asian Champions League loss to Ulsan when he was booked for dissent even before the second half started.

It was the latest in a goal-filled debut season dotted by emotional outbursts and highlighted by his bare-chested challenge to Sydney FC's Pascal Bosschaart after taking offence to some alleged comments.

Perth will try to upset the A-League's leading scorer but Berisha said nothing would distract him from the job he has to do.

"Of course I am prepared," he said.

"But at the end of the day, it's not about me. It's about the team. I have to do things that are good for the team and make the team strong.

"They (Perth) will try everything. Everybody will try everything to win the game and I will also try to hurt Perth."

Coach Ange Postecoglou acknowledges Berisha's passion is as much a part of his game as his uncanny ability to score goals - 19 of them during the regular season.

"At the end of the day, I am a passionate man - I cannot change this," Berisha said.

"I grew up like this and I learned this way to play in Europe.

"This game is more than a game to me. It's my life - it's my love.

"I will go out with everything I can do in my body to stop Perth and try to win this game.

"With so many people behind my back, I will enjoy this moment and nobody will stop us."

Brisbane faces Perth in the championship decider at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday, five days after its AFC Champions League hopes were dealt a body blow by a 2-1 defeat in a classic contest.

Roar played one of its finest games of recent weeks but fell to a late penalty that all but dashed its dreams of glory in Asia.

Broich said he and his team-mates were bitterly disappointed with the outcome of the match but said it was time to look ahead to their match of the season.

"We tried hard and I think we were unlucky and deserved more," Broich said.

"We have dominated some of these games in Asia but with two points from four games we now look like idiots. That's what's so frustrating.

"However, I don't think the players will be thinking too much about the Ulsan loss as we approach the big game on Sunday.

"It's two different competitions and I can tell you everybody is very excited to be in the grand final.

"Grand finals do not come too often in one's career so we are all looking forward to playing even better on Sunday than we did on Tuesday night."

The epic decider against Central Coast Mariners last year has instilled a great belief within Roar's squad that it can succeed no matter how big the obstacle.

"We needed a bit of luck to win last year's grand final against Central Coast," Broich admitted.

"Perth are in form at the moment and have got momentum.

"I expect a tough game where anything can happen."

Broich, who left an indelible mark on the competition in his first foray in Australia last season, has had an injury-riddled second season but he has no doubt that he is approaching the blistering form that made him such a crowd-puller.

"It was not easy for me this year because I was out injured for many games," he said.

"Coming back was tough because you have to get physically fit and mentally prepared as quickly a possible since the challenges kept coming.

"You have to be patient because you realise your recovery might take a while.

"I did not feel too good about myself the whole year."

Yet the class Broich showed in the matches he did play was enough to earn him the coveted Johnny Warren Medal, after finishing second to Adelaide United's Argentine playmaker Marcos Flores in 2011.

"Winning the Warren Medal came as a complete surprise because it showed how much I was appreciated by my peers," he conceded.

"I was sitting there at the awards night and making fun of Besart (Berisha) because we expected him to win the award and go up on stage and make a speech and he was nervous about this.

"Then they called my name and I couldn't believe it. I suppose winning it by playing just over half a season means more to me.

"It was a big achievement, I thought. Imagine if I played the whole year."

Broich's slight dip in form since recovering from injury did not go unnoticed in the media.

"I guess I was pretty consistent last season when I played at a very high level," he said.

"This season I've had my ups and downs but with more regular football I have approached a satisfactory level of consistency.

"I'm back at peak fitness now and I think I proved that in the two semi-finals against the Mariners and in the Champions League.

"I think the negative comments I got actually related to the first few games I played after coming back from injury."

Glory striker Shane Smeltz started a 'grand final special' mind game by telling The World Game he thought the pressure was all on Brisbane because it had to deal with the massive expectations of a full house at Suncorp.

But Broich returned serve by declaring Perth would give an arm and a leg to be in Brisbane's position.

"If I were a Perth Glory player I would say exactly the same thing," Broich quipped.

"Playing in front of our supporters is very important for us and should work in our favour.

"Teams have a far better record at home than away, you know.

"I'm sure that if Perth had a choice they would not have opted to play us in Brisbane."

Perth qualified for its first championship decider after beating Central Coast Mariners on penalties in the preliminary final at the weekend.

Brisbane is favourite to take out its second straight championship at its Suncorp fortress that is expected to be filled to its 52,000 capacity.

However Smeltz said that playing at home can be a double-edged sword.

”The pressure of home expectation Brisbane will have to deal with is something we have talked about,” Smeltz said.

”When you have a big crowd behind you that is expecting you to go out there, do well and win the game, there are ways of turning that into the away team's advantage.

”If we can go out there and frustrate them and the crowd especially in the early stages this could work against them.

”The more the game goes on the crowd will get frustrated and the players will become more anxious and tentative.

”We hope that that could be the case for us so we are definitely after a good start that should set the pattern for the whole match.”

Smeltz said that the entire squad was fully focused on the grand final after taking a couple of days to let the win over the Mariners sink in.

”We're pretty excited to be in a grand final against a very strong team to be honest and we're looking forward to go there, enjoy ourselves, do as well as we can and hopefully win it,” he said.

”We all know that it's a big task because we are the underdogs.

”But hey, nobody expected us to beat the Mariners last week, either.

”So we are not going there just to turn up. We do have a lot of belief in ourselves and we want to win.”

Smeltz could not speak highly enough of the quality of Brisbane's football that has placed it on the verge of winning back-to-back championships for the first time in A-league history.

Brisbane has beaten Perth twice and drawn once in three league matches this season, racking up a total of 10 goals against three.

”Same as us, they've got a great belief in their ability,” Smeltz explained.

”Their movement and passing are the best in the league.

”They have been the league's benchmark for the last two years.

”But having said that we have had a good look at their game the last few days and we believe that we have a game plan to beat them.”

Smeltz raised many eyebrows and nearly gave coach Ian Ferguson a heart attack when he chose to boldly chip his penalty kick straight down the middle in the shootout against the Mariners.

Smeltz's kick was successful but what if he missed?

”It would have been terrible,” he said.

”I had that idea to chip the ball before the game started, actually, whether it was in the game proper or in a shootout.

”The way I saw it is that it was quite a safe option.

”Everyone expected me to hit the ball to the right or the left but I was the only person who knew that I was going down the middle.

”Fergie told me after the game I almost gave him a heart attack but he did not tell me not to do it again.

”So if we get a penalty on Sunday I might have to keep where I'll go to myself and keep everyone guessing.”

With the Queensland Reds scheduled to play the Stormers in a Super Rugby game on Friday night, Postecoglou said the heavy traffic had the potential to spoil the biggest day on the A-League's calender.

Officials are expecting 50,000 fans to watch the A-League final with Roar attempting to win back-to-back championships after its unforgettable penalty shootout victory against Central Coast Mariners 12 months ago.

"It (the pitch) is a big concern," said Postecoglou, of a Suncorp Stadium surface showing signs of wear and tear.

"They're playing rugby union here on Friday and they've got an academy game (curtain raiser) too.

"If they could take one game off it would help reduce the traffic.

"It's not just for us, but for Perth as well, it's our showpiece game."

Postecoglou, who has been linked to a four-year, $1 million a season deal with Melbourne Victory, said while his players were disappointed to lose Tuesday night's Asian Champions League clash with Ulsan Hyundai 2-1 they would pick themselves up for Sunday's grand final against Perth.

Andrezinho injured his groin during the second-half of last week's preliminary final win over Central Coast Mariners, with subsequent scans revealing a slight tear.

The 27-year-old is still holding out hope of featuring in the grand final, but must train later this week to convince coach Ian Ferguson he's fit to go.

Should Andrezinho be ruled out, Todd Howarth is likely to come into the starting XI.

Howarth scored the extra-time winner against Wellington Phoenix two weeks ago, and has been waiting for a chance to regain his place in the starting line-up.

While Andrezinho is still touch and go for the grand final, star striker Shane Smeltz said everyone else was ready to go.

"Obviously any soreness kind of goes away when you've got a grand final at the end of the week, so we're looking forward to it and looking forward to the whole week," Smeltz said.

"They (Brisbane) are a fantastic side, they set up well and you've got to be on your game.

"We've got to play the best game we've played all year to win this game and I think the players know that.

"But we've got a couple of sessions now where we're going to work on some things and we'll cause some problems."

While Brisbane Roar's fans will do their best to put off Perth by creating a sea of orange at the ground, Glory midfielder Steve McGarry hopes to ruin their party.

"We're not going over there just to be part of what they're calling Orange Sunday - we're going to make it, hopefully, a Purple Sunday," McGarry said.

"We go over there with major belief. It's going to be a difficult game because I think Brisbane are a fantastic footballing side, but they're not unbeatable.

"And the way we're playing now, we think we can go over there and clinch the win."

Glory booked its spot in its first season finale since winning the last NSL title in 2004 with a penalty shootout triumph over Central Coast Mariners in Gosford on Saturday night.

Roar will be the hot favourite to claim back-to-back championships when the sides meet at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday but Glory is talking up its chances of an upset on the back of four straight wins.

Glory featured in four of the last five NSL grand finals, winning the last two, but has struggled to replicate that success in seven seasons of the A-League, reaching the finals only once before this season.

"I think this is long overdue," Glory midfielder Travis Dodd told AAP.

"Not only for the players but the supporters who have endured a tough six years in the A-League.

"We've done it the hard way, but the supporters and the owner Tony Sage have stuck with us and given us everything we need to get here today.

"The task is enormous, going to Brisbane in front of a parochial crowd but, with the confidence from the last few weeks, there's no reason we can't go in there thinking we can get the result.

"Everybody will be expecting them to win and I think, to a point, they should be expecting big things from themselves, but it's a one-off game and anything is possible."

Glory coach Ian Ferguson admitted his side rode its luck against the Mariners, as Central Coast missed a penalty, wasted plenty of chances and Shane Smeltz's equaliser was allowed to stand despite suggestions of offside.

Roar coach Ange Postecoglou admitted the Mariners were the better side but paid tribute to Perth for hanging tough.

"It was a tough game for Perth but they got through it and full credit to them," Postecoglou said.

"I've been saying for a while that form's the most important thing going into finals and, if you look at it, probably the two best-performed teams, particularly since Christmas, are in the grand final."

While Roar hosts South Korean side Ulsan in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday night, Postecoglou denied suggestions an experienced Glory side might also be weary on Sunday after its past two finals games went to 120 minutes.

In fact, it is one of Glory's veterans who Postecoglou fears most, identifying former Manchester United midfielder Liam Miller as the biggest threat ahead of the A-League's top scorer Smeltz, who took his season tally to 17 goals against the Mariners.

"I think if he (Miller) had been playing for one of the teams on the eastern states, we'd be raving about him more," Postecoglou said of the 31-year-old.

"Obviously Smeltzy with his goals (is a danger) but Liam Miller could potentially be a problem for us on grand final day."

Glory will contest its first A-League decider next Sunday in Brisbane after a dramatic win in front of 7572 fans.

The score was locked at 1-1 after regulation time and the defeat was a cruel one for the Mariners, with Patrick Zwaanswijk missing a second-half penalty and a host of other chances going begging.

They also appeared unlucky, the Mariners left fuming after Shane Smeltz's first-half equaliser to Adam Kwasnik's opener was allowed to stand despite clear suggestions of offside.

But Glory had the final say, Jacob Burns slotting the winning penalty after Michael McGlinchey had fired his over the bar for the home side with the fourth spot kick.

It provided more heartache for Graham Arnold's Mariners, who went down to Roar in penalties in last season's grand final.

The match failed to reach any great heights early, both sides making a cautious start and limited to just a handful of chances.

But Kwasnik brought the game to life in the 33rd minute when he put the Mariners ahead from Oliver Bozanic's corner.

There was a touch of fortune about the goal, with Travis Dodd getting the ball stuck at his feet and Kwasnik was on hand to smash in from close range.

The Mariners had little time to enjoy their lead, though, with Glory hitting back inside two minutes in controversial circumstances.

Smeltz scored from close range after Billy Mehmet's cross, but replays showed Mehmet was just offside when played into space by Josh Risdon.

The Mariners almost regained the lead just after half-time with Tom Rogic forcing a good save out of Danny Vukovic and Josh Rose hitting the right upright from the rebound.

And they looked set to take the lead when Kwasnik earned a 53rd-minute penalty after a foul in the box from Steve Pantelidis.

Veteran Dutch defender Zwaanswijk stepped up to take the spot-kick but drilled it against the crossbar.

The Mariners continued to pepper the goal with Kwasnik coming agonisingly close on two occasions while they almost took the lead after a Vukovic blunder but McGlinchey's long-range free-kick hit the bar.

Glory almost stole victory against the run of play, with Smeltz wasting arguably the best chance of the game when having his unmarked header saved by Mat Ryan in the 84th minute.

Both sides tired in extra-time, with the best chance falling to Rose, who had a curling shot tipped over the bar by Vukovic.

In-form Perth goes into the clash on the back of high-scoring successive home wins over Melbourne Heart and Wellington Phoenix while the Mariners lost both legs of their major semi-final to Brisbane Roar.

Glory has not won in eight trips to Bluetongue Stadium in Gosford.

"We've broken a lot of records this year and a lot of stats have been broken and hopefully this will be one more," Ferguson said.

Mariners coach Graham Arnold isn't putting too much emphasis on that statistic, even complimenting Perth on its improving away form.

However, Arnold believes his team's greater finals experience will be a telling factor, with Central Coast making the playoffs for the fifth time in seven seasons while Glory are relative novices with two appearances.

"Over the past couple of years they have had a lot of trouble away from home and didn't win their away games. This year has been much better," said Arnold, who is also acutely aware of shutting down dangerous Perth striker Shane Smeltz.

"They've got a lot of experienced players in their team, but they don't have the most experience as a team in a finals series and I think that's where we should have the advantage, especially being at home.

"We've got quite a bit of experience in playing pressure games now, especially over the last couple of months.

"The more nerves hopefully will be on their players especially the two ex-Mariners, Danny Vukovic and Dean Heffernan, that haven't had too much finals experience in the last few years."

Ferguson said he anticipated a furious early onslaught.

"For the first 15 or 20 minutes the Mariners are going to throw everything at us and we've got to make sure we can cope with that and make sure we can hit them on the counter-attack," Ferguson said.

Saturday's game is the start of a season-defining week for the Mariners, who play a crucial AFC Champions League game away to Korea Republic side Seongnam Ilhwa next Wednesday.

"We've got a massive week ahead and I said to the boys before training it's a big week that can put a lot of smiles on a lot of people's faces," Arnold said.

"With the game first on Saturday night and then we've got to go to South Korea for the Asian Champions League and hopefully we get through to the (A-League) grand final."

Pantelidis was a late addition to Glory's squad this season and was expected to provide minimal back-up in midfield.

But a glut of injuries in defence opened the door for Pantelidis to cement an uncustomary role at centre-back.

The 28-year-old admitted he was initially nervous about the positional switch, but he soon flourished as he formed a solid partnership with Bas van den Brink.

Pantelidis is yet to be offered a new contract extension with Glory but the former Gold Coast and Melbourne Victory midfielder is keen to make Perth his home base for the next couple of years.

"I definitely want to stay here. I don't really want to go anywhere," Pantelidis said ahead of Saturday night's preliminary-final clash with Central Coast at Bluetongue Stadium.

"This is my third A-League club now. I don't want to move around too much so hopefully I get to stay here for at least another couple of years."

Glory midfielder Travis Dodd said Central Coast would be feeling the heat after failing to fire in its semi-final series against Brisbane.

