What a weekend of football to look forward to!
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Just joking. I've got to be honest, I had a quick glance at this week's round and struggled to get excited. Is that because of age, the vagaries of the draw, or a genuine lack of starpower? A bit of each.
Seriously, there is a chance, pitch conditions permitting that the Jets' clash with Melbourne City - seventh versus ninth - could be the pick of the round.
Some might argue that the Brisbane v Wanderers clash is a standout, but with rain and a dodgy surface in play, and no Brandon Borello on deck, this could be a stalemate. I hope I'm wrong and it's a beauty, but I have my doubts.
Western United v Wellington in Ballarat on Saturday afternoon, need I expand?
Follow that up with Sydney FC taking on an average Perth Glory, and I'm not cancelling dinner plans, or even a night at the dishlickers.
Sunday fare includes the possibility of a good game between the Mariners and Melbourne Victory, but the 3pm kick-off in wet and possibly hot and humid conditions hints at a low-scoring draw.
The Jets' game follows at a more reasonable hour, and we will get to that shortly.
The MacArthur v Adelaide clash is on Monday night at Campbelltown! Cue Manuel from Fawlty Towers: "Que?"
Monday night, against an opponent who will have little to no travelling support?
Maybe ground hire is cheaper through the week?
Back to the Jets v Melbourne City fixture, and it's quite obviously an important clash for both teams.
City usually lose about three games a season, not three of their first five.
They have lost a number of influential players from the nucleus of what was a very powerful squad. If not in the middle of a rebuild, they are definitely in a transitional phase.
They certainly have some of the league's most effective players, when all are fit, and some good talent looking to blend in. But at this stage, they don't enjoy the psychological hold on opponents that has been a feature of their dominance in recent seasons.
That said, they will still expect and plan to dominate possession, territory and control in Sunday's contest.
And I think that is a massive plus for the Jets, whose best performance of the season to date came against a Wanderers team that pressed high and left space in behind a high defensive line.
If Newcastle play with similar expedience, bravery and quality as they did in that game, they have a real chance of getting three points.
City may appear unusually vulnerable, but if the game becomes too stretched and open, City's individual quality will likely prevail. The tactical approach will be vital and intriguing.
Am I being too harsh in declaring a lack of "starpower" in general in recent seasons? A sameness about how teams set up?
Where are the likes of Nick Carle, Archie Thompson, Carlos Hernandez, Fernando Rech, Besart Berisha, Thomas Broich, Shinji Ono, a younger Bruno Fornaroli, and numerous players of that ilk?
Are we too coach-centric now? Obliged to a formula of patterns and rotations that often leave the difference-makers too wide, too deep, or as the get-out option, at right or left back?
Is that why we elevate anyone who can dribble, has reasonable control, and some sense of freedom to international statue-building status after half-a-dozen games in the A League? Think Danil Arzani, Marco Rojas, Marco Tilio, Garang Kuol even.
I fear that the sometimes-electric Nestor Irikunda may find out about the "big fish in a small pool" syndrome when he joins Bayern Munich next year. I hope he flourishes in the long run.
Is the entertainment as good as it seemed five or 10 years ago. Is the game healthier?