Poletti 
Macarthur FC 23/24 Season Review. Photo: Macarthur FC. Design: Round Ball Australia
The 2023/24 season for Macarthur FC saw some highs, some lows, no silverware and a lot of questions which will not have an answer anytime in the immediate future.
After taking over from Dwight Yorke in the middle of the 2022/23 season, Mile Sterjovski had his first full season in charge of Macarthur, and got the side to the A-League Men finals series for just the second time in the clubs existence.
While the season may not have ended in the best of fashions for the Bulls, it did show a lot about what the future can look like under Sterjovski, and fans should be left feeling optimistic even with off-field issues at the forefront in the off-season.
Season Grade: B+
After qualifying for the Australia Cup through the play-offs, they were eliminated in the Round of 32 by Campbelltown City, before balancing league and continental commitments, which saw some dominant performances, long travel schedules, quick turnarounds, delayed games, and even a home match in Thailand.
Whilst they would succumb to eventual winners the Central Coast Mariners in the ASEAN Zonal Final 3-2 after extra time, it would allow them to solely focus on the league, achieving mixed results before finishing in fifth place.
Even with no silverware to show of, this season should be considered a success by Macarthur, with a run in continental competition and still making the finals series, a rare sight in the A-League Men competition with the Mariners proving an exception to the rule, no easy feat for a side to accomplish.
Do Macarthur go onto to win the competition if they defeat the Mariners in Campbelltown?
Do they beat Sydney FC if Kealey Adamson does not receive a red card in the elimination final?
What if Wellington did not need to win in the final week of the season and Macarthur get the home elimination final?
All of these unknowns will likely weigh on the mind of Sterjovski, but it should give Macarthur confidence heading into the 2024/25 season.
Highlight: Holding on with nine against Sydney FC
With two rounds to go in the A-League Men season, Macarthur had its destiny of a home elimination final in its own hands and needed a victory against cross-town rivals Sydney FC to achieve just that.
While Macarthur would go on to lose to Wellington the week after and have to travel to the Sydney Football Stadium to play the Sky Blues, this performance was nothing short of amazing.
The 37th minute saw Ivan Vujica receive a red card after VAR review, which was rescinded by the Match Review Panel (MRP) after Macarthur submitted an obvious error application, which was unanimously allowed.
With a 1-0 lead courtesy of Jed Drew, Macarthur would be sent down to nine in the second half after Tommy Smith received a red card in the 67th minute after a VAR review.
After a Sydney FC goal was disallowed due to offside, Macarthur were able to defend the lead in a gutsy performance which showed a ton of character for the Bulls, and while Sterjovski will be hoping the side does not go down to nine players again anytime soon, it did show they can close out a match when the stakes are high.
Lowlight: Post-season chaos
After being on the receiving end of a 4-0 drubbing from Sydney FC in the elimination final, Macarthur turned attention to the off-season and Sterjovski would have been expecting it to go quietly with the players taking some rest before coming back into pre-season.
Instead, the off-season was thrown into chaos on May 17 with Ulises Davila, Clayton Lewis, and Kearyn Baccus all arrested as part of an alleged spot-fixing scandal.
The three were handed no fault interim suspensions pursuant to clauses 7(b) and 7(c) of Football Australia’s National Code of Conduct and Ethics, with Baccus being announced as one of eight players to depart Macarthur on June 3.
Did an inability to close out games cost Macarthur?
It might seem weird to pose this question with the highlight of the season being a 1-0 victory over Sydney FC with nine players after two red cards, but Macarthur dropped points in the early stages of the season because of conceding late goals (beyond the 80th minute) to Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory, and Perth Glory which directly cost the side points.
They also conceded late goals in other games against the Mariners and the Wanderers, although they did not directly cost Macarthur points.
While it is impossible to predict how the season would have played out, dropping valuable points late certainly did not help Macarthur get the season off to the best possible start while balancing AFC Cup commitments.
Individual Performers
Jake Hollman was a clear standout for Macarthur this season in the midfield and his absence was notable when he was selected to represent Australia at the U23 AFC Asian Cup in the later stage of the season.
Valere Germain took out the Golden Boot, and with the French forward under contract until the end of the next season, expect him to continue to have an impact on the scoresheet.
- Macarthur Medal (Best Player): Jake Hollman
- Members’ Player of the Season: Ulises Davila
- Golden Boot: Valere Germain
Conclusion
A season of what could have been might have fans, players and coaches lamenting, but the future is positive for Macarthur FC on the pitch, even with the unknowns off it.
With the side qualifying directly for the Round of 32 of the Australia Cup, Macarthur will have an early chance of a title, and with no continental competition to worry about, all eyes can be focused on the club claiming its first piece of A-League Men silverware.