Central Coast was beaten 2-0 in Brisbane, before losing the return leg 3-2.

"They're certainly a beatable team. They've come off two losses now," Dodd said.

"They'll be under massive pressure from the supporters, from everybody, to try to make that final. We can go in there knowing the pressure's on them."

The Mariners won the Premiers' Plate for topping the table but missed the chance to host the grand final after losing the two-leg semi-final series to Brisbane Roar.

Perth notched wins over Melbourne Heart and Wellington Phoenix to reach the preliminary final, but must break a worrying hoodoo if it is to progress through to the grand final.

In 10 matches at Bluetongue Stadium, Glory has lost nine and drawn one.

But Glory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic, who spent five seasons at the Mariners, said the pressure would be squarely on the shoulders of his former club in the do-or-die clash.

"It's all on them. They finished first after the regular season, they're expected to be in the grand final and we're going to go over there to try to ruin their party," Vukovic said.

"In the last two games we played, we were expected to win but, in this one, the Mariners are expected to win so we can go over there with no pressure on our shoulders and without anything to lose.

"We know they're a well-drilled team.

"They're probably going to defend with all 11 players, so it will probably be a pretty cagey affair to start.

"There'll probably be few chances but, when we get those chances, we'll need to take them. I think we need to be a little bit better in defence as well."

Bluetongue Stadium was a happy hunting ground for Vukovic during his Mariners days, and the 27-year-old urged his Glory team-mates not to be overawed by the venue despite the club's horrendous record there.

"I wouldn't say it's a tough place," Vukovic said.

"The crowds that they get aren't huge and they're not a very vocal crowd. I played there and loved my time there, but there's a lot more daunting places to go to in the A-League.

"I know a lot of people there and I've still got a lot of friends in the team so it'll be a great opportunity and one that I'm looking forward to."

While acknowledging the competition can ill afford another buffeting following on from the expulsion of Gold Coast United and a looming legal stoush between FFA and Tinkler's Hunter Sports Group over the legitimacy of its exit from the game, the multi-millionaire mining magnate said he believed the club would not be allowed to perish and remained supremely confident of a 10-team competition next season.

"We have lost two billionaires in Clive Palmer at Gold Coast United and now Nathan Tinkler at the Jets inside a couple of months and that's far from ideal to say the least," Sage told The World Game.

"I am as shocked as anybody and while the club will certainly be in turmoil for the time being, in the bigger picture I feel the A-League will get through this.

"Rugby League survived its Super League war and cricket survived Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket revolution. Everything will survive. FFA chairman Frank Lowy is no idiot and the clubs are really supportive of the new committee structure which came out of the recent owner's meeting with FFA.

"I am positive on the league going forward. Somebody will take on Newcastle for sure - I am absolutely certain of that."

Sage will be holding his own discussions with Tinkler in the near future to ascertain whether there is any room for manoeuvre on his decision to pull the pin with the Hunter Sports Group citing a series of irreconcilable differences with FFA over its governance of the game.

"Until I do that I can't comment on exactly what his motivations may be and whether there is any possibility of there being some sort of re-think on his behalf," he added. "I am just not sure whether this is unequivocal or whether he has left the door open in any way at all."

Last month, FFA announced the creation of the joint A-League Strategic Committee (JALSC), to be chaired by FFA deputy chairman Brian Schwartz, to give owners greater say in the running of the competition and a voice at boardroom level.

Two other FFA directors and three A-League club chairmen - decided by the clubs - will be appointed to the six-member body, which will meet every two months.

Its remit includes the competition's structure and schedule, revenue growth strategies, player contract regulations, salary cap and community engagement strategies.

"We all saw this as a big step forward and it has addressed a lot of our concerns," added Sage, who retracted his decision to pull out just 24 hours after making it, saying he had over-reacted to abuse from fans at nib Stadium.

On Sunday, the Mariners travel to the Korea Republic to face Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma on 18 April on matchday four of the AFC Champions League but before their long journey north they will meet Ian Ferguson’s Perth Glory team at Bluetongue Stadium late on Saturday afternoon.

“If anything you enjoy playing the games,” Wilkinson said. “This is the time of the year that you want to be involved in.”

“The Champions League is a fantastic competition that we’re fully embracing and enjoying. And it’s the finals series so it’s not like it’s tough to get up for games at the moment,” he said.

With coach Graham Arnold giving his troops two days off this week to “freshen up” ahead of the challenge of Glory in the preliminary final, Wilkinson said the team would be prepared for whatever the purple-whites could throw at them come Saturday.

Indeed, the Mariners have enjoyed a good record against Glory throughout the 2011-2012 A-League campaign. In the only meeting between the two sides at Bluetongue Stadium this season, Arnold’s team won 2-1.

Later in the season the yellow and navy disposed of Glory 3-1 away, before Ferguson’s fellows recorded a 1-0 triumph in the west five weeks ago.

“They’re (Glory) on a good roll,” he said. “They’ve probably scored 10 goals in the last three games so they’re definitely going to be tough. But obviously we’re at home and as ‘Arnie’ said the performance (against Brisbane) was pretty good.”

“A lesser team at 2-0 down could of chucked it in and it could have been four or five. But the spirit we’ve got in the change-room is fantastic here, the boys always work for each other, there’s a great great belief in each other.”

Meanwhile, the Mariners will meet Marconi Stallions in a friendly match tomorrow night.

Kicking off at 7pm, the match will provide Arnold and his assistant Phil Moss the opportunity to give crucial game time to some of the players who have not been featuring regularly recently, in order to keep them sharp heading into the business end of the season.

The match will be a tough test for the yellow and navy with Marconi currently topping the NSW Premier League ladder after two wins from its opening two matches of the 2012 season.

The match will be played at Marconi Stadium.

McGarry's place in the side was thrown into doubt on the eve of the match after he collided heavily with goalkeeper Danny Vukovic in a training mishap.

Scans cleared McGarry of any serious damage, but Ferguson was worried the midfielder's knee might not hold up under the intense pressure of a cut-throat semi-final.

McGarry was desperate to play and Ferguson eventually made a compromise, dropping the 32-year-old from the starting line-up but giving him a place on the bench.

The move proved to be a masterstroke, with McGarry playing a key role after coming on in the 70th minute.

Glory was 2-1 down at the time, but was back on level terms just two minutes later courtesy of a well-placed strike from Billy Mehmet, who replaced McGarry in the starting line-up.

Substitute defender Todd Howarth sealed the win in extra-time, with his goal in the 112th minute sending Perth through to its first ever A-League preliminary final.

But while Howarth proved to be the ultimate hero, Ferguson was full of praise for the tireless work of McGarry.

"He still had a little bit of swelling in his knee and I really didn't want to play him," Ferguson said.

"If we could have rested him and got through this game (without him) it would have been great.

"But we had no choice. He's been such an influential player for us this season. And he wanted to play.

"I felt it wasn't right to throw him in there in case we damaged his knee any more, but he was quite willing to take that gamble to sit on the bench."

McGarry has played a critical role in Perth's revival this season, combining beautifully with striker Shane Smeltz in a 4-2-3-1 set-up.

But after Mehmet's strong performance against Phoenix, Ferguson admitted he faced a tough decision on the selection front.

Since the start of 2012, Glory has won 11 games, drawn two and lost just three to become one of the form teams of the competition.

But while Glory was in a state of euphoria on Saturday night, it was heartbreak for Phoenix, which threatened to steal the match after second-half goals to Chris Greenacre and Manny Muscat gave it a surprise lead.

Wellington's loss ended the playing career of club stalwart Tim Brown, who has retired in order to complete a Masters degree in management.

"He's addressed the players and all the staff. He's very emotional," Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert said.

"He's been the stalwart of the club; a foundation player.

"He's somebody we've all grown to know and respect. I wish him all the best."

Glory was left heartbroken in 2010 when it was knocked out of the finals race via a penalty shootout against the Phoenix.

But this time it was Wellington who was left to feel the pain, with substitute Todd Howarth's 112th-minute winner sending Perth through to next Saturday's preliminary final, where it will take on either Brisbane or Central Coast.

Glory defender Bas van den Brink scored the game's opener in the 13th minute, but the 13,695 crowd was left stunned when goals to Chris Greenacre and Manny Muscat gave Wellington a 2-1 lead after 55 minutes.

However, there would be another twist in the tale, with import Billy Mehmet scoring the equaliser in the 72nd minute after a beautiful double-touch from Shane Smeltz in the box.

Smeltz, who had bagged seven goals in his previous two matches, had a rare off night, wasting three golden chances.

But Howarth, a defender by trade, showed him how it's done, tucking away the winner deep into the second period of extra-time to send the Glory through to its first ever A-League preliminary final.

Wellington defender Ben Sigmund infuriated Glory players during the week when he claimed Perth was merely a one-man band led by Smeltz.

Sigmund backed away from the claims pre-match, saying: "to be honest a journalist sort of made that one up. Whoever wrote it has caused a few fights."

Whatever the case, the comments fired up the Glory early on, with the home side creating numerous opportunities in an entertaining first half.

Mark Paston did well to keep out Travis Dodd's glancing header in the 12th minute, but the Phoenix custodian was helpless a minute later when van den Brink pounced on Tony Lochead's goal-line clearance to bang home the Glory's opener.

A charging Smeltz should have done better with a one-on-one opportunity against Paston in the 18th minute, while Mehmet almost scored with a wonder volley in the 34th minute when Glory skipper Jacob Burns delivered an inch-perfect lob into the box.

Chances were few and far between for the Phoenix in the first half, but whatever was said in the half-time break seemed to work a trick.

The visitor was back on level terms in the 47th minute when a beautiful chest down from Tim Brown allowed Greenacre to score.

And when Muscat found an acre of space on the right, cut inside and then put a curling effort past a diving Danny Vukovic, it looked as if Wellington would steal victory.

But Mehmet's equaliser and Howarth's late winner ensured Perth's fairytale season would continue for at least another week.

Brisbane and Central Coast face off on Sunday, with the Mariners needing to turn around a 2-0 deficit from the first leg.

Phoenix faces Glory in Perth on Saturday night in a sudden-death encounter to decide a berth in the preliminary final.

The home side heads into the match with Smeltz in scorching form, having found the net seven times in the past two matches.

Defender Manny Muscat says that countering the All White striker begins up the pitch.

"Smeltzy has great qualities," Muscat said of his former Phoenix teammate.

"But it's up to us as a unit to stop the service to him because give him a sniff and he can make you pay."

However, if the ball did get through, Muscat was confident the central defensive pairing of skipper Andrew Durante and Ben Sigmund would be up to the task of halting Smeltz's progress.

"Dura and Siggy know Smeltzy well and have handled him in the past," he said.

Both elimination games in the playoff series so far - Phoenix's 3-2 thriller against Sydney FC and Perth's 3-0 defeat of Melbourne Heart - were slow to get going before opening up with goals in the second half.

"It took us a while to get into our game because no one wants to make an early mistake," Muscat said.

"It's crucial we get the first goal on Saturday because we're a good team defensively. By that, I'm not saying we would sit back, just be solid defensively."

Muscat has a personal reason for wanting Phoenix to come away with victory at nib Stadium.

It would be a great way for father Frank, who has followed Muscat's career from the start, to celebrate his 60th birthday.

Glory was the dominant team in its 3-0 elimination final win over Melbourne Heart, but struggled to create clear-cut chances until Shane Smeltz's second-half hat-trick broke the game open.

Ferguson felt it took his team some time to adjust to the return from injury of Liam Miller, Bas van den Brink and Jacob Burns, plus the inclusion of left back Dean Heffernan after his one-match ban.

All four players are key cogs to the Glory set-up and Ferguson said he felt last week's hit-out had left his team in good shape to hit its straps from the outset against the Phoenix.

"There were a few people unhappy and saying that it wasn't a great game against Heart, but you're going to get that tension in games," Ferguson said.

"We didn't create as many chances as I wanted us to last week. That could've been down to three or four players coming back from injury.

"Now they've got a week under their belts at training and also had a good game under their belts, so I'm expecting we'll be a lot more fluent this week."

Ferguson was cryptic when asked whether he would retain his starting line-up, saying he would probably stick with 90 percent of the same team depending on other factors.

One man who will definitely be there is Glory striker Shane Smeltz, who has scored seven goals in his past two games.

Earlier this week, Phoenix defender Ben Sigmund insulted Glory's playing group by claiming Perth were a one-man team led by Smeltz.

Glory skipper Jacob Burns promptly returned fire by saying Phoenix striker Paul Ifill would be Perth's only worry.

Ferguson said he had no problems with the tongue-in-cheek war of words.

"This is what finals football is all about. It's all about the razzmatazz and trying to wind each other up and so on," Ferguson said.

"But I'm sure he knows we're not a one-man team."

Saturday's winner will take on either Brisbane or Central Coast in the preliminary final next week.

Sigmund raised the ire of Glory players when he claimed prolific striker Shane Smeltz was Perth's only true threat, saying he had been otherwise unimpressed by the club's 3-0 elimination final win over Melbourne Heart.

Smeltz scored all three goals in that game, and put four past Melbourne Victory a week earlier to become the A-League's all-time leading goalscorer.

Glory players took offence to Sigmund's comments, and Perth skipper Jacob Burns was quick to fight fire with fire.

"I'll throw one back at him and take a leaf out of his book and say we only have to worry about Paul Ifill. I don't see much else," Burns said.

"Sigmund's comments definitely fuels my hunger to get out there and beat Wellington.

"I know it's probably a bit of tongue-in-cheek, but when people make comments like that you definitely want to prove them wrong."

Burns lost two grand finals while with Sydney United in the old NSL, and is desperate to taste the ultimate success this season.

The 33-year-old said revenge was definitely on his mind after experiencing the heartbreak of Perth's elimination final loss to Wellington two seasons ago.

"I'm highly motivated on the back of that result. It doesn't sit too nicely with me," Burns said.

"It's definitely still fresh in my mind.

"It was hard to get knocked out that way in penalties."

Wellington was due to arrive in Perth on Thursday night after spending two days in Sydney.

The winner of Saturday's match will take on either Brisbane or Central Coast next week, and it seems Phoenix is already planning for a victory over Perth.

"Through the grapevine I've heard they've packed all their gear so they can go straight on to the next game for either Brisbane or Central Coast," Burns said.

"We'd be more than happy to send them back with all their extra gear."

Perth won two National Soccer League championships in 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 and reached two grand finals in 2000 and 2002 in a golden period that installed the club as the standard-bearer of Australian football.

The quality of its football and the massive crowds that followed the team at Subiaco Oval left an indelible mark on young Burns, who at the time was just starting his career with Sydney United.

And today, as he leads his side in its quest for the A-League title, Burns revealed that those fond memories are providing him with the spur to make history repeat itself.

”I remember playing for Sydney United in the late 1990s before I moved to Parramatta Power and I used to watch this Perth team play in front of fantastic crowds,” he said.

”I also used to follow them after I left for Europe in 2000 and that's what was uppermost in my mind when I came back to Australia in 2009.

”I wanted to help Perth recreate those glory days.

”Club owner Tony Sage and coach David Mitchell told me that that is what they were trying to do.

”They wanted to put together a strong team to regularly challenge for the honours.

”The first season I came back we made the finals but we lost to Wellington in a shootout.

”That defeat still leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth and motivates me highly, coming into the home final against Phoenix on Saturday.

Burns said he was adamant Perth had the all-round quality to go all the way in this year's finals.

”You definitely have to believe in yourself and we honestly believe we can go all the way,” he said.

