The 2011–12 Central Coast Mariners season will be Central Coast Mariners's seventh A-League season. It includes the 2011–12 A-League season as well as any other competitions of the 2011–12 football (soccer) season. This will include competing in the 2012 AFC Champions League.
| 2011–12 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Peter Turnbull | ||
| Manager | Graham Arnold | ||
| A-League premiership (regular season) | 1st | ||
| A-League championship (finals) | 3rd | ||
| Asian Champions League | Group stage (3rd) | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Matt Simon, Bernie Ibini-Isei (7) All: Patrick Zwaanswijk (8) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 14 838 vs Gold Coast United | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 6 883 vs Perth Glory | ||
| Average home league attendance | 9 628 | ||
Pre-season and friendlies
The 2011 off-season is longer than usual (March–October) as Football Federation Australia shifted the next season's start back to avoid clashing with the NRL and AFL finals.
In May, it was announced that the Mariners would play Celtic on their tour of Australia in July, a game which the Mariners won 1–0 through a late Troy Hearfield long range effort.
The Mariners also agreed to a deal with a new kit supplier, Hummel International.
Much of the news at the club in pre-season related to the future of young talent Mustafa Amini, who had attracted interest from many European clubs, including German champions Borussia Dortmund and Scottish side Celtic, amongst others. After an extended negotiation period, Amini was sold to Dortmund, and immediately loaned back to the Mariners until May 2012.[1]
Pre-season fixtures included the annual tour of the Australian Capital Territory, and a tour of New Zealand. Whilst in Canberra, the Mariners retained the Bank of Queensland Cup, winning their annual clash with Belconnen United FC 5–0. Overall, the Mariners enjoyed a successful pre-season, including wins over A-League opposition Perth Glory and Wellington Phoenix. They also won the annual Doug Turnbull cup, against Bankstown City Lions. The Mariners were a game away from a second consecutive undefeated pre-season (after not losing a pre-season game in the 2010 pre-season), however, they were beaten 3–1 by Auckland City FC in Auckland in their final friendly before the season proper. Michael Baird was the top-scorer in pre-season, scoring 7 goals.
Pre-Season triallists
Adam McGeorge
Antony Golec
Austen Ezzell- Brent Griffiths
Pre-Season fixtures/ friendlies
Games in New South Wales unless specified. Games in this section are in local time.
| 22 June 2011 | Blacktown City Demons | 0–3 | Central Coast Mariners | Gabbie Stadium, Seven Hills |
| Wednesday, 6:45 pm | Report | Adriano Pellegrino  35' Michael Baird 40' Adam McGeorge 87' | Attendance: 200 |
| 28 June 2011 | GHFA Spirit FC | 0–2 | Central Coast Mariners | Christie Park, Marsfield |
| Tuesday, 7:00 pm | Report | Adriano Pellegrino 25' Michael Baird 40' | Attendance: 400 |
| 2 July 2011 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–0 |  Celtic FC | ANZ Stadium, Sydney |
| Saturday, 7:30 pm | Troy Hearfield 87' | Report | Attendance: 19 482 Referee: Matthew Breeze |
| 7 July 2011 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Young Socceroos | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Thursday | Michael Baird 54' (pen) | Report | Dimitri Petratos 56' | Attendance: Training match Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones |
| 12 July 2011 | Belconnen United FC | 0–5 | Central Coast Mariners | Belconnen Soccer Centre, McKellar, Australian Capital Territory |
| Tuesday, 7:00 pm | Report | Rostyn Griffiths 15' Michael Baird 35', 79', 85'Pedj Bojic 40' | Attendance: 950 Referee: Brett Woodford |
| 14 July 2011 | Canberra FC | 1–2 | Central Coast Mariners | Deakin Stadium, Deakin, Australian Capital Territory |
| Thursday, 7:00 pm | Paul Ivanic 12' | Report | Troy Hearfield 22' Oliver Bozanic 57' | Referee: Luke Withell |
| 7 September 2011 | Bankstown City Lions | 0–3 | Central Coast Mariners | Jensen Park, Sefton |
| Wednesday, 7:30 pm | Report | Oliver Bozanic 5' Michael Baird 9' Michael McGlinchey 49' | Attendance: 300 Referee: Gerard Parsons |
| 11 September 2011 | Dandaloo Lions | 0–1 | Central Coast Mariners | John Crehan Park, Cringila |
| Sunday, 5:00 pm | Report | Matt Simon 33' | Referee: Matt Cropper |
