The Western Sydney Wanderers will kick off the 2024/25 A-League season with an Australia Cup 2024 clash against Brisbane City FC team in Queensland in the Round of 32 that begins on Tuesday 30 July and will be held over 3 weeks of matches.

The Wanderers avoided a Cup play-off by finishing 7th in the 2023/24 A-League Season and entered along with 9 other A-League clubs and the remaining 22 clubs coming from the State qualifiers, with 1 each from Tasmania, the ACT and Northern Territory, 2 each from Western Australia, South Australia and Northern NSW, 4 each from Queensland and New South Wales & rounding out the competition with 5 clubs from Victoria. Brisbane City were founded by the Italian community 72 years ago in 1952 and play at Spencer Park not far from the Brisbane CBD and they are currently in 8th place in NPL Queensland. 

Unlike previous editions, this year the Cup will have an open draw in every round and will not be using a geographical zone format, but will retain the usual standard of State League member federations being given an automatic home tie when drawn against an A-League club. After the conclusion of the Round of 32 fixtures a single draw will be held for the R16 onwards, allowing each team to know their potential path through to the final on Saturday the 5th of October.

The full series of R32 matches is: Moreton Bay vs Campbelltown City, NWS Spirit vs Gelorchy Knights, O'Connor Knights vs Macarthur FC, Perth Redstar vs Lions FC, Melbourne Serbia vs Modbury Jets, Olympic FC vs APIA Leichardt, Brisbane City vs Western Sydney & Heidelberg United vs Central Coast Mariners, Oakleigh Cannons vs Sydney FC, South Melbourne vs Wellington Phoenix, Adelaide United vs Blacktown City, Lambton Jaffas vs Melbourne Victory, Jets/Western United v Rockdale Ilinden, Roar/Perth vs Melbourne City, Darwin Hearts vs Hume City.

The matches will take place in late July and early August.

The Western Sydney Wanderers have today confirmed that Chairman & Part-Owner Paul Lederer has stepped down from his role as Chairman.

Lederer, the 78 year billionaire with a net worth estimated as close to $2 billion has elected to quit as club Chairman over his increasing commitments to his other business interests and for family reasons. He remains at the club as a significant shareholder and director. It is unknown at this stage who will replace him, and if that replacement will come from one of the other three owners Peter Duncan, Jefferson Cheng & David Slade, or from outside the club ownership.

His departure continues a tumultuous off-season for the Wanderers, after finishing outside the finals positions and having head coach Mark Rudan resign for his own personal reasons.

With no chairman, no head coach and a series of players departures with announced arrivals as yet one wonders how the Wanderers will manage to turn the floundering A-League Men's team around in time for kick-off for the rumoured opening round in the middle of October.