”We've had that belief all season despite a mini-slump in the middle of the campaign.

”We boosted our confidence as we went along and wehave taken it into the finals and you could see this with the way we beat a good side like Melbourne Heart 3-0 at the weekend.

”The whole team is working very hard and with striker Shane Smeltz on fire at the minute there is no reason we couldn't win the championship.

”There is a lot of depth this season which has made a big difference. Hopefully we get another big crowd at nib Stadium at the weekend.

”We do not fear anyone, anyway.”

Burns was lucky enough to be part of a few massive matches in Europe when he was on the books of Leeds United.

As a rookie midfielder he was a member of the Leeds squad that played at Barcelona, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Lazio and Valencia on its way to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals in 2000-2001.

Yet 12 years down the track Burns, who is now a very experienced 33-year-old, gets the same buzz whenever he dons the Perth jersey at nib Stadium in front of eight or 10,000 fans as he did when he performed at a packed Elland Road or at some of Europe's finest stadiums.

”I get the same thrill without a doubt," he said.

"It's obviously a different point in my career but you've got to have the same drive and ambition to be successful.

”Otherwise there's no point in playing the game.

”I'm really looking forward to these finals. These are opportunities that do not come too often in players' careers.

"To be involved in a minor semi-final where you are two games away from a grand final is something special.

”This is the time when you reflect on the hard work you've put in all season.

”This is what I've told the boys today. We started our season last May and we don't want it to finish.

”We are just not prepared to throw it all away and we are determined to see the job out and put ourselves and our club on the map by winning the title.

”You've got to have that approach and mindset whenever you go into any type of game.

”Whether it's here or anywhere else in the world this is how you will be judged.

”That is what drives me and I'm sure it drives all the boys as well.”

Glory has won nine of its 14 home games this season and is a warm favourite to progress through to next week's preliminary final, where Central Coast or Brisbane will await.

But Bertos, who notched 35 games for Glory between 2006-08, said the Phoenix squad was steeling itself for a deep run into the finals.

"We've had some great results against Central Coast, Brisbane and Perth this season, so why can't we go all the way?" Bertos said on Wednesday.

"I'm sure Perth are feeling the same, too.

"That's the attitude you have to have, especially in a finals series.

"We as a group don't want our season to end just yet. We want to go all the way. There's a quiet confidence within the group this week.

"It's not a bad tag to have, I guess, not being the favourite."

Instead of making the 5300km trek to Perth in one go, Wellington travelled to Sydney on Tuesday, and will leave for Perth on Thursday afternoon.

Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert said his squad was left physically exhausted after last week's 3-2 win over Sydney FC, and would have suffered if it took a direct trip to Perth.

"I can't guarantee success, but I believe we've given it our best shot," Herbert said.

"We've been to Perth a number of times and done a number of different things and it hasn't always worked."

Glory's squad has changed dramatically since Bertos departed in 2008.

But the 30-year-old is all too aware of the talents of Shane Smeltz, who plays with Bertos in New Zealand's national set-up.

Smeltz has scored seven goals in his past two games, and Bertos said the striker would be closely watched by Wellington's defence.

"He's in unbelievable form," Bertos said.

"I know playing with and against Smeltzy, he's the type of guy that if you leave him alone for one second, he'll punish you.

"He's done that to us before.

"We can't let him have a sniff. More often than not, it goes into the back of the net."

Just eight days after putting four goals past Melbourne Victory, Smeltz booked Perth's passage through to next week's minor semi-final against Wellington Phoenix with goals in the 65th, 72nd and 92nd minutes, taking his season tally to 16 goals.

Wellington knocked Perth out of the finals race two years ago, but the Glory will be confident of avenging that defeat on its home turf.

Melbourne Heart's loss ended the two-year reign of coach John van 't Schip, who will return to the Netherlands for family reasons.

Smeltz was barely sighted in a first half that failed to reach any great heights.

But the New Zealand international made up for it after the break, sending the 12,600 crowd into raptures when he latched on to a flick-on header and calmly side-footed in the first goal of the match.

Although the first goal was elementary, Smeltz's second was far more dramatic.

After some trademark magic from Andrezinho on the wing, Smeltz sent an awkward header across the face of goal.

The ball struck the upright and bounced before being claimed by Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton.

Smeltz appealed for the goal and the linesman agreed, with replays showing the ball had in fact bounced across the line.

The demolition job was completed in stoppage time when a beautiful through-ball from Liam Miller found a surging Smeltz, who had no problem finding the back of the net with only the goalkeeper to beat.

"Everything he touches turns to gold," Glory midfielder Travis Dodd said of Smeltz.

Perth, playing in its first home final since defeating Adelaide United 5-0 in the 2004 NSL preliminary final, welcomed back Miller (hamstring), Jacob Burns (ribs) and Bas van den Brink (calf) from injury, while Dean Heffernan took his place at left-back after serving his one-week suspension.

Heart was forced to field 19-year-olds Brendan Hamill and Curtis Good as its centre-half pairing after Simon Colosimo succumbed to a hamstring injury.

Good would have had his heart in his mouth in the 20th minute when his sloppy back-pass was almost intercepted by Steve McGarry.

The Glory dominated play in a scrappy opening half but failed to create any clear-cut chances, while Melbourne had even fewer looks on goal.

Its best chance came in the 28th minute, when Eli Babalj and Fred created a two-on-one situation on a fast break.

Glory defender Heffernan saved the day when his lunging effort cleared away Babalj's dangerous square-up, while Hamill came close with a header just a minute later.

Scores were locked 0-0 at halftime, but Smeltz broke the match wide open with three goals in the space of 27 minutes.

That's the opinion you would reach looking at the PFA A-League team of the season, which failed to include a single Glory player despite the club's impressive third-placed finish.

Even Shane Smeltz, who became the A-League's all-time top scorer last week with a bag of four goals against Melbourne Victory, failed to make the bench.

In contrast, sixth-placed Melbourne Heart had four players named.

Defender Michael Marrone and midfielders Fred and Aziz Behich made the starting line-up, while goalkeeper Clint Bolton was included on the bench.

Glory coach Ian Ferguson was reluctant to get dragged into the debate about why a host of his star players missed out.

But if it was up to the Scotsman, at least four of his charges would have made the PFA team, which is voted on by A-League players.

"I would've put Smeltz in there and I think (Steve) McGarry has been great for us," Ferguson said on Saturday.

"Smeltz is a big-time player. Whenever you need goals he pops up with them.

"Jacob Burns has been outstanding for us this season, along with Liam Miller.

"Before Liam got his injury, him and Burns were probably the best two players in the league in the midfield.

"But I don't pick that. That's up to them.

"Maybe they've got somebody watching every game and probably missing our games."

After battling through a heavy injury toll over the past month, Glory suddenly has an embarrassment of riches to choose from.

Miller (hamstring), Burns (ribs) and Bas van den Brink (calf) are set to return to the starting line-up, while defender Josh Mitchell (back) is also ready to resume.

Melbourne Heart was dealt a severe injury blow earlier this week when defender Simon Colosimo was forced out with a hamstring injury.

Colosimo's absence means it will be up to 19-year-old pair Brendan Hamill and Curtis Good to curb the goal-scoring nous of Smeltz, who has notched 13 goals this season.

Ferguson admitted he was feeling some nerves ahead of Perth's first home final since 2004.

But the prospect of losing and crashing out of the finals race hasn't entered Ferguson's thoughts.

"We're not going to lose. We're going to go out there and win," Ferguson declared ahead of his team's final training session.

Sunday's winner will take on Wellington in a minor semi-final next week after Phoenix's thrilling 3-2 victory over Sydney FC on Friday night.

Smeltz tuned up for Perth's finals campaign in grand style last Saturday, scoring four goals in Glory's 4-2 triumph over Melbourne Victory.

But the picture appeared far gloomier last month when Smeltz succumbed to a nagging ankle injury, with the complaint keeping him out of action for three weeks.

A cortisone injection failed to get Smeltz back out onto the park, with the 30-year-old eventually opting to have blood injected into the area in a bid to speed up the healing process.

Smeltz has quickly regained top form since his return.

And after putting Melbourne Victory to the sword last week, the New Zealand international is eager to inflict some pain on the Heart.

"Personally I've overcome some niggling injuries this season and I'm feeling as good as I have all year. It's good timing for myself," said Smeltz, who is the A-League's all-time leading goalscorer with 62.

"In the last couple of weeks the ankle has settled right down.

"It's almost feeling brand new.

"I'm not going into games at all thinking about it in the last two weeks.

"When you're thinking about injuries, it's not always nice.

"I'm looking forward to staying fit and hopefully we can go as far as we can."

Glory is set to be bolstered by the returns of skipper Jacob Burns (ribs), midfielder Liam Miller (hamstring) and defender Bas van den Brink (calf) against the Heart, while Josh Mitchell (back) and Steven McGarry (hamstring) are also chances to play.

Smeltz said the team was buzzing ahead of the club's first ever A-League home final, but Heart will be far from daunted at having to travel to Perth after beating Glory there 2-1 in December.

Ferguson said he was delighted to sign the new deal, as his side gets ready to start its finals campaign at home to Melbourne Heart this Sunday.

"I am delighted to get the opportunity to take the club forward for another two years," Ferguson said.

"It gives us the chance to continue to build on what we have done so far this season."

"It's fantastic to have Ian on board for another two years," Perth Glory chief executive Paul Kelly added.

"Ian deserves great credit for guiding Perth Glory to our best season in the Hyundai A-League and into our first home final.

"It now gives us stability to build towards the future and have a good run at the championship."

His four assists for Archie Thompson in Melbourne Victory's 6-0 win over Adelaide United in the 2006-07 grand final made him part of that club's folklore.

And in the Australian environment of finals deciding a championship, Brazilian midfielder Fred believes he knows what's required.

"When you are in a final, you have to change your mind (set) - you have to concentrate more," Fred said on Monday ahead of its elimination final against Perth Glory in Perth on Sunday.

"It's just one game. If you lose, you're out. That's different.

"I'm a little bit older now.

"This time it's different (than with Victory) because also it's a different club. But I can't wait for Sunday to come."

Fred and his team-mates were farewelled for its inaugural finals campaign with an official Victorian state government function on the steps of Melbourne's Parliament House on Monday.

While Fred's old club Victory's season ended in Perth last weekend with a 4-2 loss, he is confident the Heart can go west and prosper - and perhaps go all the way to an unlikely grand final.

"We have to think about Perth first. It's one step, each step," Fred said.

"We have to concentrate. If we play good, we can beat them there."

Fred also knows what to expect from the Glory's main strike weapon Shane Smeltz.

He played alongside Smeltz during a short guest stint at Wellington Phoenix before the New Zealander striker moved to Gold Coast, then the Glory.

Smeltz shredded the Victory last weekend, scoring all four goals to become the A-League's all-time leading goalscorer.

"He's a good player and we have to take care of him, but there's a lot of players we have to take care of," Fred said.

"Our youngest players are more experienced now and they known what they have to do."

Wellington Phoenix's failure to defeat Central Coast Mariners by three or more goals on Sunday - it lost 2-1 - sealed third spot for Perth, giving Glory the chance to play in two home finals.

Although Central Coast and Brisbane Roar remain the hot favourites to reach this season's grand final, Ferguson felt his team was in good enough form to knock off the two powerhouses.

Ferguson's confidence was fuelled by Glory's 4-2 triumph over Melbourne Victory on Saturday night, in which star striker Shane Smeltz bagged four goals to lift his overall tally to an A-League record 62 goals.

And in further good news for Glory, defender Bas van den Brink (calf), skipper Jacob Burns (ribs), midfielder Liam Miller (hamstring) and Josh Mitchell (back) are all on track to return for Sunday's elimination final in Perth.

Midfielder Steven McGarry, who was subbed off at half-time against Victory due to hamstring tightness, also remains in the mix, leaving Ferguson with plenty of options at his disposal.

After guiding Glory to its most successful season since the A-League's inception, Ferguson will meet with club owner Tony Sage on Monday in a bid to secure a multi-year contract extension.

Although Ferguson was proud of his team's third-placed finish, he quickly turned his focus to winning the championship.

"We're in it to win it," Ferguson said.

"I'm not going to play it down that we don't want to win it.

"When I was with Central Coast Mariners (as an assistant coach) we reached two grand finals.

"Anything can happen in the finals. Sixth place can win it. That's the way football is here.

"It's such a tight league and such a good league that anybody can beat anyone on their day."

Victory coach Jim Magilton, who guided his side to two wins, five draws and five losses since taking over from the sacked Mehmet Durakovic in early January, said he would sit down with the club's board this week to discuss his future.

Star-studded Victory notched just 29 points from 27 games to finish a disappointing eighth; well adrift of the top six.

Magilton was non-committal when asked whether he wanted to stay on at the helm, saying he will reveal more once he's met with the club's board.

"The lads have applied themselves terrifically well in training, but unfortunately we just haven't had the results," Magilton said of the failed season.

"We can't hide behind some poor performances but I've really enjoyed it.

"I've been really surprised by the quality. It was nice working with players again and nice being that hot seat."

The Glory, minus the likes of injured trio Jacob Burns, Bas van den Brink and Liam Miller, looked to be in trouble when Mark Milligan's goal in first-half stoppage time put the Victory 2-1 ahead.

But Smeltz, who opened his account in the 23rd minute to cancel out Carlos Hernandez's early strike, was at his dominant best in the second half, scoring another three goals within the space of 18 minutes to seal victory.

Smeltz's four goals brought his A-League career tally to 62, edging past Melbourne Victory's Archie Thompson (60 goals).

But even more importantly, the win put Perth in the box seat to finish third on the table.

The Glory will finish third as long as fourth-placed Wellington don't defeat Central Coast by three or more goals on Sunday.

Third spot would not only guarantee Perth a home elimination final, it would also secure a home minor semi-final should it make it past the first round.

The Glory will take on either Melbourne Heart, Newcastle or Sydney in next week's do-or-die clash.

"Personally to score some goals is nice," Smeltz said after the match.

"I think it's going to be tough for anyone to come here. We're just looking forward to the finals."

Melbourne had no answers to Smeltz's white-hot form.

The 9724 fans had little to cheer about when Hernandez latched on to a beautiful through-ball from Fabio to open the scoring in the 22nd minute.

But Smeltz replied a minute later, heading into an open net after a defensive mix-up between Victory goalkeeper Tando Velaphi and defender Matthew Foschini.

Victory defender Ubay Luzardo was left winded approaching half-time when he copped a clear elbow to the chest from Smeltz.

But it was the Glory who was left stunned in first-half stoppage time when Milligan reacted quickest to Fabio's long-range strike, latching on to the loose ball to power through Victory's second goal.

However, it was all Glory - and more specifically Smeltz - from there.

Smeltz nabbed his second in the 48th minute with a beautiful glancing header off Andrezinho's free kick, and the hat-trick was complete when he clinically nailed a 61st-minute penalty after Milligan brought down Billy Mehmet.

The crowd was in raptures in the 66th minute when Smeltz's curling effort from the edge of the box found the back of the net.

And in an added bonus for Glory, defender Scott Neville made a successful return after recovering from a serious knee injury.

It was a disappointing end to the season for Victory, who finished well adrift of the top-six despite boasting a star-studded squad.

"Strikers can go through these barren spells where they miss chances or don't score goals or they're not playing well. But you can always rely on Smeltzy," Glory coach Ian Ferguson said.

"He's that type of player that will bounce back, shut the critics up and he'll put the goals in the net, and that's what he did tonight.

"He looked very sharp, and he looked really sharp during the week."

