class of "13 set to make this the best season yet Sydney FC Coach Frank Farina survived the club's most turbulent season on record and was rewarded with a two-year contract in hope of finally providing the long-yearned-for stability at the club. Their pre-season form has not been anything like consistent, but what has been is their tactical approach. Farina, with new assistant Rado Vidosic, is determined to exert a fluid style of play and has not wavered from a new 4-3-3 system built upon control of possession and playing out from defence. Their defence remains unstable but if new signings Pedj Bojic, Matt Jurman, Marc Warren and Nikola Petkovic find form, Sydney could be contenders. Key signing: Nick Carle The Sky Blues lacked a creative spark to provide the service to marquee Alessandro Del Piero last season in the absence of Carle, and the midfielder's return to the club could bring out the best in their talented strikeforce. Technically gifted and a clever mover of the ball, Carle's return from the UAE will lead to a more streamlined transition from defence to attack. The 31-year-old will be deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in the new system and if his fellow midfielders bear the defensive burdens, his sole task will be tormenting opponents. Western Sydney Wanderers They were the fairytale story of last season - a club hastily put together by Football Federation Australia that somehow put together a 10-game winning streak to win the minor premiership and reach the grand final, building an impressive supporter base on the way. That is in the past, though, and the Wanderers have turned from the hunter into the hunted in just their second season. Coach Tony Popovic has retained the bulk of his squad from last season and added depth in key areas. Tomi Juric showed glimpses of brilliance at Adelaide and could become one of the A-League's top marksmen playing in front of Japanese star Shinji Ono. Key signing: Matthew Spiranovic The Wanderers already boasted the A-League's strongest defence last season and their back line became all the more intimidating when they announced the signing of Socceroo Matthew Spiranovic. The towering central defender is just 25 years old but his career has already taken him to the Bundesliga, the J-League and Qatar. Once fit, he will likely partner captain Michael Beauchamp in the heart of defence to add more mobility and composure to the Wanderers defence. Central Coast Mariners The A-League champions suffered the curse of many successful clubs during the off-season as they lost a number of key players to clubs at home and abroad but have retained enough of a core to remain strong. The departures of Bernie Ibini, Mat Ryan, Oliver Bozanic and Pedj Bojic opens the door for the Mariners to promote some of their best youth products this season. Coach Graham Arnold has a lot of faith in the young talent at the club and will show little hesitation in throwing them into the deep end. Keep an eye on defender Storm Roux and midfielder Anthony Caceres, who both starred during the pre-season. Key signing: Marcos Flores The Mariners" formation is built around a proper No.10, and it was hard to fathom how they managed to clinch the A-League ring last campaign after the mid-season departure of Tom Rogic. Now with Flores, one of the competition's best imports, on board, they have a natural fit to their system. The Argentinian playmaker struggled while playing as a striker at the Victory but will return to his best in his natural attacking midfielder role. His rare combination of technical ability, creativity and a strong eye for goal that makes him so dangerous. Brisbane Roar The Roar's late surge to the finals last season caught many people off-guard. Coach Mike Mulvey worked wonders with the little time he had with the team and now with the luxury of a full pre-season together, Brisbane will start the season once again as a team to fear. They have retained the bulk of their squad from last season and bolstered their midfield with the signings of Socceroo Matt McKay and Liam Miller, a tenacious and skilfull former Celtic and Manchester United midfielder. All eyes will be on Albanian striker Besart Berisha, the players that Roar fans love and rival supporters love to hate. Key signing: Liam Miller The focus may be on the return of fan favourite Matt McKay, but the signing of Liam Miller from Perth Glory may prove to be the most important addition for Brisbane this season. The former Manchester United and Celtic midfielder was instrumental to Perth Glory's consecutive finals appearances and will likely adopt a similar constructive role at the Roar. The Irishman operates as the fulcrum in the transition from defence to attack, and could restore Brisbane's attractive style of play Perth Glory Much like Brisbane, the Glory shocked the league by reaching the finals last season after spending most of it near the bottom of the table and being forced to replace their coach mid-season. Alistair Edwards, a Perth man through and through, remains at the helm and managed to get the Glory playing some exciting football with the limited time he had to work with them. Now with a full preseason with his squad, he may get the Glory back to the summit of Australian football after nearly 10 years in the doldrums. A minor overhaul of the squad and the addition of some exciting forwards make the Glory a team to watch this year. Key signing: Sidnei Sciola The Brazilian forward has been scoring for fun throughout the pre-season and will likely carry his form into the A-League. Agile, strong, physical and technically gifted, Sidnei has the potential to become one of the better imports in the history of the A-League. He is equally adept at playing as a striker or as a left-winger and his mobility will cause havoc for opponents Melbourne