Sydney FC’s Isuzu Ute A-League Men have been named Australasia’s Best Sporting Team for 2021 with the Sky Blues’ Women’s named Australasia’s Best Female Sporting Team.
Platinum Asset Management, together with GAIN LINE Analytics have presented their yearly analysis which has this year ranked the Sky Blues Men on top of the list and the Sydney FC Women 5th out of almost 200 professional teams.
Sydney FC’s Men have won the award, having secured three A-League Men’s Championships in the last five years, while Sydney FC’s A-League Women have been represented in four out of the past five Grand Finals, winning one Championship and one Premiership, in an outstanding period for the club.
Check out the top 25 clubs and the criteria required for the award here.
Chief Executive Officer Danny Townsend has previously gone on the record citing a “vision to be the best sporting team in the country of any code” and this award recognises that.
In winning the award, Townsend said: “To have the highest rated men’s and women’s teams of all codes in Australia and New Zealand is a huge achievement.
“Over the last five years our Men’s and Women’s teams have competed in eight out of 10 Grand Finals and it is this consistency that has delivered this accolade.
“I’d like to congratulate everyone at the club from our owners David Traktovenko and Scott Barlow and our Board of Directors to our coaching staff and players, as well as our Members who have stuck by us during a difficult time through displacement from our home stadium and the global pandemic.
“It is an outstanding achievement to celebrate and we will look to challenge for the title again next year.”
Both award winning teams are at home in a clash with Newcastle Jets this Saturday at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, with the Women starting at 5pm and the Men at 7.45pm.
Sydney FC’s FC’s Isuzu Ute A-League Men’s Coach Steve Corica, who has been ever present during the success said: “We are very proud of our recent achievements and delighted to get this recognition.
“Much credit must go to our players who have achieved some great things and the staff who prepare our players to achieve that success.
“We have every intention of ensuring we stay firmly on top place with our performances this season.”
Sky Blues A-League Women’s Head Coach Ante Juric has been in charge for the past five years.
“All of the recognition should go to our players and staff, as well as the club for their great support.
“We have had a policy of believing in and promoting our excellent young Australian female players and it has paid off.
“It was fantastic to win last season’s Premiership and go so close in the Grand Final, we look forward to going one better this year.”
Sydney FC have nominated the Sydney FC Foundation to receive a $10,000 grant from Platinum, in recognition of their success.
The Sydney FC Foundation seeks to meaningfully connect with our Sky Blue community and enrich the lives of young people through the power of football and education. The grant will specifically go towards the Foundation’s community pillar and support the Sydney FC Powerchair football team.
Powerchair football is a modified version of football for people with physical disabilities and utilizing electric wheelchairs.
While Sydney Football Stadium is currently being rebuilt, it has been a great period for the clubs that call Moore Park home, with Sydney Sixers (3rd), NSW Breakers (8th) and Sydney Roosters (17th) all in the Top 20.
ABST started in 2018 with a 25-year study recognising Crusaders’ (Rugby Union) long term success. They came 2nd this year. Melbourne Storm (NRL) won the annual award in 2019 and 2020, and finished 4th this year.
The analysis looks at every game in every Australasian sporting competition conducting a home/away or equivalent competition including Australian teams.
The annual analysis, based on rolling five-year outcomes (2017-2021), contains 16 competitions, including 6 women’s competitions, and the unisex League of Legends Circuit Oceania (esports).
Almost 8,000 individual matches were included in the dataset analysed.
Douglas Isles, investment specialist from Platinum commented: “Ben Darwin and GAIN LINE’s theories on cohesion resonated with my own understanding of the strength of Platinum’s investment team, and we became GAIN LINE’s first corporate client.
“In parallel with the sporting context, there are countless examples in the corporate world, where cohesion, or lack of it, determines outcomes.
“ABST recognises sporting excellence while supporting great causes and as such, is a worthwhile follow up to the work we have done on ourselves”.
For the criteria and results of the top 25 overall, top 3 by sport and top 3 by state/country, please go to the following link: www.platinum.com.au/abst2021