Victory coach Jim Magilton conceded his side was blown off the park in the second half.

"Second half we didn't get started, and fell behind and didn't recover. That probably sums up our season really," Magilton said.

With Glory owner Tony Sage intent on cutting costs for next season, a host of out-of-contract players have been offered diminished deals or are yet to be offered extensions.

Former Socceroos defender Chris Coyne claims a growing number of players aren't happy with the delay, and has urged Sage to address their issues as soon as possible.

Even Ferguson's future remains unclear despite guiding Perth to a historic home A-League final.

Ferguson hopes his own situation will be sorted soon after Saturday night's home clash with Melbourne Victory.

But for players such as Coyne, Steve Pantelidis, Andrezinho, Todd Howarth, Scott Neville and Steve McGarry, the situation might not be resolved for some weeks.

"Next month is D-Day for a lot of people, including myself," Ferguson said on Friday. "It's tough, but you've got to get on with it.

"Some players will be able to handle this no problem and some won't.

"I'm trying to keep everybody calm.

"It's pretty difficult because there's been a lot of cuts along the line and we've got to make sure we can give each player that I'm trying to keep a reasonable offer.

"We need to sit down now after this game and hopefully try to sort that out.

"I'm obviously trying to do my best to speak to players and let them know but ... there are some players who have not been spoken to."

After lifting Perth Glory to its best points tally in the A-League, Ferguson wants to sign a two or three-year extension.

But he knows a new deal is by no means a formality.

"If you get too confident or too cocky, you get hit in the head with a mallet somewhere along the line," Ferguson said.

"It's up to Tony whether he wants me to be here.

"I definitely want to be here.

"We've hit the top four when the expectations were top six, so I've got to be happy with that."

Glory sits third but is still in danger of being leapfrogged by Wellington Phoenix, which is equal on points but has scored fewer goals than Perth this season.

Perth will again be without captain Jacob Burns (ribs) and Liam Miller (hamstring), while defender Dean Heffernan is suspended.

Scott Neville and Andrezinho are also likely to miss the game through injury, placing further stress on a squad that lost the services of Mile Sterjovski and Adam Hughes last month to Asian clubs.

Eighth-placed Victory can't make the finals, but is eager to atone for a 4-1 loss to Perth in January.

Heffernan was sent off in the 35th minute after he was adjudged to have elbowed Daniel Bowles in the back of the head when they challenged for a high ball.

The Match Review Panel issued Heffernan with a one (1) match suspension, which will see him miss the final game of the regular season against Melbourne Victory next Saturday.

Up 1-0 at the time, last-placed Gold Coast United went onto win its first game of 2012 virtue of two late goals to James Brown.

Despite the loss, Perth is still guaranteed a home final in the first week of the finals and can finish as high as third. Glory is equal on points (and goal difference) with Wellington Phoenix going into the final round of matches.

The last time Perth Glory played a home final was March 28, 2004. On that day Perth Glory beat Adelaide United 5-0 at Subiaco Oval before going on to win the club’s second NSL championship.

“We look forward to playing our home final at nib Stadium in conjunction with the FFA who will release all relevant details as soon as possible,” Glory Chief Executive Paul Kelly said.

“But first we are hoping for our biggest crowd of the season this Saturday night against Melbourne Victory to support your Glory into the finals.”

“We are happy with our overall performance so far which has resulted in our best Hyundai A-league season.”

“A home final is just reward for our passionate and loyal fans and the general footballing public of Western Australia,” Mr Kelly added.

The first weekend of the Hyundai A-League finals will begin March 30.

The home side put in a mature and polished performance in front of an estimated crowd of only 2000 at Skilled Park.

Zachary Anderson opened the scoring in the sixth minute, finishing off a curving Jake Barker-Daish free kick with an impressive header to give his side a 1-0 lead.

Perth looked uncomfortable from set pieces early and almost let in another goal 10 minutes later, but Steven McGarry was able to deflect a perfectly-placed header from United captain Michael Thwaite.

While Glory was able to slowly play its way back into the contest, the club's aggressive defensive style resulted in more pressure for the away team.

In the 23rd minute, Steve Pantelidis was given a yellow card for a tackle on Chris Harold who limped from the field.

Then in the 36th, referee Kris Griffith-Jones had no hesitation in giving Perth defender Dean Heffernan a straight red card for leading with the elbow in what at first appeared to be a fairly rudimentary aerial challenge on Daniel Bowles.

Fired up by the controversial dismissal of their teammate, Perth created several attacking opportunities but had two shots on goal thwarted by Gold Coast goalkeeper Jerrad Tyson in the space of five minutes.

Tyson was influential between the posts in the second half as well, managing to deny two Glory opportunities on goal in the 60th and 81st minutes.

But it was the home side who showed far more composure than its more-experienced opponents over the course of the game, with Brown taking full advantage of Perth's one-man advantage to put away two goals in the final 10 minutes of the match.

But what it is playing for pales in comparison to what opponents Gold Coast United have on the line.

Perth can ensure its first home final in the A-League era with victory over the dead-last United.

However, a desperate Gold Coast will have its future at stake after all but pleading with locals to pack Skilled Park in a bid to attract potential investors.

United's fate appears bleak after billionaire Clive Palmer was stripped of his A-League licence.

But Football Federation Australia boss Ben Buckley has kept the door ajar, saying a big Gold Coast crowd would only benefit talks he had begun with "interested parties" over the Gold Coast licence.

"Poor attendance has not helped our case in finding new owners," United's Kiwi international keeper Glen Moss told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

"If we as a club can't prove to potential investors that there is strong support from the community, then we might be flogging a dead horse.

"The message is simple. If you want a professional football club on the Gold Coast, then show up to the games."

Glory coach Ian Ferguson knew exactly what to expect from a young United team on Sunday.

"They may not or they may be (playing next season). That's a question for the FFA," he said.

"But these players are going out there to do their best and they're causing teams problems.

"We've got to make sure we don't go up there and underestimate these kids because they've got no fear and they're a team with plenty of mobility and energy."

But Glory won't be short of motivation either despite already locking up a finals spot for only the second time in the A-League.

"This could secure you a top-four position (and home final) if you get a win and hopefully the next week we can secure a top-three position - that's what's at stake here," Ferguson said.

"Even though we've reached our target of top six, we're not happy to just accept that.

"We want to go on and do the best we can and aspire to better things.

"If we want to go on and try to get to grand finals, then there's certain games you have to win and this is one of them."

To do so, they will have to overcome injury - and history.

Jacob Burns (ribs) and Liam Miller (hamstring) are out - although Shane Smeltz returns to the starting side in his first appearance on the tourist strip since leaving United at the end of last season.

And remarkably, Glory has a 1-16 record in Queensland.

Sage, whose disquiet has been echoed by Mariners coach Graham Arnold and Professional Footballers Australia chief Brendan Schwab, revealed one Glory player shed four kilograms in 90 minutes of football and that the issue should now be addressed in the interests of player welfare.

The mining magnate revealed that he has been unsuccessfully lobbying FFA for three years not to stage afternoon kick-offs in Perth during January, February and March.

“Will it take the death of a player to make FFA finally wake up to this issue?" Sage said.

“I’ve been writing to the FFA for three years on this subject and they have done nothing.

"After the match against the Mariners we were left with Jacob Burns suffering a severe rib injury because Josh Rose lost his concentration in the conditions in making a challenge.

“We had another player who lost 4kg, which is a dangerous amount in such a short space of time and you saw Mariners keeper Matthew Ryan make a terrible mistake, again through the conditions, to gift us our match winning goal.

“It’s time to stop this. So what if it effects TV scheduling. What’s more important, having afternoon kick off in Perth to satisfy the TV scheduling of the eastern states or player welfare? It should be a no brainer.

“The game itself was terrible spectacle and with so much of our ground uncovered it was also unacceptable to place our fans in that sort of environment.

“Our home average is around 8500 and we had only 6500-odd for the Mariners game and you can’t blame supporters for not wanting to be there.

"It was a day to be out by the water or someplace cool. Even I would rather have been somewhere else.

“It’s really about time the FFA took some action on this and put back kick off times to after 6.30pm during these months, for the sake of the game as a spectacle, the players and our supporters.

“The situation has become ridiculous and I agree 100 per cent with everything Graham Arnold has said on this issue.

“We’ve had the hottest summer on record just about in Perth and it’s been fortunate that this is the first time this season when we have kicked off when conditions have been intolerable for football.”

Arnold labelled FFA’s refusal to delay the kick-off time as “crazy” with the game beginning in 36.2 degree heat and staying above 30 degrees for the entire match.

FFA made its determination to kick off as scheduled on medical advice, with one doctor saying the game should have been delayed an hour and another saying it was safe to play.

But PFA is seeking urgent clarification, with Schwab saying: “FFA gave us assurances that the game would only go ahead if player welfare was not an issue and we will asking them why the decision was made not to delay the game and why they were satisfied it was safe to proceed.

“Our members feel that these afternoon kick offs in extreme heat really compromise the quality of matches and they can’t perform with the same intensity.

"It’s not just about safety it’s about the ability to produce optimum performances.”

PFA has its own temperature ratings system on how heat affects player performances and the Glory-Mariners clash was the first rated at the “extreme” end of the spectrum. The system works not just on temperatures but also factures in humidity and other variants.

“It’s very concerning,” Schwab said. “The best case is to avoid afternoon kick offs, especially in January. In the old NSL we didn’t kick-off before 6.30pm for example.

“This is the third time in the last two seasons we’ve had games played in conditions deemed as extreme.

"We postpone matches in extreme wet and rain and sometimes there needs to be an appreciation that heats need to be seen in the same vein.

“The bottom line for us in that we are very keen for FFA to avoid most afternoon kick offs. It’s something that we’re going to have to look at.”

Arnold has called for Professional Footballers Australia to step in and take up the issue with Football Federation Australia after the Mariners and Perth Glory were ordered to play in stifling Perth heat on Sunday.

On a day where the maximum reached 41.1C, the temperature was still hovering above 36C at the 4.30pm kick-off time.

Central Coast's doctor had asked for the match to be pushed back to 5.30pm; an outcome Arnold was also keen to achieve.

But their efforts were in vain and Perth eventually won the match 1-0 after a goalkeeping blunder from Mathew Ryan gifted an easy goal to Travis Dodd in the 25th minute.

The A-League's heat concessions allowed for a two-minute drinks break midway through each half.

But it wasn't enough to satisfy Arnold, who believed player welfare had been compromised by not delaying the game.

"For me, I just want some sense. It's crazy playing football in those conditions," Arnold said.

"There were two doctors and a match commissioner who made the decision.

"When our doctor turned up ... he said the match should be delayed by an hour. It's too hot. It's 42 degrees on my phone.

"There used to be a rule in the old NSL that you couldn't kick off before six o'clock in summer. I don't know where that rule's gone.

"For me I could see from the sides that both teams were shot. I just worry about player welfare. Maybe it's something the PFA need to look at.

"Again, it's not an excuse. It's just common sense. I'm not a sore loser at all."

Arnold blamed the stifling conditions for the rib injury suffered by Glory skipper Jacob Burns, who copped an accidental elbow from Mariners defender Josh Rose.

"That Jacob Burns injury probably wouldn't have happened in a game of normal (conditions) because he would have been able to get out of the way, or Josh Rose would have been able to get out of the way," Arnold said.

"But because they're over-fatigued, and their brains aren't functioning properly and their reflexes aren't as sharp, that's what happens."

The Mariners, with just one win from their past seven A-League fixtures, are now just two points clear of second-placed Brisbane Roar.

Arnold was hopeful striker Bernie Ibini (twisted knee) would be fit to tackle Adelaide United at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday.

Burns initially feared he had broken at least one rib after copping an accidental elbow from Central Coast defender Josh Rose on Sunday.

But scans in hospital revealed no break, clearing the path for Burns to feature in this season's finals.

The 33-year-old will remain in Perth this week, but is a chance to return against Melbourne Victory next week.

In further good news for Glory, defenders Steve Pantelidis and Josh Mitchell are free to travel to the Gold Coast despite picking up their fifth yellow card of the season in the 1-0 win over the Mariners.

Under A-League rules, players are suspended for one match if they collect five yellow cards within the first 21 games of the season.

But the number of yellows needed for suspension rises to eight from round 22 onwards.

With 25 rounds of the season already played, Pantelidis and Mitchell are still three cards away from earning a suspension.

Third-placed Perth is guaranteed a finals berth and will lock up a top-four spot with a win over last-placed Gold Coast.

Ryan, playing his 50th game for the Mariners, was looking for a hole to hide in after allowing Todd Howarth's deflected cross to slip through his outstretched gloves.

Glory midfielder Travis Dodd pounced on the fumble to net the easiest of goals in the 25th minute, the win catapulting Perth above Wellington Phoenix into third spot on the table on goal difference.

But in a major blow for Perth, skipper Jacob Burns suffered a suspected cracked rib early in the second half after copping an accidental elbow from Josh Rose.

Central Coast, with just one win from its past seven A-League outings, is now just two points clear of second-placed Brisbane Roar.

The Mariners encountered freezing conditions during the week in their scoreless AFC Champions League 0-0 draw against Tianjin Teda in China.

And with Perth sweltering through a 41 degrees Celsius day, Mariners coach Graham Arnold unsuccessfully lobbied the A-League to have the match moved back by at least half an hour.

The mercury was still hovering above 36 degrees at the 4.30pm kick-off, with players from both teams afforded the luxury of a two-minute drinks break midway through each half.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between in the opening 45 minutes, Ryan's error the glaring exception.

Ryan had the sun in his eyes when he charged off his line to intercept Howarth's cross, with the ball slipping through his outstretched gloves and falling into Dodd's path.

Burns was stretchered off early in the second half with a suspected cracked rib and the Mariners suffered a blow of their own when striker Bernie Ibini limped off shortly after with a knee complaint.

Ryan made a series of sharp saves in the second half, Glory substitute Andrezinho testing him on several occasions.

The Mariners barely fired a shot for the first 75 minutes but exploded to life in the last 15 in a desperate search for an equaliser.

Striker Daniel McBreen came the closest in the 84th minute, only for Glory defender Josh Risdon to clear the goalward-bound header off the line.

Glory coach Ian Ferguson confirmed Burns had been sent off to hospital for scans on his rib.

"It doesn't look good at this point in time. We think it's a cracked rib," Ferguson said later.

Marquee striker Smeltz has missed the past three games, including Thursday night's 2-0 away triumph against Adelaide United, with an ankle injury.

And midfielder Miller has been sidelined the past two matches with a hamstring strain.

But Ferguson expected both would return for Perth's next fixture, against pacesetter Central Coast Mariners on Sunday week.

"I'm hoping they'll both be back next week," Ferguson said.

"The squad is running along nicely."

Ferguson said Glory's destiny was "totally" in its own hands with three games remaining before the finals.

Perth hosts Central Coast before a scheduled away fixture against Gold Coast United, with a home match against Melbourne Victory to complete the season before the finals.

"In the last 10 games, when you get to the business end of the season, I think we have had six victories which has been excellent," he said.

"To win that many games has been really positive for the boys.

"We're delighted with the reaction that we have had in the last 10 games."

The young striker has signed a two-year contract with the Jets but will see out the remainder of the current campaign with Glory.

Taggart made his A-League debut in 2010 and has represented Australia in the U20’s and U23’s.

"It is pleasing to have someone the quality of Adam, who I worked with at the AIS, come to the Jets," coach Gary van Egmond said.

"It is a good credit to him, particularly at his young age, to have been involved in the Olympic qualifiers and it just shows how highly regarded he is."

