Football Australia today confirmed key dates for the Australia Cup 2023 Final Rounds including the Round of 32 Live Draw and when the Final will be played.
Last year, 2022, heralded a new era for Australia’s largest national knockout football competition, with the tournament renamed to become the Australia Cup, to both reflect the nationwide nature of the competition and acknowledge Australian football’s storied past – where from 1962 to 1968, the original Australia Cup was contested between leading state league teams of the time.
In 2023, a competition record, 775 Clubs from all divisions of football across Australia – grassroots, amateur, and professional levels – have either already participated or will participate in the Australia Cup, with Football Australia confirming that the Australia Cup 2023 Final will be contested on Saturday, 7 October at a city/venue to be determined following the semi-finals.
With football taking centre stage across Australia during July and August as the country co-hosts the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, in a mark of respect for this once in a lifetime event, Football Australia can confirm the Australia Cup 2023 Round of 32 will be scheduled on the tournament’s rest days, giving football fans and those new to the game an opportunity to attend a match of the nation’s largest knockout competition.
The Australia Cup 2023 Round of 32 Live Draw will be conducted on Wednesday, 28 June 2023 at 7.00pm AEST and streamed LIVE on 10 Play plus streamed via official Australia Cup Facebook and Football Australia YouTube accounts.
Australia Cup 2023 Round of 32 Live Draw
Date: Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Time: 7:00pm AEST
How to watch: LIVE on 10 Play, Australia Cup Facebook & Football Australia YouTube
How to follow: Follow Australia Cup Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
How to interact: #AustraliaCup #MagicOfTheCup
Final 32 Teams
Preliminary Round matches are still being contested over the next fortnight across states and territories to determine the final 32 teams. The teams who have so far qualified for the Round of 32 are listed below (in no particular order):
| Adelaide United FC | Canberra Croatia FC (ACT) | Goulburn Valley Suns FC (VIC) |
| Brisbane Roar FC | APIA Leichhardt FC (NSW | Heidelberg United FC (VIC) |
| Central Coast Mariners FC | Inter Lions FC (NSW) | Melbourne Knights FC (VIC) |
| Melbourne City FC | Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC (NSW) | Northcote City SC (VIC) |
| Sydney FC | Sydney United 58 FC (NSW) | Oakleigh Cannons FC (VIC) |
| Wellington Phoenix FC | Lions FC (QLD) | Devonport City Strikers (TAS) |
| Western Sydney Wanderers FC | Campbelltown City SC (SA) | |
| Western United FC | MetroStars (SA) |
Australia Cup 2023 Final Rounds Draw Principles
- Each Australia Cup 2023 Final Rounds entrant will be placed in the ball pot.
- In accordance with the Competition Regulations for Australia Cup Final Rounds matches other than the Australia Cup Final, the Home Club for each Australia Cup match will be determined as follows:
- Where Australia Cup matches involve only Member Federation Clubs, the first drawn Club will be the Home Club;
- Where Australia Cup matches involve a Member Federation Club and an Isuzu UTE A-League Men Club, the Member Federation Club will be Home Club; and
- Where Australia Cup Matches involve only Isuzu UTE A-League Men Clubs, the first drawn Club will be the Home Club.
- In all instances, Wellington Phoenix FC will be deemed the Away Club, irrespective of whether it is the first drawn Club.
As in 2022, the draw will be entirely open throughout the Australia Cup 2023 Final Rounds.
Round of 32:
- The Australia Cup 2023 Round of 32 will be played over two (2) weeks in early to mid-August.
- Football Australia will place thirty-two (32) balls containing the names of the qualified Clubs into the one (1) pot, in an open draw.
- Balls will be drawn out one at a time, revealing sixteen (16) matches, until all balls have been drawn from the pot.
Round of 16, Quarter Finals, Semi-Finals:
- For the Round of 16 onwards (excluding the Cup Final), the balls containing the names of all participating Clubs will be placed in one (1) pot. The balls will be drawn, opened, and revealed one at a time, until all balls have been drawn.
Cup Final:
- The selection of the Host Venue for the Australia Cup 2023 Final will be determined by Football Australia and announced following the semi-finals.
- It is anticipated that the Australia Cup 2023 winners will gain direct entry into one of Asia’s Club Competitions. With changes currently being undertaken by the AFC to Club Competitions, which competition the Australia Cup 2023 winners enter is yet to be determined.
Australia Cup 2023 Final Rounds Match Schedule Summary
As it was in 2022, the Australia Cup 2023 Playoffs will feature the four clubs that finished 9th to 12th in the Isuzu UTE A-League Men 2022/23 Regular Season.
The Newcastle Jets FC (10th) will face Melbourne Victory FC (11th) on Monday 17 July, with Perth Glory FC (9th) to tackle defending Australia Cup winners, Macarthur FC (12th) on Tuesday 18 July at Darwin Football Stadium at Larrakia Park.
The winners of the two ties will each seal a spot in the Australia Cup 2023 Final Rounds alongside the top eight teams from the A-League Men’s 2022/23 regular season, as well as 22 Member Federation Clubs.
The Australia Cup 2023 Final Rounds matches will be scheduled across the dates shown in the table below, with fixtures subject to match pairings, respective NPL fixtures and ground availability.
| Round of 32* | Round of 16* | Quarter Finals** | Semi-Finals** | Final |
| 16 matches, 2 weeks | 8 matches, 2 weeks | 4 matches, 1 week | 2 matches, 1 week | 1 match |
| Fri 4 August | Sat 26 August | Wed 13 September | Sat 23 September | Sat 7 October |
| Wed 9 August | Sun 27 August | Sat 16 September | Sun 24 September | |
| Thurs 10 August | Tues 29 August | Sun 17 September | Wed 27 September | |
| Sun 13 August | Wed 30 August | |||
| Mon 14 August |
*Dates are subject to change based upon NPL fixtures and ground availability
**Exact Quarter Finals and Semi-Final match days to be confirmed
All Australia Cup 2023 Final Rounds matches will be streamed LIVE and FREE on 10 Play, with thanks to the Football Australia’s Broadcast Partner, Paramount ANZ.