| 14 September 2011 | Lake Macquarie Roosters | 0–3 | Central Coast Mariners | Macquarie Field, Speers Point |
| Wednesday, 7:00 pm | Report | Daniel McBreen 20', 75' (pen) Brent Griffiths 35' | Referee: Andrew Higgins |
| 18 September 2011 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–0 | Perth Glory | Knox Grammar School, Sydney |
| Sunday, 2:00 pm | Adriano Pellegrino 45' | Report | Referee: Regis Queffelec |
| 25 September 2011 |  Wellington Phoenix | 0–2 | Central Coast Mariners | Baypark Stadium, Tauranga, New Zealand |
| Sunday, 1:30 pm | Report | Patrick Zwaanswijk 40' Bernie Ibini-Isei 79' | Attendance: 3 000 |
| 28 September 2011 | Auckland City FC | 3–1 | Central Coast Mariners | Croatian Cultural Society, Henderson, New Zealand |
| Wednesday, 7:15 pm | Manuel Exposito 36' (pen) Alex Feneridis 44' Emiliano Tade 90' | Report | Oliver Bozanic 33' |
| 14 December 2011 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–0 |  Malaysia U-23 | Mingara Athletics Track, Tumbi Umbi |
| Wednesday | Daniel McBreen | Report | Attendance: Training match |
| 11 April 2012 | Marconi Stallions | 1–2 | Central Coast Mariners | Marconi Stadium, Bossley Park |
| Tuesday, 7:00 pm | Nathan Elasi 3' | Report | Troy Hearfield 65' Mitchell Duke 78' | Attendance: Training match |
2011–12 A-League
Fixtures for the 2011–12 A-League were announced in late May. Notable fixtures include a 2011 A-League Grand Final rematch in the opening fixture against Brisbane Roar, and the Mariners' traditional New Year's Eve match, this year against Gold Coast United.
October
The Mariners' season got off to a rough start, with no wins in their first three games, picking up only one point. This included a draw with Gold Coast United, thanks to a late Patrick Zwaanswijk equaliser, and a loss in The F3 Derby against Newcastle. However, they managed to kick start their season with a come from behind win over Perth Glory at Bluetongue Stadium, winning 2–1 with goals from Matt Simon and Bernie Ibini-Isei.
November
November was a successful period for the club, with the Mariners undefeated in their four games in the month. This included an eventful 3–2 win over Sydney FC in the New South Wales derby. Bernie Ibini-Isei was named the A-League's young player of the month for November.
December
The Mariners completed a second consecutive undefeated month in December, with four wins and one draw. This included wins in The F3 Derby as well as a win over rivals Brisbane Roar, and a 4–0 victory over Adelaide United in Adelaide- the side's biggest ever home loss. The annual New Year's Eve match was a nil all draw with Gold Coast United. Late in the month, it was announced that local long-serving striker Matt Simon would be leaving in early January to play for K-League side Chunnam Dragons. The Mariners ended 2011 on top of the A-League ladder. Mustafa Amini was named A-League young player of the month for December.
January
In January, the Mariners were again undefeated, extending their undefeated streak to a club record 15 games by the end of the month. Matt Simon left the club to go to South Korea, scoring a brace in his final game before moving overseas against Melbourne Victory. Trent Sainsbury, Joshua Rose and Bernie Ibini-Isei were re-signed, and Tom Rogic transferred to the team. Mitchell Duke, Jimmy Oates and Anthony Caceres were promoted from the youth team under the terms of their "senior" contracts for the 2012 AFC Champions League and future A-League seasons. The Mariners ended 10 January points clear at the top of the A-League table. On 31 January the Central Coast Mariners confirmed that they had secured the services of John Sutton for 4 months on a loan deal to cover the loss of Matt Simon. Mathew Ryan was named the A-League's young player of the month for January.
February
February saw the end of the Mariners' extended undefeated run, and two other losses in the month saw the lead at the top of the table reduced ahead of Brisbane Roar. Rostyn Griffiths was sold to Guangzhou R&F for what was rumoured to be a club record transfer fee, around the A$1 million mark. By the end of the month, the Central Coast Mariners youth team had all but won the 2011–12 A-League National Youth League title. Tom Rogic won the A-League young player of the month award for February- the fourth consecutive month in which the Mariners had won the award.