"He will fit into the culture we are trying to build at the Jets and we look forward to working with him when he arrives here."

Taggart said he looks forward to his move to Newcastle and reuniting with coaches Van Egmond and Arthur Pappas.

"I am very excited at the opportunity to work with Gary and Arthur again, both of whom I really enjoyed working with at the AIS," the 18-year old said.

"It’s a very exciting time to be part of the Jets who are making big plans for the future which I think is obvious through their recruitment and retention of several exciting players."

"I think the time is now right to take the next step in my career and challenge myself in a different environment."

"I am looking forward to playing as much first team football as possible next season and making a real impact on the league."

Meanwhile, the exodus from Perth continues with the club confirming the release of Adam Hughes.

The midfielder follows Mile Sterjovski's lead, who left the club earlier this week bound for Dalian Aerbin, and is heading to China with Dalian Yiteng FC.

Striker Billy Mehmet and captain Jacob Burns scored in a victory at Hindmarsh Stadium that hoisted Perth above Wellington Phoenix.

Before Adelaide's lowest home crowd of 5,898 - more than 4000 short of their stadium average - the Glory took a sixth-minute lead through a controversial goal to Mehmet.

Perth's scoring sortie started when defender Dean Heffernan clashed with Bruce Djite on the wing, leaving the Adelaide attacking player sprawled on the turf after apparent high contact.

As Djite writhed, Glory thrived and ex-Adelaide skipper Travis Dodd was pivotal.

Dodd, in open space, advanced along the right flank and when five metres from goal pulled the trigger with a powerful right-footer from a tight angle.

The ball crossed the face to Mehmet, almost on the goal line, and he capitalised, although replays showed he was off-side.

Adelaide, stuck in ninth spot with just five wins, fell further behind when an audacious shot from Burns found the net in the 24th minute.

Burns, about 20 yards from goal, pounced on a hurried headed clearance from an Adelaide side with the worst defensive record in the competition.

The Glory captain launched a brilliant strike with the outside of his right foot, which beat Adelaide keeper Eugene Galekovic.

Perth expertly protected its lead for the remainder of the half with stingy defence, allowing the Reds just one shot on target - a speculative strike from Cassio in the fifth minute.

It took the Reds until the 77th minute to seriously threaten, when Glory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic fumbled a corner.

The spillage fell to Adelaide's Nigel Boogard, who slotted it into the net, only for the goal to be disallowed by referee Matt Gillett, who mistakenly believed Vukovic was interfered with.

Adelaide substitute Fabian Barbiero was sent off five minutes from time for an off-the-ball digression with Perth's Dean Heffernan to cap a horror night for the Reds.

Adelaide coach John Kosmina admitted the opening goal hurt his team and that it was just not going to be the Reds’ night.

“You’ve got to deal with those things I guess, take it on the jaw, but it probably sums our season up – when things go against you they really go against you, and I thought we had a legitimate goal disallowed as well,” Kosmina said, in his reflection of Mehmet’s opener and Boogaard’s strike.

“It’s a tough one. I didn’t know goalkeepers could earn free kicks for dropping the ball because that’s all that happened – no one touched him.”

“But it was a decision that went against us and it was just another one of the thousand cuts that we’ve been dying by lately.”

The ninth-placed Reds host Perth Glory on Thursday night before departing for Uzbekistan and an AFC Champions League fixture against Bunyodkor in Tashlent next Tuesday.

Kosmina says United want to salvage something from its horror A-League season, which has returned just five wins amid the worst scoring and defensive record in the competition.

"The A-League is not gone," Kosmina said.

"We want to win games - there are four games left to win and we have got to try and win them.

"It's important that we do win games.

"We need to win a game at home, we need to win it for the supporters, we need to win it for the owners, we need to win it for the players, for ourselves."

Kosmina recalled defender Daniel Mullen and Antony Golec after their Olyroos duties for a fixture which marks striker Sergio van Dijk's 100th A-League appearance.

"He has been a fantastic acquisition for Australian football, his goal-scoring record speaks for itself," Kosmina said of his attacking frontman.

The Reds will confront their former captain Travis Dodd, returning to Hindmarsh Stadium as a Perth player.

"Travis plays for Perth now so he's an opponent," Kosmina said.

"We have got to be aware of the good things and the qualities he has got - his pace, his experience and the fact he might be trying to prove a point because he hasn't played against us yet."

Kosmina said a key factor would be eliminating mistakes.

"A lot of times you get away with mistakes, but we make one mistake and we get punished for it," he said.

"Maybe that is just the space we're in at the moment.

"You make your own luck so maybe we need a little bit more good intention ... go out and have a serious go from right down deep inside, not just a pretend go, and you might get something out of it."

Sterjovski has been in a rich vein of form for the West Australia club this season, but Glory said in a statement it will agree to terminate the final two months of his contract if he agrees terms with Dalian.

“Mile has received an offer which he couldn’t refuse,” Perth Glory coach Ian Ferguson said.

“Perth Glory has never stood in the way of players wanting to play overseas and it’s a blow to lose Mile at this stage of the season.

“But we are not the only A-League club in this situation, and the contracts players are been offered in Asia is something we can’t match at the moment.

“We wish Mile the very best and respect his wishes.”

Sterjovski signed with Glory as its marquee player amid much hype in 2009, after stints abroad at Lille, FC Basel and Derby County.

His international career - 43 matches for the Socceroos - has since stalled, although he has been integral in Perth's mid-season resurgance, netting four goals in 16 appearances.

Henrique was given a straight red card on Saturday night, having slapped Burns in the face in the 65th minute of the A-League game in Perth.

The Brazilian retaliated after copping an elbow, which was deemed accidental, to the face from Burns just moments earlier as the pair contested a ball.

Brisbane was already 3-0 ahead and the Glory couldn't profit from having an extra man.

The FFA match review panel confirmed that Henrique committed the offence of assault when not challenging for the ball.

The two-match sanction comprises the mandatory penalty for the red card plus one game for the assault.

Brisbane issued a statement saying there would be no appeal and that Henrique would next be available for the opening AFC Champions League fixture against FC Tokyo, to be played in Brisbane on 6 March.

With Roar three goals to the good thanks largely to a brace from Besart Berisha, Henrique was shown a straight red in the 65th minute for his swift but stern slap to the face of Perth skipper Jacob Burns.

The slap was an act of revenge for Henrique after he copped an accidental elbow to the face from Burns just moments earlier as the pair contested a ball.

Perth couldn't capitalise on the numerical advantage, with Brisbane's fourth win on the trot taking it to within three points of Central Coast Mariners, which faces Melbourne Heart on Sunday.

Perhaps even more importantly, Roar (41 points) is now five points clear in second spot, ahead of third-placed Wellington Phoenix (36) with Glory (34) fourth.

And in an added bonus, Roar proved it could flourish without attacking linchpin Thomas Broich, who missed the match with a shoulder injury.

Brisbane slumped to five straight losses earlier this season when Broich was out injured, but showed no signs of vulnerability against Glory.

Henrique scored the opener in the 21st minute, but it was Berisha who deserved much of the kudos after his beautiful through ball sliced open Perth's defence.

The fiery Albanian had one of his own in the 59th minute when he trapped Henrique's cross in the box, held off defender Bas van den Brink before whistling the ball past Glory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic.

And the double was complete when Berisha tapped home a simple volley from point-blank range in the 63rd minute after Vukovic charged off his line to defuse Nick Fitzgerald's run.

But in front of 10,367 fans, Henrique stole the headlines with his moment of madness, ruling him out of next Friday's home clash with Melbourne Heart.

If all goes to plan over the next eight weeks, Heffernan and Ferguson will realise that dream together - at Perth Glory.

Perth is becoming increasingly bullish about its season, with a run of six wins and a draw from its past eight games catapulting it to third on the table.

A win over second-placed Brisbane on Saturday night will thrust Glory to within a single point of the Roar.

Heffernan was part of the Central Coast side that made it all the way through to the grand final in 2005/06 and said there was a similarly confident feeling brewing at Perth.

Glory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic was also part of that Mariners side and declared his team ready to win the championship this season.

Heffernan agrees and says if will be all the more special given Vukovic and Glory coach Ferguson can share in the joy.

"After I broke my leg, I do remember Fergie saying to me 'not to worry, you'll get another chance to play in a grand final'," Heffernan said.

"I think about those days all the time, It's hard to get out of my head.

"There's just a similar sort of feeling to what it was like at the Mariners.

"Everyone wants to win and we know what's at stake.
"Our first aim is to get into the top six, but we want more than that."

While bad luck robbed Heffernan of the chance to appear in the 07/08 decider, the 31-year-old has timed his run perfectly this season.

After a delayed return from his loan deal in China and a knee injury on his arrival in Perth, Heffernan is finally fit and firing.

But the former Mariner and Heart defender admits he faces a tough fight to keep his spot ahead of Todd Howarth, who returned from injury off the bench in last week's 2-0 win over Newcastle.

Broich has been ruled out of the second versus third blockbuster with a shoulder injury, leaving the Roar vulnerable against a Glory outfit that has won six of its past eight matches to close to within four points of second spot.

But the Glory was also dealt a major blow on Friday, with star striker Shane Smeltz (ankle) and midfielder Liam Miller (hamstring) ruled out through injury.

Brisbane's struggles without Broich have been evident for all to see this season, with the Roar losing five straight games immediately after the German playmaker succumbed to a heel complaint last December.

But Postecoglou remains defiant, saying his team are good enough to win without Broich. "If people have doubts about us without Thomas, there's only one way to dispel those doubts," Postecoglou told reporters on Friday.

"Obviously, Thomas has been playing well for us.

"It's just another challenge. It's good.

"We're not clear of third spot at the moment. It's a big game for both clubs. They can bridge a gap on us and we can certainly cement second spot.

"It's a good one - these are the games you want leading into a finals series."

Perth Glory coach Ian Ferguson said Broich's absence didn't mean his team could rest easy.

"They're not just a one-man band," Ferguson said.

"You've got (Mitch) Nichols there. You've got (Besart) Berisha there up front. You've got (Sayed) Adnan from the back that can get on set pieces and take set pieces."

Ferguson said he would have played Smeltz this week had it been a major final.

"He could get through 60, 70 minutes but then you might miss him for the next four or five weeks. So that's not what I want to do," Ferguson said.

Brisbane remain intent on eating into Central Coast's six-point ladder lead.

And although Olyroos representatives Matt Jurman and Rocky Visconte are expected to return against Perth, midfielder Massimo Murdocca is set to remain in Brisbane as his wife gives birth to their first child.

Roar coach Ange Postecoglou has confirmed Broich would not travel to Perth for Saturday night's match after struggling to recover from the injury he sustained in last weekend's 3-2 win over Melbourne Victory.

Postecoglou said he needed all his players fully fit for the defending champion's tussle with third-placed Glory, which sits four points behind on the A-League table.

But the influential German's absence could be highly costly as Brisbane, which struggled badly without an injured Broich earlier in the season, attempts to eat into Central Coast's six-point ladder lead.

"It's a tough trip anyway; they're in good form and it will be a tough game," the coach said. "Obviously Thomas has been playing well for us.

"It's just another challenge. It's good.

"If people have doubts about us without Thomas there's only one way to dispel those doubts."

Midfield workhorse Massimo Murdocca is also unlikely to make Roar's flight to Perth on Friday afternoon with his wife in labour and set to deliver their first child.

But Olyroos representatives Matt Jurman and Rocky Visconte are set to bolster Brisbane's line-up after returning from Australia's failed Olympic qualifying campaign.

Glory has lost just once in its past 10 games since the 32-year-old broke into the side in a restructured 4-2-3-1 formation, scoring four times and announcing himself as a pivotal presence in Ian Ferguson’s line-up.

He will loom large again on Saturday night at nib Stadium as Glory seeks to pick up the three points that would shave the gap on second-placed Roar to just a point with four rounds remaining.

But McGarry feels uncertainty over the future of players could inhibit rather than enhance the performances of some players.

“While you always try and do your best there are maybe some players who might be affected by the situation," he said. "At this stage of the season small margins are very important.

“The fact the club has resigned a few of the boys while so many haven’t been informed yet about their futures is unsettling.

“The boss Ian Ferguson has said he wants me to stay but officially I’ve heard nothing and that has been a bit disillusioning.

“Obviously the boss himself is waiting on a new contract, so that maybe complicates the situation a little.

“There is nothing on the table yet. I want to stay but I also don’t want to be messed about.

“I am here with my wife and kid and I am keen to know what the situation is. It’s been a slow process though.

“I feel we have a good squad here now and you don’t want to lose the majority of the boys.

"For me it should be about building rather than dismantling.”

McGarry, whose creativity and finishing prowess has given Glory a cutting edge, has been approached by another A-League club and has some interest in Scotland.

“I am happy here, so is the family, so hopefully the sooner things are sorted out the better," he said.

"There are a lot of A-League players in the same situation and it does create pressure.

"I spent 15 years in Scotland playing and I would rather to stay in Australia if that’s possible.”

So far skipper Jacob Burns, striker Billy Mehmet and defender Josh Risdon have sealed new deals, leaving striker Adam Taggart, McGarry and fellow midfielders Tommy Amphlett, Andrezinho, Mile Sterjovski and Victor Sikora as well as defenders Steve Pantelidis, Josh Mitchell, Chris Coyne, Scott Neville, Todd Howarth and Dean Heffernan sweating on contract negotiations.

Ferguson, himself, will not be informed on his fate until the competition of the regular season by owner Tony Sage, though he looks almost certain to be retained.

McGarry said victory over Roar is essential if Glory is to take a genuine shot at second spot and a double chance in the finals.

“This is certainly our biggest game of the season so far for sure," he said.

“The result will go a long way to deciding whether we’re in with a shot of the top two. We are confident but you have to be wary of a team as good as Brisbane.

“They are back to their very best. I played in our 3-3 draw against them this season and also a 4-0 drubbing, so I know what we’re facing.”

McGarry puts Glory’s resurgence down to the formation change.

“The system we have suits us," he said.

"Some of our players and the manager sas it’s down to hard work but I disagree with that. I feel the way we play now suits the players we have.

“It’s best to play a system that works for you … even though it meant the manager had to make a choice between Shane Smeltz and Billy Mehmet up front.”

Mehmet’s goal in the 2-0 win over Newcastle Jets is no guarantee of him retaining his place though, with Smeltz fit again after missing last weekend's game with an ankle injury.

Certainly Roar doesn't need to be reminded coach Ange Postecoglou will demand nothing less than perfection against Perth.

While playmaker Broich was nursing a shoulder complaint at training on Thursday, Roar is still smarting from the roasting it received from Postecoglou the last time it was in Perth.

Postecoglou described his side as "cowardly" and rated its effort "unacceptable" after escaping with a 3-3 draw with Glory in last month's clash.

"I still remember that one – I haven't forgotten," Roar vice-captain Shane Stefanutto laughed.

"We didn't play as well as we would have liked. We got away with a point which was probably lucky.

"But this time we are going over with a bit of momentum and a positive mindset."

Roar does appear well and truly over its mid-season slump, stringing three wins together including its pulsating 3-2 win over Melbourne Victory.

But Brisbane's form hinges on a fit Broich – and the German midfielder still seemed troubled by his left shoulder at training on Thursday after damaging it in the clash with Victory.

"We will give him as long as he needs," Stefanutto said.

"That was his first training session all week, so he was a bit hesitant.

"Fingers crossed he will be okay."

Broich was benched in the 50th minute against Victory due to the injury but Roar still held on to claim a memorable win and maintain pressure on leader Central Coast.