Victory A third title is well within the reach of the Victory in their second season under coach Ange Postecoglou. They have a balanced blend of impressive youth and experienced senior players that could bring out the best in a talent-rich squad. The club recruited well in the off-season, trimming the fat by releasing a large number of fringe players and signing four big names. The arrival of Chilean defender Pablo Contreras as a marquee player will bring stability to their defence, while Socceroo James Troisi, Kiwi ace Kosta Barbarouses and former Brisbane star Mitch Nichols will add potency to their attack. Key signing: Pablo Contreras It's not often that an A-League club signs a veteran defender as a marquee player but such were the defensive woes of the Victory last season that Ange Postecoglou opted for experience in the back line rather than a big-name forward. Poor defending cost the Victory a shot at the title last season and the arrival of the 35-year-old Chilean adds some much-needed experience to their defence. The former Braga, Olympiakos and Celta Vigo player has a reputation as a fierce competitor, so much so he is affectionately known as ""The Spartan"" in his homeland. He might be a veteran, but he will add to the physicality of the A-League. Melbourne Heart The Heart just can't seem to get a break, and when they do, it's not the one they want. After pulling off one of the signings of the season in towering Dutch midfielder Orlando Engelaar, they suffered a cruel twist of fate when he broke his leg 30 minutes into his first pre-season game, in turn shattering their hopes for the season. Despite the setback, there are still some positives from their off-season developments, particularly the signing of Harry Kewell. The veteran has a point to prove and will be just as ambitious to succeed now as he was as a teenager at Leeds. Anything less than a top-six finish could cost coach John Aloisi his job. Key signing: Harry Kewell After a year's hiatus from the game, Harry Kewell is back. The fanfare surrounding his Melbourne Heart debut is but a fraction of that for his A-League entrance two years ago with their cross-town rivals, and that may be for the best. He failed to make an immediate impact under such pressure at the Victory and now free of a similar weight of expectation, the stage is set for Kewell to wind back the clock. Now 35, the once golden boy of Australian football will wear the captain's armband for the Heart and if he can stay fit he might shine in what will surely be his swansong. Wellington Phoenix The New Zealanders are very much an unknown quantity as they begin a season without Ricki Herbert as coach for the first time in their short history. Former Melbourne Victory boss Ernie Merrick returns to the A-League and has immediately embarked on whipping his players into shape. It's understood that Paul Ifill lost up to eight kilograms by the end of the preseason and new signing Carlos Hernandez is also in a much better shape than his Victory days. Wellington remains a difficult place for visitors to leave with three points, so if the Phoenix can maintain a strong home record, they will be in the running. Key signing: Carlos Hernandez The talented Costa Rican lit up the A-League during his time with Melbourne Victory and has been reunited with former coach Ernie Merrick at the Phoenix. A traditional No.10 - skilful, classy and creative - he will add a new dimension to a club that, historically, relies on its physicality to achieve results. His precise and diverse passing range will create more opportunities for strikers Jeremy Brockie and Stein Huysegems. Adelaide United There will be some salsa flair at Coopers Stadium this season with the arrival of new coach Josep Gombau, a former pupil of Barcelona and the architect of youth academies associated with the Catalan giants. The coach was brought in to instil a "tiki-taka" brand of football in Adelaide. He immediately embarked on the mission and brought in two Spanish players to aid the process, Isaias Sanchez and Sergio Cirio. The Reds impressed with their style throughout the pre-season and have a strong squad. Marcelo Carrusca is set for a more central playmaking role than last year, which could bring out the best of his abilities. Key signing: Michael Zullo The Socceroos wide man made the surprise move from Dutch Eredivisie club FC Twente back to the A-League in search of more game time and there will be no shortage of ambition from this World Cup hopeful. Three years in Holland made Zullo a much more polished player than when he left Brisbane Roar and if Adelaide can play the stylish football that Josep Gombau will demand, the diminutive winger will shine. Newcastle Jets The Jets missed out on a place in the finals last season after beginning brightly and were perhaps the league's most inconsistent performers - scintillating one game, awful the next. The experience of last season will likely benefit a young but talented squad, and the addition of a few senior players could help coach Gary van Egmond get the most out of his promising starlets. Dutch defender Kew Jaliens signed from Wisla Krakow to strengthen their defence, while Socceroo Nathan Burns returns to helptheir attack. They have the potential to be the dark horse this season, but their hopes rest on young shoulders. Key signing: Nathan Burns Burns was one of the many players burnt by the tag "the next Harry Kewell" and he returns to the A-League to kickstart a career that accelerated so quickly but stalled so suddenly. A talented attacking midfielder or second striker, Burns has no shortage of ability in the attacking third and will provide strong support to target man Emile Heskey. Burns is on loan from Korean club Incheon until January, but the Jets will be hoping to extend his stay if he performs.