March
March was a mixed month for the club, with two wins, one draw and two losses in A-League matches. Wins in the last two games of the regular season earned the Mariners the 2011–12 A-League Premiership, ahead of Brisbane Roar. This earned the team a spot in the 2013 AFC Champions League. The Mariners campaign in the 2012 AFC Champions League began in March, with two draws.
April
On the field, April was a less successful month for the Mariners, with the team eliminated from the 2011–12 A-League finals by Perth Glory and suffering a loss to Seongnam Ilhwa in Seongnam after the two teams drew in Gosford in the 2012 AFC Champions League. Off the field, Mathew Ryan was awarded the A-League's young player and goalkeeper of the year awards, and Graham Arnold was awarded A-League coach of the year. Ryan, Patrick Zwaanswijk and Joshua Rose were named in the team of the season, with Arnold named as coach.
May
May saw the season finish with the end of the 2012 AFC Champions League group stage. A 5–1 win over Tianjin Teda FC- the club's first in the AFC Champions League- saw the Mariners travel to Japan needing to beat Nagoya Grampus to progress in the competition. However, a loss in this game saw the Mariners finish third in the group.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Coast Mariners | 27 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 40 | 24 | +16 | 51 | Qualification for 2013 AFC Champions League group stage and finals series[a] |
| 2 | Brisbane Roar (C) | 27 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 50 | 28 | +22 | 49 | Qualification for 2013 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off and finals series |
| 3 | Perth Glory | 27 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 40 | 35 | +5 | 43 | Qualification for Finals series |
| 4 | Wellington Phoenix | 27 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 34 | 32 | +2 | 40 | |
| 5 | Sydney FC | 27 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 37 | 42 | −5 | 38 | |
| 6 | Melbourne Heart | 27 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 35 | 34 | +1 | 37 | |
| 7 | Newcastle Jets | 27 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 38 | 41 | −3 | 35 | |
| 8 | Melbourne Victory | 27 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 35 | 43 | −8 | 29 | |
| 9 | Adelaide United | 27 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 26 | 44 | −18 | 25 | |
| 10 | Gold Coast United | 27 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 30 | 42 | −12 | 21 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
2011–12 squad
Players who have been announced as contracted to the Central Coast Mariners senior squad for the 2011–12 season.Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | FW |  AUS | Michael Baird |
| 17 | MF | AUS | Tom Rogic |
| 18 | DF | AUS | Alex Wilkinson |
| 19 | FW | AUS | Matt Simon |
| 19 | FW |  ENG | John Sutton |
| 20 | GK | AUS | Justin Pasfield |
| 21 | DF | AUS | Sam Gallagher |
| 22 | MF | AUS | Mustafa Amini |
| 23 | FW | AUS | Adam Kwasnik |
| 24 | MF | AUS | Anthony Caceres |
| 25 | FW | AUS | Mitchell Duke |
| 27 | DF | AUS | Trent McClenahan |
| 30 | GK | AUS | Nathan Denham |
| 31 | GK | AUS | Brody Crane |
| ?? | DF | AUS | James Oates |
Transfers
Out
| Name | Position | Moving to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nik Mrdja | Striker | Retired | [8] |
 Patricio Perez | Midfielder | Club Atlético All Boys | - Due to personal reasons.[9] |
| Marc Warren | Defender | Sheffield United | - Left during 2011 January transfer window.[10] |
| Chris Doig | Defender |  Pelita Jaya | [11] |
| Paul Henderson | Goalkeeper | Sydney Olympic FC | -End of long-term injury replacement contract.[4] |
| Jess Vanstrattan | Goalkeeper | Released | [4] |
| Mustafa Amini | Midfielder |  Borussia Dortmund | -Loaned back to Mariners for 2011–12 season. -Reported transfer fee: $400,000[12] |