Not that Postecoglou was satisfied.

"Maybe I am a grumpy old bastard," Postecoglou said after the match.

Stefanutto said the side's coach would not be letting up in Perth this weekend – and the team wouldn't have it any other way.

"He sets such high expectations and we love that," he said.

"We love that he is never happy. That goes to show the club we want to be, and the players buy into that – we support that 100 per cent."

Roar's premiership hopes were helped by dead-last Gold Coast holding the Mariners to a 3-3 draw on Wednesday night.

Brisbane trails Central Coast by six points with five rounds left – but only leads Perth Glory by four.

"We know they are right on our heels, and we are going to their home ground which is not easy – but we love challenges like this," Stefanutto said.

"If we are going to be a successful club we have to go away and get results, just like we will have to in Asia [AFC Champions League]."

Palmer, who is locked in a verbal stoush with Football Federation Australia over a range of issues, contacted fellow mining magnate Sage a week ago to seek his support for the proposal.

While Sage has his own grievances with the governing body over the running of the A-League, he sought to dissuade Palmer from proceeding with the plan on the basis that world governing body FIFA would not sanction a rebel league.

It is believed Palmer also canvassed the support of another disillusioned A-League boss, Newcastle Jets chief Nathan Tinkler, who has threatened FFA with legal action after parting with millions - the undisclosed amount is understood to be the largest paid by any of the A-league’s 10 owners - to buy the franchise license.

“I had recent discussions with Clive and he did suggest the idea of a competition replacing the A-league and being run independently of FFA," Sage said.

“I explained to him how that would put Australia outside the umbrella of FIFA and that you wouldn’t be able to sign FIFA-registered players and play in FIFA-sanctioned competitions and he understood that.

“There’s no way it could happen here, unlike in rugby league where of course it did a number of years back. So the idea got knocked on the head pretty quickly.”

Sage revealed the owners have a number of demands they want the embattled governing body to address, including the appointment to the board of a representative for the clubs.

“I think that is a necessity," Sage said. "I have spoken to A-League chief Lyall Gorman, Ben Buckley and Frank Lowy about it and it needs to happen. It’s something the owners all agree on.

“The guys who have funded the A-League to the tune of $40-50 million since its inception and deserve a say in the running of the game and how their money is spent.

“What Clive is saying is that all they want is somebody on the board promoting their viewpoints. We all support him in that ambition.”

Sage is also pushing hard for FFA to lift the salary cap from $1.2 million to $2.5 million, as well as picking up the travel and accommodation expenses for squads of 20 when a team plays away from its home ground.

“We get about half the salary cap and all the accommodation is paid for by the clubs,” Sage said. “That doesn’t happen in the NRL or the AFL and is the biggest single problem facing the clubs.

"To me fixing that up is the number one priority.

“We need to match up with the other codes on this. If we can get this through then I think you will see the financial burden on the owners ease substantially and the clubs will become a lot more viable.”

The owners are also lobbying FFA to relax its restrictions on club sponsorships.

“The AFL has Toyota as the major sponsor and Ford is allowed to sponsor Geelong," Sage said. "In the A-League you have Hyundai as an exclusive backer and no club is currently able to find a car company to support it, or a telco for that matter.

“That needs to change when existing deals come up for renewal.”

Sage agrees with Palmer that FFA should look at its own wage structures in the wake of the Gold Coast chief’s claim on The World Game that its top five executives earn in excess of $5 million, while the clubs are starved of funds.

“Clive makes a lot of good points and the FFA should listen to him. He’s a very wealthy man who has made his money all by himself,” Sage said.

“The FFA should also listen to the other owners. Clive says things in a way that get attention.

"He’s very colourful and he asks for people’s heads to roll. That’s his way of doing things, it’s not mine necessarily. Nor the other owners.

“We do it behind closed doors - which way will work I don’t know but there certainly needs to be change. Clive is highlighting a lot of things that the other owners agree with.”

Sage believes that when negotiations for a new TV rights package with Fox Sports are concluded over the next 12 months, FFA will fulfill its promise to deliver the clubs the full salary cap cash.

“That’s my belief. It’s unfortunate that is still 12 months away, in which time the clubs will lose even more money,” he said.

“But clubs in the NRL and AFL are also losing money and they have far better TV rights deals than us. So this is not just an A-League affliction. It’s across sport.

"Sponsorships and memberships have fallen because of hard times in the Australian marketplace.”

Sage fears the ongoing dispute between FFA and Palmer, in which the latter called for the head of Buckley and challenged FFA to take him to court, could harm the brand.

“It looks like two sides have gone to their corners and have come out fighting," Sage said. "It’s not good to see our dirty laundry aired in public. I don’t think it’s the way to do it."

Goals to substitute Adam Hughes and Billy Mehmet either side of half-time were enough to sink the Jets who looked a shadow of the team that had strung together three straight wins.

Victory allowed Perth (34 points) to leapfrog Wellington Phoenix (33) into third spot, while sixth-placed Newcastle (28) will drop out of the top six if Sydney FC defeats Adelaide United on Sunday.

Glory suffered an early blow when midfielder Liam Miller, who scuffed a straight forward chance to open the scoring in the fifth minute, limped off with a hamstring injury just seven minutes later.

The setback proved to be a blessing in disguise, with Miller's replacement Hughes latching onto Josh Risdon's pinpoint cross to head into the net in the 16th minute.

Hughes looked set to complete his double when he unleashed a fierce shot from outside the box in the 34th minute.

But a brilliant fingertip save from goalkeeper Ben Kennedy sent the ball crashing onto the crossbar with the woodwork also denying Steve McGarry's follow-up strike.

Newcastle, minus injured skipper Jobe Wheelhouse, struggled to create any clear-cut chances on goal in the opening half and it was a similar case in the second as Perth created all the opportunites.

Hughes was again denied by the woodwork when he sent a long-range strike crashing into the upright.

But it mattered little, with Mehmet putting Glory 2-0 ahead in the 59th minute when he angled a floating header over Kennedy.

Glory could have easily ended the match with four goals to its name given the amount of chances created in front of 8108 fans.

Glory coach Ian Ferguson said Miller was taken off as a precaution, but would undergo scans to determine the extent of the damage.

"We had to make a change early on and I thought Hughes was outstanding," Ferguson said.

"I thought he was the best player on the park tonight. I'm pleased for him because he's had to wait and be patient, and he's come in and done a good job."

Newcastle coach Gary van Egmond admitted his side was outplayed for long periods.

"I felt we were probably second to the ball, especially towards the back end of the second half," Van Egmond said.

"Unfortunately we weren't as good as we could have been."

Smeltz, who has been battling the ankle complaint for several weeks now, has had a blood injection in the area in a bid to finally fix the issue.

The 30-year-old will need to rest for about four days but is expected to return for Saturday week's home clash with Brisbane Roar, where he will be aiming to score his 10th goal of the season.

Billy Mehmet, who signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday, will be a straight swap for Smeltz in the starting line-up against Newcastle.

"That's the beauty of having two spots for each position, where if one drops out you've got another quality player to come in and hopefully Billy can do the job," coach Ian Ferguson said on Friday.

In some promising news for Glory, defender Scott Neville is poised to return from a long-term knee injury via the Youth League team next week, while Todd Howarth (groin) and Josh Mitchell (knee) are on track to link up with the youth side this weekend.

Fifth-placed Newcastle (28 points) will join Glory in fourth spot should it record a fourth straight win.

Perth's eight-game unbeaten run was brought to a halt by last week's 2-1 loss at Sydney FC, and Ferguson said it was crucial his players bounced back immediately.

"This is a massive game for us. It's a six-pointer," Ferguson said.

With a host of players still uncontracted for next season, Ferguson admitted it was a delicate balancing act in trying to ensure team harmony remained strong.

"That's always been my biggest fear," Ferguson said.

"We've got a lot of players out of contract and we've got to try and keep as many as we can

"With budgets getting cut and so on we have to be careful, we can't just rush in and sign all these players.

"We've got to take our time and make sure the budget will work out so we can take on as many players as possible."

Burns, a former Australia international whose overseas career also included a stint at Leeds United, has been one of Glory's most consistent performers over the past three years and won the club's most valuable player award last season.

The 33-year-old, a former Socceroo whose overseas career included a stint at Leeds United, has been one of Glory's most consistent performers over the past three seasons.

Burns said he was over the moon to secure his playing future for the next two years, and revealed he was already eyeing off a coaching role down the track.

"I've done my C-Licence and I'm definitely going to go ahead and push for my B and my A licences through the next couple of seasons," Burns said.

"I've enjoyed my time thoroughly and I'm very thankful for the opportunity to remain here and I really want to be a big part of the football team after football."

Mehmet, who started his career at West Ham in England before moving to Scotland, spent eight months at Turkish club Genclerbirligi before signing for Perth last September on a one-year deal.

The 28-year-old said he couldn't be happier with the move.

"Off the park in Turkey you didn't know what was happening," Mehmet said.

"You'd go out there and you wouldn't get paid on time, sometimes you wouldn't even be training with the team.

"If you wanted to do extra work like a bit of shooting there was no goalkeeper. It was honestly a completely different world.

"But here I'm happy and I'm delighted I've got this sorted.

"The boys are brilliant. It's a friendly group, the banter is brilliant and we're tight."

Mehmet was a mainstay in the starting XI earlier this season, but has been forced to ply his trade off the bench in recent times with coach Ian Ferguson opting to play Shane Smeltz as a lone striker.

"It's a battle, but whoever plays we'll both support each other."

Fourth-placed Perth (31 points) will be aiming to bolster its chances for a home final when it hosts fifth-placed Newcastle Jets (28) on Saturday night.

The former Blackburn skipper, back from injury, was the Sky Blues' hero, scoring the first goal and setting up Brazilian import Bruno Cazarine for the second, while Billy Mehmet pulled one back in the dying minutes for Glory.

With the valuable three points, Sydney leapfrogs Melbourne Victory to sit in seventh place on the ladder but equal on 27 points with six-placed Melbourne Heart.

Fourth-placed Perth remains unchanged on the ladder.

Perth was on the attack from the start with Steven McGarry having a shot with just a minute on the clock but the host replied with Joel Chianese, in his starting debut in place of injured striker Mark Bridge (ankle), also attempting a strike moments later.

Sydney gloveman Ivan Necevski, in only his second start this season after Liam Reddy was axed after last week's 5-2 thumping at the hands of Newcastle Jets, was tested by the Glory attack midway through the opening stanza.

Shane Smeltz fired a shot with Necevski forced into action again only seconds later by Travis Dodd.

Glory came out in the second-half looking to create chances and it didn't take long with Dodd attempting a strike only a minute after the whistle.

But it was the host who finally broke the deadlock in the 54th minute when Slovakian import Karol Kisel cut the ball back to stand-in skipper Emerton, leading the side in place of suspended captain Terry McFlynn, who scored with a superb volley for his fourth goal of the season but first from open play.

The goal, delighting the 8508 Sydney faithful at the SFS, seemed to spark the Sky Blues into action with Nicky Carle and Chianese trying to double the Sky Blues' lead, both strikes forcing saves from Perth 'keeper Daniel Vukovic.

It was Sydney's top-scorer this season, Cazarine, who put the host 2-0 up in the 72nd minute getting on the end of an Emerton cross into the box to head home for his seventh goal.

The visitor pulled one back in the 86th minute, however, when Mehmet got on the end of a Dean Heffernan ball and, despite appearing offside, slotted home for 2-1.

Last weekend's 5-2 thrashing by Newcastle Jets represented Sydney's fifth loss in 10 home games, only three of which it has won.

The crushing defeat bumped Sydney out of the top six.

Fourth-placed Perth comes to Sydney riding high on the back of an eight-match unbeaten streak.

Sydney coach Vitezslav Lavicka said every game was like a grand final for his club, while marquee player Brett Emerton attached enormous importance to the SFS clash.

"I think its arguably probably the most important game of our season so far," Emerton told reporters.

"Perth are doing very well, but that doesn't mean that we can't go out here and get one over them, because I think historically we've done pretty well against them in the past, so I think we can do it again.

"It's a massive game on the weekend."

Perth has scored 11 goals in its past three games, beating the three lowest teams on the ladder, but expects a far tougher assignment against Sydney.

"We know this Saturday is going to be a massive game," Perth midfielder Steven McGarry told AAP.

"I think the situation there (Sydney) just now, there's a lot of pressure on their guys over there.

"They lost their last home game 5-2, so I'm sure those guys will be definitely wanting to rectify the situation there. It will be a really really tough game."

Lavicka, who will leave Sydney at the end of the season, apologised for the "embarrassing" display against Newcastle.

He said he had told his players not to give up on their season and pick themselves up physically and psychologically.

The two previous match-ups between the sides this season resulted in a 1-0 win for Sydney in Perth, where it absorbed enormous second-half pressure, and a 1-1 draw in Campbelltown.

"Every game against Sydney is always a tough game. It's always quite evenly matched - there's always maybe one or two goals in it," McGarry said.

"I think it's going to be pretty cagey early on and I think the first goal is going to be really vital."

Sydney welcomes back Emerton from a hamstring injury but has lost skipper Terry McFlynn to suspension and striker Mark Bridge to an ankle problem.

Back to his brilliant best, reports have suggested Sterjovski could be picked by Socceroos coach Holger Osieck for the FIFA World Cup qualifier at AMMI Stadium in Melbourne but Glory’s Australian marquee says he has no interest returning.

“No, none at all," Sterjovski said.

“There is plenty of good young players coming through that can do a great job and I am happy with the way my life has gone and the decisions I have made, so definitely not.”

Sterjovski’s recent form has been one of the reasons why Perth has surged to fourth spot on the A-League table and the star forward is wary of Sydney FC after its loss to Newcastle Jets.

“They are looking to bounce back so we are expecting a tough game from them.”

Saturday’s clash at the Sydney Football Stadium will be the third time the two sides have met this season and the second time in a month.

“It is a bit unusual but that’s the kind of league it is, you play teams all over the place but we’re ready to play, we have been on a bit of a roll and are looking for it to continue.”

Sydney FC will be without striker Mark Bridge (ankle injury) but Socceroos midfielder Brett Emerton returns, a player Sterjovski knows extremely well from their time in the national team together.

“He’ll be a big boost for them, he’s a great player, he’ll give them a big lift," Sterjovski added.

Two days after Ferguson expressed his desire for a multi-year deal to continue his transformation of the club, Sage held fast to the handshake agreement which set the completion of the 2011-2012 campaign as the trigger for a decision on Ferguson’s future.

Speaking from South Africa, where the mining magnate is on business, Sage said: “I’ve been under immense pressure to sack Ian during the horror stretch of results we had last year and I backed him all the way.

“Just now because he is having a good run doesn’t mean that I will go back down on the agreement we had that a decision would be made at the end of 27 rounds.

“That was the agreement and I am not suddenly going to change my mind now. I shook his hand at the beginning of the season and he has not come back to me now to change that and I am not going to go to him either.

“We both know the situation. He is a gentleman and he is not bringing any pressure on me now while I didn’t bring any pressure on him during the horror stretch.

“He’s brilliant but he still has seven games to go, so let’s get through those 27 games.”

Sage expressed his delight at an eight-match unbeaten run which has turned Glory from also-ran to title contender.

“We had a terrible run of injuries – and losing the spine at the back four the season in Scott Neville and Chris Coyne – was a major blow for us which many people under-estimated,” he added.

“That’s why conceded so many sloppy goals. We also need at least 13 games to gel after changing 13 squad players from last season to this, so it was always a case of being patient.”

