1977 National Soccer League
The 1977 National Soccer League season was the first season of the National Soccer League of Australia. The league was not only the first national soccer league in Australia but the first of any of the forms of football in Australia. Clubs predominantly joined from the top leagues in each state, with some clubs forming in 1977 to join the league. The inaugural champions were Eastern Suburbs.
Background
Attempts had been made to start a national league several times during the 1960s and 1970s, however it wasn't until 1975 that the talk became serious. In April 1975, nine clubs from New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia agreed to form a national league in either 1976 or 1977. Frank Lowy, president of Hakoah-Eastern Suburbs and Alex Pongrass, St George-Budapest president led a concerted effort to bring in teams from Victoria over objections from the state association. Eventually, four Victorian clubs joined with the addition of a team from the Australian Capital Territory.Teams
Stadiums and locations
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
| Adelaide City | Adelaide | Olympic Sports Field | |
| Brisbane City | Brisbane | Perry Park | |
| Brisbane Lions | Brisbane | Perry Park | |
| Canberra City | Canberra Queanbeyan | Manuka Oval Seiffert Oval | ? |
| Fitzroy | Melbourne | Olympic Park Stadium | |
| Footscray | Melbourne | Middle Park | |
| Marconi | Sydney | Marconi Stadium | |
| Mooroolbark | Melbourne | Middle Park Esther Park Wembley Park | ? ? |
| South Melbourne | Melbourne | Middle Park | |
| St George | Sydney | Sydney Sports Ground Marconi Stadium | |
| Eastern Suburbs | Sydney | Sydney Sports Ground | |
| Sydney Olympic | Sydney | Sydney Sports Ground Wentworth Park | ? |
| Western Suburbs | Sydney | Sydney Sports Ground Englefield Stadium | ? |
| West Adelaide | Adelaide | Hindmarsh Stadium |
League table
Results
Season statistics
Scoring
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
 | Eastern Suburbs | Adelaide City | 6–1 | 7 May 1977 | |
 | Eastern Suburbs | Brisbane Lions | 4–0 | 5 June 1977 | |
| | Marconi | Fitzroy | 8–1 | 20 June 1977 | |
| | Brisbane Lions | Western Suburbs | 4–0 | 25 July 1977 | |
| | South Melbourne | Mooroolbark | 4–2 | 29 August 1977 | |
 | Adelaide City | Mooroolbark | 10–3 | 5 September 1977 | |
| | Adelaide City | Footscray | 4–3 | 12 September 1977 |