| Matthew Lewis | Midfielder | Blacktown City FC | -Contract not renewed.[13] |
| Michael Baird | Striker | Sabah FA | -Left mid-season.[14] |
| Matt Simon | Striker |  Chunnam Dragons | -Left during 2012 January transfer window -Reported transfer fee: $170,000[15] |
| Rostyn Griffiths | Midfielder |  Guangzhou R&F | -Reported transfer fee: $1,500,000[16] |
Loan deals
Out
| Player | Position | Club | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troy Hearfield | Midfielder | Pelita Jaya | March 2011– June 2011 |
| Alex Wilkinson | Defender | Jiangsu Sainty[19] | March 2011– July 2011 |
| Adam Kwasnik | Striker | Chengdu Blades[19] | March 2011– August 2011 |
 John Hutchinson | Midfielder | Chengdu Blades[20] | July 2011– October 2011 |
Injuries
| Name | Position | Injury | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathew Ryan | Goalkeeper | Knee | May 2011– September 2011 |
| Mustafa Amini | Midfielder | Osteitis pubis | August 2011– October 2011 |
| Alex Wilkinson | Defender | Arm | September 2011– October 2011 |
| Stuart Musialik | Midfielder | Hip | September 2011– December 2011 |
| Rostyn Griffiths | Midfielder | Hip | December 2011– January 2012 |
2011–12 A-League fixtures/results
Regular season
| 8 October 2011 1 | Brisbane Roar | 1–0 | Central Coast Mariners | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Saturday 8:45 | Mitch Nichols 72' | Report | Attendance: 13 467 Referee: Chris Beath |
| 15 October 2011 2 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Gold Coast United | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 5:30 | Patrick Zwaanswijk 87' | Report | James Brown 47' | Attendance: 10 374 Referee: Peter O'Leary |
| 23 October 2011 3 | Newcastle Jets | 1–0 | Central Coast Mariners | Ausgrid Stadium, Newcastle |
| Sunday 5:00 | Jeremy Brockie 25' | Report | Attendance: 14 421 Referee: Jarred Gillett |
| 29 October 2011 4 | Central Coast Mariners | 2–1 | Perth Glory | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 5:30 | Matt Simon 27' Bernie Ibini-Isei 45' | Report | Travis Dodd 6' | Attendance: 6 883 Referee: Ryan Shepheard |
| 4 November 2011 5 | Wellington Phoenix | 1–2 | Central Coast Mariners | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| Friday 5:30 | Chris Greenacre 68' | Report | Bernie Ibini-Isei 47' Matt Simon 81' | Attendance: 5 090 Referee: Gerard Parsons |
| 12 November 2011 6 | Central Coast Mariners | 0–0 | Melbourne Victory | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 7:45 | Report | Attendance: 10 521 Referee: Strebre Delovski |
| 19 November 2011 7 | Sydney FC | 2–3 | Central Coast Mariners | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| Saturday 7:45 | Nick Carle 77' Brett Emerton 88' | Report | Patrick Zwaanswijk 41' Michael McGlinchey 66' Troy Hearfield 82' | Attendance: 13 947 Referee: Strebre Delovski |
| 26 November 2011 8 | Central Coast Mariners | 3–1 | Melbourne Heart | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 5:30 | Matt Simon 45+1' Daniel McBreen 83' (pen) Patrick Zwaanswijk 87' | Report | Eli Babalj 78' | Attendance: 7 242 Referee: Gerard Parsons |
| 2 December 2011 9 | Adelaide United | 0–4 | Central Coast Mariners | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
| Friday 8:00 | Report | Mustafa Amini 29' Bernie Ibini-Isei 32' Patrick Zwaanswijk 39' (pen) Rostyn Griffiths 65' | Attendance: 8 437 Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones |
| 10 December 2011 10 | Central Coast Mariners | 2–0 | Newcastle Jets | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 5:30 | Rostyn Griffiths 25' Matt Simon 59' | Report | Attendance: 10 643 Referee: Strebre Delovski |
| 17 December 2011 11 | Brisbane Roar | 1–2 | Central Coast Mariners | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Saturday 7:45 | Kofi Danning 83' | Report | Mustafa Amini 6' Pedj Bojic 45' | Attendance: 10 006 Referee: Peter Green |