Travis Dodd, one of the new faces and the scorer of Glory’s fourth in the 4-0 Monday night romp over Gold Coast United, believes Ferguson deserves some credit after being cast as a pariah by many Glory fans earlier in the campaign.

“It’s a credit to the gaffer. From day one he never blamed the players and shouldered the responsibility for results.

“There were a lot of people wanting him out of the club but he showed enormous belief in the players and hopefully now we are starting to repay some of that.

“He’s turned things around for us and results are speaking for themselves now. He’s said that he’d like to be here for a few more years to build on where the club is at now and I’d like to see him stay.

“He’s the kind of manager you can talk to and being a Scotsman you always know where you stand with him. That’s what you want from a manager.”

Dodd is wary of talk of a top-two finish, even though Glory only trails Wellington by two points ahead of the match against Sydney FC at the SFS on Saturday.

“It has been mentioned but our objective was always top six and we’re in a position to go on that. I’ve always said we have a great squad here and there’s no reason why we can’t go on and challenge for the title.

“We’re undefeated since Christmas but we are certainly not in a position where we can get carried away with ourselves.”

Ferguson's side took another step towards securing a top-four berth with a crushing 4-0 victory over struggling Gold Coast United at nib Stadium on Monday night.

The result extended Perth's unbeaten run to a club record eight games, but more importantly created a four-point gap between it and fifth-placed Heart.

Ferguson is out of contract at season's end but is almost certain to be offered a new deal barring a remarkable collapse in form.

However, the Scotsman wants more than just a one-year extension in order to ensure the progress made this season won't be lost.

"If I get a new contract, I want a two to three year deal where we can try and take this club forward, where this club is going to be a top-six regular and not a yo-yo club," Ferguson said.

"(Club owner) Tony (Sage) knows my plans and knows my feelings.

"I'm not going to put pressure on anybody. Tony's been great.

"Ten or 11 weeks ago I was under a lot of pressure where a lot of people were calling for my head and he could have easily put me out the door, but he didn't.

"He stuck by me and it's great things have turned around."

Gold Coast coach Miron Bleiberg labelled Perth a genuine championship contender, saying it had the depth and talent to challenge high-flyers Central Coast and Brisbane.

"You get the calibre of Andrezinho, Billy Mehmet and Adam Hughes on the bench ... any of these players could walk into my team with red carpet," Bleiberg said.

"Even if you have one or two injuries, you have the depth.

"I'm not sure if the Roar or the Mariners have the same depth.

"And again Perth have the advantage of not going to play in Asia (for the Asian Champions League).

"It's tiring.

"What will happen in the finals when they (Roar and Mariners) will come travelling from Asia, from Uzbekistan, from China, and your guys will wait for them here hungry.

"With a bit of luck in the draw, Perth can go all the way."

Perth Glory has plundered 11 goals in its past three matches, and will be eager to continue that hot form when it takes on an out-of-sorts Sydney FC at the SFS on Saturday night.

Gold Coast takes on fellow battler Adelaide United at Skilled Park on Sunday.

Emerton missed his side's embarrassing 5-2 thumping at the hands of Newcastle Jets on Sunday with a hamstring injury.

The former Blackburn Rovers midfielder has battled a hamstring strain this season and suffered a recurrence of the problem in the 2-2 draw against Melbourne Victory on Australia Day.

Sydney FC will have to do battle without captain Terry McFlynn, who misses the match through suspension, leaving the door open for youngsters Mitchell Mallia and Joel Chianese, who made an impressive A-League debut off the bench against Newcastle.

Sydney dropped out of the top six for the first time this season as Newcastle took sixth spot.

It happened just two days after the club announced coach Vitezslav Lavicka would be leaving at the end of the season.

Glory led 1-0 at half time thanks to a Steven McGarry goal in the 18th minute, but in fairness it should have been more such was its dominance.

The second half saw Perth run away with game, Liam Miller, Travis Dodd and an Adama Traore own goal, completing a good win for the competition's in-form team.

The win kept Perth in fourth spot, but just two points behind second-placed Wellington Phoenix.

Glory dominated the match from the outset, with Gold Coast looking somewhat leg weary after playing mid-week in Launceston against Melbourne Victory.

So it was little wonder when McGarry gave the 7,681 fans a lot to cheer about after 18 minutes, nodding home from close range.

Glory continued to press but the normally clinical finishing of Shane Smeltz deserted him, missing three quick chances that he would normally have taken. The closest of these was his second effort that beat United goalkeeper Chris O'Connor but not the post, while O'Connor saved the third effort with his legs.

It was more of the same at the start of the second half and Glory doubled its lead when Miller calmly slotted home in the 53rd minute.

Poor marking at a corner saw Dodd extend that lead to 3-0 and to compound the visiting side's sorry night, Traore diverted Miller's low cross into his own net for the final goal of the night.

Perth will field three former Gold Coast players in its starting line-up, with defender Bas van den Brink, striker Shane Smeltz and utility Steve Pantelidis all set to play key roles as it attempts to extend its unbeaten run to a club-record eight games.

Van den Brink, who spent two seasons at Gold Coast, admitted it was tough to see it at the foot of the table, especially since he remains in close contact with United captain Michael Thwaite, goalkeeper Glen Moss and defender Kristian Rees.

But with Perth (28 points) desperate to keep in striking distance of a top two spot, Van den Brink said there would be no room for sentiment in the nib Stadium match.

"It's definitely hard to see them not doing well. I had a good period there and still have some friends playing there or running the club," Van den Brink said.

"Because we were there for the first season, we have a special connection. It makes it a bit special to keep in touch with each other.

"But hopefully their turnaround can wait another week."

Perth is yet to lose in 2012, and is in the box seat to secure a top-four finish given that five of its final eight games are at home.

The rosy situation is in stark contrast to the tail-end of 2011, when Glory posted just one win during a miserable 11-game stretch.

Van den Brink praised the way Glory coach Ian Ferguson handled the criticism during that time, saying the Scotsman did well to keep the players shielded from the worst of it.

"He tried to keep us out of all the bad media and tried to get all the blame and the negatives directed his way," Van den Brink said.

"For us it was very good, because we didn't have the pressure he had.

"But we felt sorry for him copping all the negatives. We were the players on the pitch."

Gold Coast midfielder James Brown is rated just a 50-50 chance to take part in the match after injuring his ankle in last Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Melbourne Victory.

Just last month, Ferguson appeared to be on shaky ground after a period in which his team netted just one win from 11 outings.

But with Glory now on a seven-game unbeaten run and sitting in fourth spot on the table - just two points adrift of second spot - Ferguson is almost certain to earn the finals berth he requires for a contract extension.

Nevertheless, club owner Tony Sage wants to wait until the end of the season before making a final call on Ferguson - a situation the Scotsman is more than happy with.

"Look, he could have easily put me out of the door after the run we had and the abuse he and myself were copping," Ferguson said.

"I don't want to go in there and put pressure on Tony and try to change the goalposts."

"He's always said 27 games and top six, or if I can reach the top six before 27 games then hopefully we can try to sort something out," he said.

"I'm keeping my feet firmly on the ground."

"I know where we were last year and I know what can happen in football so quickly."

Perth will be aiming to make it a club-record eight-game unbeaten run when it takes on last-placed Gold Coast at nib Stadium next week.

But injuries to several key players are hampering Glory's preparations.

Left-back Todd Howarth and midfielder Steven McGarry are facing a race against time to be fit, while defender Dean Heffernan will return via the youth team or the senior side depending on Howarth's progress.

Winger Travis Dodd is expected to return, but speedster Evan Berger is set to miss at least a month after re-injuring his hamstring.

Although Gold Coast sit last on the table, Ferguson said it was a danger game.

"They're an attacking team, they've got great pace and great energy and great youth in there," Ferguson said.

"There's no fear with them. This is no easy game. I want to make that quite clear, this is going to be a very difficult game."

"We've got to make sure we're on our toes ... and hopefully we'll get the three points."

Glory, through goals to Shane Smeltz, Steven McGarry and Liam Miller, rose to fourth on the ladder as second-last Adelaide sank further into the mire.

Perth stretched its unbeaten streak to seven games - remarkably including five away fixtures.

Smeltz and McGarry scored in a six-minute, opening-half burst which came after Adelaide striker Bruce Djite had butchered three golden chances at Hindmarsh Stadium.

Djite inexplicably hit a post from five metres out in the seventh minute with Glory goalkeeper Danny Vukovic well beaten.

Five minutes later, the Reds striker missed another sitter when a close-range attempt sailed over the crossbar from a prime scoring position.

And within a minute, Djite was exasperated again - having turned his defender, he launched a right footer which drifted across the goal face.

Perth then made Djite and Adelaide pay the ultimate price, with Smeltz poaching his third goal in two matches in the 14th minute.

The Glory frontman pounced when Adelaide defender Daniel Mullen blundered and failed to control a regulation throw-in.

Smeltz seized on the mistake, stealing possession before turning past the defender and finding the net with a classy right-footer.

Adelaide's shock at Smeltz's against-the-flow goal turned to utter dismay in the 20th minute when McGarry scored.

The Scottish midfielder, standing near the goal line, found himself in the path of a deflected Todd Howarth shot.

McGarry instinctively swung his leg waist-high and all but kicked the ball from the hands of Adelaide 'keeper Eugene Galekovic and into the net.

After protecting a 2-0 lead for much of the second half, Perth's Miller put an 82nd-minute exclamation mark on the result with a clever goal.

Miller sliced through lax Adelaide defence, neared the penalty spot and coolly slotted low past the despairing dive of Reds skipper Galekovic.

Perth have moved to just one point behind third-placed Brisbane Roar on the ladder.

Fifteen Glory players, including those on short term deals, are coming off contract at season's end, with the likes of Mile Sterjovski, Jacob Burns, Billy Mehmet, Adam Taggart, Steven McGarry, Josh Mitchell and Andrezinho sure to attract plenty of interest from rival A-League clubs.

Glory owner Tony Sage is keen to cut back on player wages next season in a bid to stem the club's hefty financial losses.

Even Ferguson's future remains up in the air beyond this campaign, with the Scotsman likely to need a finals finish in order to secure a fresh deal.

Ferguson said although he was doing the groundwork needed to retain key players, only so much could be done with limitations regarding the budget.

"Things have changed ... the budget is coming down," Ferguson said.

"I can understand where the club's going and why they're doing it.

"Tony can't sustain what he's been doing over the past four or five years.

"I don't want to dismantle what I've built and I want us to get stronger for next year.

"That's been my two or three year plan, to make sure that we've got the blocks in place, and it is a worry (we could lose core players)."

Perth will be aiming to make it seven unbeaten games on the trot when it takes on eighth-placed Adelaide United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday.

And with Glory just two points adrift of third-placed Wellington Phoenix, former Socceroos winger Sterjovski said the club should be eyeing a top-three berth.

"We're sitting fifth on the table now and we're only a few points from third, so if we can keep going like this and keep winning games, we can finish in the top three easily I think," Sterjovski said.

"If we win on the weekend it puts us eight points clear of Adelaide.

"The confidence is pretty high at the moment."

Adelaide will again be without defender Cassio (foot), but United coach John Kosmina is confident midfielder Zenon Caravella will play a part against Glory after recovering from a groin injury.

However, Glory winger Travis Dodd (abdominal tear) will be a noticeable absentee, meaning Reds fans will have to wait until at least the round 22 fixture before seeing the ex-Adelaide skipper return to his former stomping ground.

Adelaide, who drew 1-1 with Newcastle on Wednesday, sits four points adrift of sixth spot and is in desperate need of a win in order to boost its finals hopes.

Dodd, a former Reds captain, will miss his second game in a row due to a small abdominal tear.

“I was a little upset I guess, but we get to play them again in March so I’m making sure I’m ready for that one,“ Dodd said.

Dodd hopes to be fit for Perth Glory’s next home game against Gold Coast United on 6 February.

“It’s coming along really well. I had a week pretty much of rest doing bike rehab, but this week I’ve started running and it’s responding really well," he said.

“So on track at this stage for the Gold Coast game.

“I’ll hopefully start training with the squad again after the Adelaide game, and looking at being available then.”

Meanwhile, the A-League veteran paid tribute to his former coach, John Kosmina, for reviving Adelaide’s fortunes.

“They’re off to a great start under Kossie, only losing one game since he’s been back, so they’ve certainly turned their form around," Dodd said.

“Our style of play and the way we’ve been going the last six or seven weeks has been great especially after last weekend’s result the confidence is high among the group. “I’m sure we can go over there expecting to do well and pick up a result.”

Resurgent Glory is fifth in the A-League and hopeful of a top fourth berth with five of its last eight games of the season at nib Stadium.

Sterjovski was at his rampaging best against Melbourne Victory on Sunday, setting up a goal for Smeltz and scoring one himself from the penalty spot to help lift Perth to a crushing 4-1 triumph.

Smeltz ended the match with a brace to his name to take his season tally to eight goals.

But the New Zealand international heaped much of the credit on Sterjovski, who started the season in Glory's National Youth League ranks before re-establishing himself as one of the club's most important players.

"He was on fire," Smeltz said of Sterjovski's performance against Victory - probably one of his best games.

"If we can get more out of him like that, we'll be dangerous.

"He can supply it and score goals as well. He's been fantastic the last few weeks."

Glory is just one point adrift of fourth spot, and Smeltz was confident the team could continue its good form into the tail end of the season.

"If you look at the table, it's tight. Apart from Central Coast, everyone's in it," Smeltz said.

"You can see we've turned the corner and things are improving.

"That's the best performance we've had so, if we can build on that, there are some good signs to come.

"I just think we're gelling a bit better now.

"The confidence is better from everyone.

"The more supply we get like that, we can score more goals."

Perth's resolve will be put to the test on Sunday when it travel to Hindmarsh Stadium to take on eighth-placed Adelaide United, which was unlucky not to secure at least a point in last week's 3-2 loss to ladder leader Central Coast.

The tough task confronting Magilton was made glaringly obvious on Sunday during Victory's demoralising 4-1 defeat to Perth Glory at nib Stadium.

The loss left Victory a worrying four points adrift of sixth-placed Sydney FC ahead of Thursday's crucial clash with the Sky Blues at AAMI Park.

A forthright Magilton said he was shocked by the lacklustre performance of his troops against Perth, and signalled his intent to make changes to the squad while the transfer window was still open.

"I think what's happened here is they've gone into a run and a rut, and I think the sooner we can change personnel, the better," Magilton said.

"I think we need new faces.

"To change the mentality within the football club, you need to change that mentality within the four walls of the dressing room - the most important place in the club.

"There are a group of players there that have probably underachieved this year.

"But you have to stick together.

"We have a game on Thursday, so it's a quick turnover.

"And the wonderful thing about this game is they all get a second chance, or some of them get a second chance."

Magilton, who has produced just one point from his two games in charge since taking over from the sacked Mehmet Durakovic, said he was unsure how many moves he could make during the transfer period.

But the Northern Irishman said it was time for people within the club to be brutally honest after the team's mediocre season to date.

In contrast to Victory's woes, Perth Glory is suddenly one of the form teams of the competition after its sixth unbeaten game on the trot.

Just one month ago, coach Ian Ferguson was battling to keep the wolves at bay after Glory slumped near the foot of the table after a three-game losing streak.

But after posting three wins and three draws from its past six games, Perth is now just one point adrift of fourth-placed Melbourne Heart.

However, Ferguson said the fickle nature of the game meant he could take nothing for granted.

"I don't feel as though I've vindicated myself," Ferguson said.

"If we reach the top six then I'll say we've achieved what we want to achieve.

"But there's still a long way to go.

"I've been in football too long to see things turn.

"Sometimes you get kicked between the legs."

Glory striker Shane Smeltz nabbed a first-half double and Mile Sterjovski added another as Perth raced to a 3-0 lead by the break.

Two of those goals came via the penalty spot as Melbourne was made to pay for a series of defensive errors.

Victory star Harry Kewell pulled one back for the visitor with his own penalty in the 68th minute, but Melbourne finished the match with 10 men after substitute Danny Allsopp was given a straight red for his 78th-minute studs-up challenge on Steve Pantelidis.

Glory substitute Andrezinho then added the icing on the cake in the 89th minute, outsmarting defender Matthew Foschini before unleashing a powerful left-foot drive to make it a three-goal win in front of 12,358 adoring fans.

Victory sits now a worrying four points adrift of sixth spot ahead of Thursday's crucial clash with Sydney FC.

Perth, who extended its unbeaten streak to six games, is now just one point behind fourth-placed Heart and finally looking like a legitimate championship contender.

Smeltz opened the scoring in open play in the 13th minute, but it was the way that Victory conceded the next two goals that would have had Magilton pulling his hair out.

Captain Adrian Leijer was the first to offend, wrapping his arms around Todd Howarth and bringing the Glory defender to ground as the pair jostled for position on the goal-line at a set piece.

Leijer had been warned just moments earlier to tone down the jostling, and referee Peter Green had no hesitation in pointing to the spot after witnessing Leijer continue with the tactics.

Smeltz tucked away the 35th-minute spot kick, and Perth was awarded another penalty just seven minutes later when Foschini hacked at the legs of former Victory speedster Evan Berger.

The tackle - just inside the box - was an unnecessary one, with Berger unlikely to have posed much of a threat given the angle he was running on.

Although a hat-trick was in the offering for Smeltz, it was Sterjovski who stepped up this time to tuck away the penalty.

Kewell, on his favoured left wing, has rediscovered his form of old in recent weeks and looms as the key man to stop for Glory if it is to extend its unbeaten run to six games.

If Kewell fires, striker Archie Thompson could be in for a memorable night as he reaps the rewards of the Socceroos star's good work further up the field.

But rather than get overwhelmed by the task of containing Kewell, Glory will aim to hit Melbourne with its own array of attacking weapons, which include New Zealand international Shane Smeltz, Brazilian speed machine Andrezinho and former Socceroos midfielder Mile Sterjovski.

"The last four or five games Kewell's been probably their best player, so yeah he's very dangerous," Ferguson said.

"We need to keep an eye on him and we need to make sure that we don't give him too much space.

"We watched him against Adelaide and he floats from left to right, so you know he causes a few problems.

"But I don't like to worry too much about the other team.

"Let us try and take the game forward and let them worry about us at times as well.

"Hopefully we can try and get the three points and go forward and cause them problems rather than us worrying about one player."

Just three points separates the fifth-placed Glory (22) and seventh-placed Victory (19).

But with Victory threatening to make a late charge into the top-six, Ferguson knows this is a match his team can't afford to lose.

"It's a six pointer basically," Ferguson said.

"If we can get some daylight in between us and Melbourne - that's what's at stake."

Although Victory will be minus playmaker Carlos Hernandez (groin), Glory has plenty of injury concerns of its own.

Defensive options Dean Heffernan (knee), Josh Mitchell (knee), Scott Neville (knee) and Chris Coyne (achilles tendon) are unavailable, while Bas van den Brink (corked thigh) faces a race against time to prove his fitness.

Glory snared seven points from its recent three-game road trip.

But ahead of the club's sixth game in the space of 23 days, Ferguson urged his charges to dig deep and put in another valiant effort.

Or at least do the next best thing and apologise.

Seriously, such was the depressing quality of this match that the 5505 crowd that bothered to watch the league's two most unappealing sides must have felt ripped off.

A game that was played in searing heat - most probably because it suited broadcaster Fox Sports's schedule - was reduced to a classic exhibition of how football should not be played.

A 1-1 draw gave both sides a point neither deserved.

At best the game was painful, frustrating and a serious indictment on the quality of two mid-table A-League sides.

At worst it was nothing less than park football, where most players showed no flair and came up with almost nothing to thrill the crowd.

Many players even showed an alarming inability to control the ball and pass it to a teammate.

Except for a couple of moves from Sydney's flamboyant midfielder/striker Nicky Carle that briefly illuminated this incredibly dull and ugly match, most of the spectators were left wondering how on earth could two big teams from two major cities provide such sub-standard fare.

Carle's move on the right wing that produced Mark Bridge's well-taken goal on the stroke of half-time was one of only two highlights of the match.

Carle took ages to find enough time to put in a cross and when it looked like he had dwelled on the ball too much he turned Todd Howarth and found a metre or so to send over a tantalising delivery to the far post which Bridge dealt with beautifully with a crisp volley that went in off goalkeeper Danny Vukovic.

Substitute Adam Hughes's thumping header from a corner very late in the game that saved Perth was the other high point of this eminently forgettable match.

FFA's beancounters are very keen on seeing more fans attend A-League matches and their combined effort with the clubs to modernise the competition schedule and make it more fan-friendly is bearing fruit in some centres and is to be commended.

Yet the governing body should not stop there and should also take a closer look at the playing standard of some of the battling clubs.

If you take away Central Coast Mariners, Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Heart, Melbourne Victory and Adelaide United, the rest of the competition comprises teams that are either wildly inconsistent (Wellington Phoenix and Newcastle Jets), distinctly unattractive (Sydney and Perth) or simply not good enough (Gold Coast United).

It is not FFA's job to supervise the technical level of its 10 clubs but it cannot wash its hands of the problem because it still is responsible for the welfare and image of the competition, which has a salary cap designed to make it as even as possible.

At the moment the league is anything but, even though the table might tell a somewhat different story.

Watching Sydney and Perth (sort of) play in Campbelltown was not a good advertisement for the A-League.

This was no drab match with little or no scoring chances like one sometimes sees in the bigger leagues of Europe.

This was a low standard game between two very ordinary teams that did the A-League's image as much harm as Gold Coast playing in a semi-deserted stadium.

For this reason FFA, as the game's governing body, should make sure that the major technical and tactical problems facing half of the league's teams are fixed.

You can dress up a match and spend thousands of dollars promoting it but there is only one factor that will draw fans to games: and that's top quality football.

And even that sometimes is not enough, as Brisbane's home crowds have shown.

FFA has sent a "please explain" note to Brisbane, Sydney and Roar striker Besart Berisha after the wild melee that marred the end of last week's magnificent contest at Suncorp Stadium.

Who knows, perhaps FFA should also seek an explanation from Sydney and Perth as to why they had dragged down the level of the competition to such an unacceptable level. And not for the first time, too.

The two clubs were on their best behaviour and did not break any rules at Campbelltown but in a way they also brought the game into disrepute by their failure to remotely give the fans their money's worth.

This "community" match was supposed to be a goodwill gesture, a public relations exercise by the A-League.

It was more like a disaster.

Striker Mark Bridge put the host in front on the stroke of half-time and looked like sealing the win for Sydney before Glory equalised through an 88th minute header by Adam Hughes.

The crowd turned out to witness the home-coming of local hero Brett Emerton but Bridge was Sydney's saviour with the crucial point moving the Sky Blues back into the top six while Glory remains in fifth place.

It was a case of survival of the fittest in the searing western Sydney heat with the mercury climbing past 30 degrees.

Both teams appeared stifled by the heat in what was a slow starting affair with the extreme heat policy implemented allowing a two-minute drinks break midway through both halves.

It took until the 28th minute for the first chance of the match when Perth's Liam Miller's free-kick from just outside the box, forcing the diving save from Sydney gloveman Liam Reddy.

It was the host who finally broke the deadlock in first half injury-time when Bridge, who scored the winner when the teams last clashed in round six, got on the end of a perfectly placed Nicky Carle cross into the box.

The Sky Blues almost doubled their advantage a minute later when teen Terry Antonis attempted a sweet left-footed strike, Glory 'keeper Daniel Vukovic doing well to save the effort.

It was a fired-up Sydney that returned in the second-half looking to create chances, with Antonis attempting a strike right away.

Glory's Andrezinho was in with a chance in the second-half when he showed some of his Brazilian flair to weave past the Sky Blues defence, only to be stopped before he could find the equaliser.

Steve Pantelidis had the best opportunity to level for the visitor when he connected with a Mile Sterjovski free kick, his header going wide.

But it was substitute Hughes who levelled with a late header off a corner from another late substitute Evan Berger.

But he conceded that the premiership might just be out of reach because the team has left its run too late.

Perth faces Sydney FC in a “community fixture” at Campbelltown on Wednesday evening aiming to win its third straight away match and consolidate its fifth position on the ladder.

“We've been playing the same football all season but we have had a bit of bad luck along the way,” Van den Brink said.

“Fortunately our luck seems to have changed.

“For example, in our last match against Melbourne Heart they hit the post with a header when we were 2-1 up.

“A couple of weeks ago maybe that ball would have gone in.

“But by the same token we have changed our luck ourselves so hopefully we can keep improving.”

Amsterdam-born Van den Brink, who came to Australia in 2009 to join Gold Coast United, said that Perth may have lost too much ground to be a genuine threat to the premiership.

“You've always got to believe you can win the premiership and it would be great if we did win it but you've also got to be realistic,” he said.

“The difference in points between Central Coast Mariners, Brisbane Roar and us is just too big.

“There is still a long way to go but we should keep our feet on the ground and not get carried away by our last two away wins and focus on keep heading in the right direction.

“We have a solid team with quality players and depth and a pretty good fighting spirit.

“We stick up for each other and that makes a difference in games.”

Van den Brink said he was keen to be part of the finals because of the excitement factor they bring to the competition and urged the A-League not to scrap the controversial system.

“I like the finals system because it makes the league more exciting towards the end,” he said.

“In some leagues you could end up having nothing to play for towards the end of the season so I think it is a good system.

“We've got this system in Holland to determine some spots in European football and to settle promotion and relegation.

“Playing each other team twice (at home and away) is the best way but that does not happen here so the playoff system is the fairest way to go and it is also good for the fans.

“I definitely would urge the FFA to keep this system. If it were up to me I would not change it.”

Van den Brink, who signed a two-year contract in the off-season, said he has had no trouble adjusting to life in Perth and playing for Glory after two years on the Gold Coast.

“We definitely play a different style of football in Perth mainly because of the players we have,” he said.

“The Glory team has older players which makes it more experienced than that of Gold Coast.

“Life in Perth is not much different to that in the Gold Coast which is fine because it's still in Australia which is a great place to live in. So for me it was easy to adapt at both clubs.

“I like to go to Holland but I don't miss the weather. It rains much less here and it is nice to get up in the morning and go to training in cloudless blue skies.

“That's why everybody trains with a smile here. Sometimes it is a bit too hot for me actually so I have to be careful because of my fair skin.”

Dodd has an abdominal strain and will return to Perth on Monday night, with the star winger to have a scan to determine the extent of the injury.

Having won its past two games on the road in Wellington and Melbourne, Wednesday’s ‘community fixture’ in Campbelltown, represents a golden chance for Perth to cement its place in the top six.

And while Dodd’s absence is a blow, Perth coach Ian Ferguson is confident one of his young brigade will step up to the plate.

“It’s a shame for Travis and the team but we have some very good young West Australians who are ready to step up,” Perth Glory coach Ian Ferguson said.

“Adam Taggart has been added to the squad and along with Tommy Amphlett we have two exciting attacking talents.

“Add Josh Risdon, who has been great in the last month, that’s three young locals with bright futures here at Perth Glory.”

Glory enters Wednesday’s rescheduled fixture with its confidence sky high having jumped to fifth on the A-League ladder, courtesy of an unbeaten four game run.

“The response from the players has been excellent,” Ferguson added as the squad departed Melbourne on Monday afternoon.

“The football we are playing has been good but we need to be more ruthless with the chances we are creating,” Ferguson added.

A rare second-half mistake by Heart goalkeeper Clint Bolton gifted Glory three points as midfielder Steven McGarry banged in the winner for the visitor.

Heart remains third after the defeat, but must play top two sides Central Coast Mariners and Brisbane Roar in the next week - who have already opened up a buffer on the Melbourne side.

Glory has leapt to fifth and is unbeaten in its past four matches.

Perth dominated the first half, deservedly led in the 16th minute through striker Shane Smeltz, and could have been four goals to the good by half-time.

But aside from the delightful Smeltz goal, created by midfielder Liam Miller stepping past a defender and supplying a beautifully-weighted throughball, Glory was wasteful in front of goal.

Two chances to Smeltz from point-blank range were stopped by Bolton and the excellent Aziz Behich in the 35th minute, while Travis Dodd slid a good opportunity across goal on 39 minutes when he should have done better.

Miller, who was brilliant throughout and a constant thorn in Heart's side, shot over again soon after half-time.

Then Heart was re-energised by some substitutions - Argentine midfielder Jonatan Germano adding spark in the engine room to a side clearly missing the influence of injured skipper Fred.

Heart started to dominate and was rewarded in the 66th minute when Eli Babalj won a penalty after being brought down by Jacob Burns after some neat work on the right.

Glory keeper Danny Vukovic saved Matt Thompson's initial spot-kick, but quick-thinking Kristian Sarkies banged in the rebound to equalise.

But two minutes later Glory was back in front after Mile Sterjovski crossed low from the right, Bolton was unable to deal with it despite two attempts, and McGarry gleefully swooped.

Heart substitute Maycon hit the post with a header with 10 minutes remaining with his side's best chance to equalise.

Going into the final round, the Jets needed to beat Perth and hope Adelaide United could complete an upset by taking the three points against Melbourne Victory.

But goals to Katarina Jukic, Carys Hawkins, Elisa D'Ovidio and Marianna Tabain ensured Newcastle couldn't complete its end of the bargain.

Lisa De Vanna and Alanna Kennedy both scored late consolation goals for the visitor, which trailed 1-0 at the break before succumbing to a second-half Glory onslaught in a heated and entertaining match.

Keen to get back into the swing of things after missing two games with a hamstring injury, the Dutch defender has been working hard on rehabilitation and says he’s feeling fit for the games ahead.

“I’ve been training with the team again, so my hamstring is back to normal,” Van den Brink said.

“That’s why I’ve been doing a lot of work at the beginning of the week, and I have also been training with the group just to get my confidence up.


“I’ve also had a lot of testing with our physios to check whether my hamstring is okay.”

The popular defender shed more light onto how he picked up his injury during the game against the Newcastle Jets on New Year’s Eve.

“When I made a run forward towards the end I tried to create something or I just got a rush of blood to my head,” he explained.

“Going forward was a little bit too much, I guess. It shows I should probably stick to the back.”

With Perth Glory facing a road-double this weekend, Van den Brink is looking forward to the next set of fixtures, starting with Melbourne Heart before Wednesday’s rescheduled match against Sydney FC in Campbelltown.

“I think we’ve showed through the past three games that we’re turning around the season a bit, that’s my feeling about it.

“It’s important to get good results and I’m excited about the games. They will be nice games against Heart and Sydney.

“They’re always teams that like to play football. I think they should be attractive games and hopefully it goes in our favour.”

After two games on the road, Perth Glory will see light at the end of the tunnel with a run of home games to finish off the season.



“I don’t mind going away for a bit but long road trips are sometimes a bit of a hassle and hopefully this gets it out of the way,” added Van den Brink.