| 23 December 2011 12 | Perth Glory | 1–3 | Central Coast Mariners | nib Stadium, Perth |
| Friday 10:00 | Josh Mitchell  26' Steven McGarry 84' | Report | Bernie Ibini-Isei 49' Pedj Bojic 60' Matt Simon 64' | Attendance: 6 620 Referee: Matt Gillett |
| 31 December 2011 13 | Central Coast Mariners | 0–0 | Gold Coast United | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 6:15 | Report | Attendance: 14 838 Referee: Ryan Shepheard |
| 4 January 2012 14 | Central Coast Mariners | 2–0 | Melbourne Victory | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Wednesday 7:45 | Matt Simon 1', 84' | Report | Attendance: 12 284 Referee: Peter Green |
| 7 January 2012 15 | Sydney FC | 0–1 | Central Coast Mariners | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney |
| Sunday 4:00 | Report | Oliver Bozanic 9' | Attendance: 11 866 Referee: Jarred Gillett |
| 14 January 2012 16 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Newcastle Jets | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 5:30 | Patrick Zwaanswijk 59' | Report | Labinot Haliti 17' | Attendance: 10 904 Referee: Matt Gillett |
| 18 January 2012 17 | Melbourne Heart | 0–1 | Central Coast Mariners | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Wednesday 7:30 | Report | Adam Kwasnik 89' | Attendance: 5 522 Referee: Strebre Delovski |
| 21 January 2012 18 | Central Coast Mariners | 3–2 | Adelaide United | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 5:30 | Daniel McBreen 15' Adam Kwasnik 75' Joshua Rose 78' | Report | Sergio van Dijk 16' Bruce Djite 19' | Attendance: 7 478 Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones |
| 4 February 2012 19 | Central Coast Mariners | 0–2 | Brisbane Roar | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 5:30 | Report | Paartalu 5' Berisha 39' | Attendance: 10 217 Referee: Kris Griffiths-Jones |
| 10 February 2012 20 | Melbourne Victory | 2–1 | Central Coast Mariners | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Friday 8:00 | Carlos Hernandez 15' Harry Kewell 50' | Report | Tom Rogic 8' Trent Sainsbury 62' | Attendance: 14 060 Referee: Peter Green |
| 18 February 2012 21 | Central Coast Mariners | 2–0 | Wellington Phoenix | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 5:30 | Tom Rogic 52' Patrick Zwaanswijk 83' | Report | Attendance: 7 845 Referee: Strebre Delovski |
| 22 February 2012* 22 | Gold Coast United | 3–3 | Central Coast Mariners | Skilled Park, Robina |
| Wednesday 8:00 | Chris Harold 10' (pen) Ben Halloran 18' Mitch Cooper 56' | Report | Adam Kwasnik 4', 66' Bernie Ibini-Isei 60' | Attendance: 1 141 Referee: Matthew Gillett |
| 26 February 2012 23 | Melbourne Heart | 1–0 | Central Coast Mariners | AAMI Park, Melbourne |
| Sunday 5:00 | Eli Babalj 50' | Report | Attendance: 5 034 Referee: Jarred Gillett |
| 3 March 2012 24 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Sydney FC | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 7:45 | Troy Hearfield 91' | Report | Joel Chianese 56' | Attendance: 8 658 Referee: Chris Beath |
| 11 March 2012 25 | Perth Glory | 1–0 | Central Coast Mariners | nib Stadium, Perth |
| Sunday 7:30 | Travis Dodd 24' | Report | Attendance: 6 502 Referee: Chris Beath |
| 17 March 2012 26 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–0 | Adelaide United | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Saturday 5:30 | Bernie Ibini-Isei 47' | Report | Attendance: 7 275 Referee: Ben Williams |
| 25 March 2012 27 | Wellington Phoenix | 1–2 | Central Coast Mariners | Westpac Stadium, Wellington |
| Sunday 2:00 | Leo Bertos 80' | Report | John Sutton 45' Bernie Ibini-Isei 51' | Attendance: 9 740 Referee: Strebre Delovski |
- *Match rescheduled from 27 January 2012 due to flooding risk in and around Skilled Park.
Finals
| 31 March 2012 Major semi-final leg 1 | Brisbane Roar | 2–0 | Central Coast Mariners | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| Saturday 5:30 | Henrique 8' Erik Paartalu 86' | Report | Attendance: 15 081 Referee: Strebre Delovski |
| 8 April 2012 Major semi-final leg 2 | Central Coast Mariners | 2–3 | Brisbane Roar | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Sunday 5:00 | Patrick Zwaanswijk 29' Adam Kwasnik 32' | Report | Thomas Broich 2' Mitch Nichols 25' Henrique 65' | Attendance: 9 846 Referee: Jarred Gillett |
| 14 April 2012 Preliminary final | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–5 p) | Perth Glory | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Sunday 5:00 | Adam Kwasnik 32' | Report | Shane Smeltz 34' | Attendance: 7572 Referee: Strebre Delovski |
| Penalties | ||||
Daniel McBreen  Alex Wilkinson Mathew Ryan Michael McGlinchey  | Shane Smeltz Billy Mehmet Liam Miller Dean Heffernan Jacob Burns | |||
2012 AFC Champions League
The Mariners qualified for the 2012 AFC Champions League as runners up in the 2010–11 A-League. In December 2011, they were drawn in group G, along with Nagoya Grampus of Japan, Tianjin Teda FC of China and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma of South Korea.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SIC | NGY | CCM | TTD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 10[a] | Advance to knockout stage | — | 1–1 | 5–0 | 1–1 | |
| 2 |  Nagoya Grampus | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 10[a] | 2–2 | — | 3–0 | 0–0 | ||
| 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 6 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 5–1 | ||
| 4 | Tianjin Teda | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 3 | 0–3 | 0–3 | 0–0 | — |
Notes:
| 7 March 2012 1 | Tianjin Teda FC | 0–0 | Central Coast Mariners | TEDA Football Stadium, Tianjin |
| Wednesday 11:00 | Report | Attendance: 19 800 Referee: Abdullah Al Hilali |
| 21 March 2012 2 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Nagoya Grampus | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Wednesday 7:30 | Patrick Zwaanswijk 28' | Report | Tulio Tanaka 21' | Attendance: 5 130 Referee: Liu Kwok Man |
| 3 April 2012 3 | Central Coast Mariners | 1–1 | Seongnam Ilhwa | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Tuesday 7:00 | Adam Kwasnik 50' Joshua Rose 61' | Report | Everton Santos 57' | Attendance: 5 018 Referee: Valentin Kovalenko |
| 18 April 2012 4 | Seongnam Ilhwa | 5–0 | Central Coast Mariners | Tancheon Sports Complex, Seongnam |
| Wednesday 8:30 | Lee Chang-Hoon 39' Everton Santos 43', 73' (pen) Sung Hwan Kim 69' Vladimir Jovancic 83' | Report | Attendance: 2 017 Referee: Saeid Mozaffarizadeh |
| 1 May 2012 5 | Central Coast Mariners | 5–1 | Tianjin Teda FC | Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford |
| Tuesday 7:30 | Daniel McBreen 10', 20' Joshua Rose 49' Michael McGlinchey 71' Mustafa Amini 85' | Report | Liao Bochao 72' | Attendance: 4 155 Referee: Mohamed Abdelkarim Al-Zarooni |
| 15 May 2012 6 | Nagoya Grampus | 3–0 | Central Coast Mariners | Mizuho Athletic Stadium, Nagoya |
| Tuesday 8:00 | Keiji Tamada 19' Jungo Fujimoto 35' Tulio Tanaka 87' | Report | Attendance: 5 037 Referee: Abdulrahman Abdou |
Squad stats
| No. | Pos. | Name | A-League | Finals | AFC Champions League | Total | Discipline | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |  |  | |||
| 1 | GK | Mathew Ryan | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | FW | Daniel McBreen | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 30 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Joshua Rose | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 35 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 4 | DF | Pedj Bojic | 24 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 31 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
| 5 | MF | Bradley Porter | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | DF |  Patrick Zwaanswijk | 26 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 35 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | John Hutchinson | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | Rostyn Griffiths | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | Bernie Ibini-Isei | 26 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 35 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | Adriano Pellegrino | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | Oliver Bozanic | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | Troy Hearfield | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | MF | Stuart Musialik | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | Michael McGlinchey | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | MF |  Brad McDonald | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | Trent Sainsbury | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 17 | FW | Michael Baird | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | Tom Rogic | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | Alex Wilkinson | 24 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | Matthew Simon | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | John Sutton | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | GK | Justin Pasfield | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | DF | Sam Gallagher | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | Mustafa Amini | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | Adam Kwasnik | 16 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 24 | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | Anthony Caceres | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | FW | Mitchell Duke | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | DF | Trent McClenahan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | GK | Nathan Denham | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | GK | Brody Crane | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ?? | DF | James Oates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Top scorers
| Total | Player | Goals per Round | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | ||||||
| 7 | | Matt Simon | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Bernie Ibini-Isei | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | | Patrick Zwaanswijk | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | | Adam Kwasnik | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | | Rostyn Griffiths | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Mustafa Amini | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Pedj Bojic | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Daniel McBreen | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Tom Rogic | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Troy Hearfield | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | | Michael McGlinchey | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Oliver Bozanic | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | Joshua Rose | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| | John Sutton | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A goal was scored from a penalty kick | ||
| Two goals were scored from penalty kicks |