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1981 NSL Cup
National Soccer League Cup
Tournament details
Country	Australia
Dates	21 March – 20 September 1981
Teams	36
Final positions
Champions	Brisbane Lions (1st title)
Runner-up	Heidelberg United
Tournament statistics
Matches played	35
Goals scored	114 (3.26 per match)
Attendance	93,903 (2,683 per match)
	← 1980 1982 →

The 1981 NSL Cup was the fifth edition of the NSL Cup, which was the main national association football knockout cup competition in Australia.

Marconi Fairfield were the defending champions, having defeated Heidelberg United to win their first title in the previous year's final, but they were eliminated in the semi-finals by Brisbane Lions.

Brisbane Lions defeated West Adelaide 3–1 in the final to win their first NSL Cup title.^[1]

Teams

The NSL Cup was a knockout competition with 36 teams taking part all trying to reach the Final in September 1981.^[2] The competition consisted of the 16 teams from the National Soccer League plus 20 teams from their respective top division state leagues.

Round	Main date	Number of fixtures	Clubs remaining
First round	Sunday 22 March 1981	16	36 → 20
Second round	Wednesday 6 May 1981	10	20 → 10
Third round	Tuesday 16 June 1981	2	10 → 8
Quarter-finals	Wednesday 17 June 1981	4	8 → 4
Semi-finals	Wednesday 5 August 1981	2	4 → 2
Final	Sunday 20 September 1981	1	2 → 1

First round

8 February 1981	Brisbane City (1)	1–0	Mount Gravatt (2)	Brisbane
	Wilkinson 38'	Report		Stadium: Perry Park

8 February 1981	Adelaide City (1)	4–2	Adelaide Croatia (2)	Adelaide
	Mitchell 17' Marocchi 19' B. Nyskohus 76' Northcote 80'	Report	Williams 60' Caggiano 64'	Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium

4 March 1981	St Kilda Hakoah (2)	3–2	Brunswick United Juventus (2)	Melbourne
	Dosen ?' French ?' Fantoma 84' (o.g.)	Report	Ristovski ?' Incantalupo ?'	Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 3,500 Referee: Dennis Voutsinas

4 March 1981	Preston Makedonia (1)	3–1	Footscray JUST (1)	Melbourne
	Ollerton 73', 85' (pen.) Brown 81'	Report	Cozzella 68'	Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 3,500 Referee: Chris Bambridge

11 March 1981	Essendon Croatia (2)	3–1	Green Gully Ajax (2)	Melbourne
	Gilder 47', ?' Mitten 79'	Report	MacLeod 48' (pen.)	Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 6,300 Referee: Jim Fearn

11 March 1981	Heidelberg United (1)	2–0	South Melbourne (1)	Melbourne
	Bozikas 52' Selemidis 71'	Report		Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 6,300 Referee: Dennis Voutsinas

11 March 1981	West Adelaide (1)	3–0	Para Hills (2)	Adelaide
	Brown 53' Tymczyszyn 81' (pen.) Pillans 85'	Report		Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium

21 March 1981	Wollongong Wolves (1)	3–0	Downer Olympic (2)	Wollongong
	Lathan 30' Campbell 18' Adam 90' (pen.)	Report		Stadium: Memorial Park Attendance: 815 Referee: Ken Small

22 March 1981	Canberra City (1)	2–1	Newcastle KB United (1)	Canberra
	Valeri 48', 64'	Report	Mountford 29'	Stadium: Bruce Stadium Attendance: 3,025 Referee: Tim Davies

22 March 1981	Sydney City (1)	3–0	Blacktown City (1)	Newcastle
	Boden 28' (pen.), 37', 86'	Report		Stadium: Newcastle International Sports Centre Attendance: 1,310 Referee: Alf Rodway

22 March 1981	Weston Bears (2)	1–0	Rapid Wrest Point (2)	Newcastle
	Miller 90+5'	Report		Stadium: Macquarie Field Attendance: 2,000

22 March 1981	Edgeworth Eagles (2)	1–2	Sydney Olympic (1)	Newcastle
	Kemp 62'	Report	Cross 55' Raskoupoulos 87'	Stadium: Macquarie Field Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Alf Rodway

29 March 1981	APIA Leichhardt (1)	3–2	Auburn (2)	Sydney
	Morsello 19' O'Connor 31' Soper 76'	Report	Allen 1' Hill 51'	Stadium: Everley Park Referee: Richard Lorenc

29 March 1981	Marconi Fairfield (1)	2–1	Melita Eagles (2)	Sydney
	Jankovics 15', 62'	Report	Allan 51'	Stadium: Everley Park Referee: Gary Power

29 March 1981	Canterbury Marrickville (2)	1–0	St George-Budapest (1)	Sydney
	Brown 39'	Report		Stadium: Seymour Shaw Park

29 April 1981	Townsville United (2)	0–3	Brisbane Lions (1)	Townsville
		Report	Ferris 32', 72' Whalley 89' (o.g.)	Stadium: Townsville Sports Reserve Attendance: 1,400 Referee: A. Barrell

Second round

22 March 1981	Adelaide City (1)	3–1	Olympic Kingsway (2)	Adelaide
	Mitchell 22', 55' Villani 35'	Report	(unknown) ?', ?'	Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Attendance: 6,328 Referee: Bobby Kerr

22 March 1981	West Adelaide (1)	3–2	Cumberland United (2)	Adelaide
	McGachey 48' Manecas 56' Norris 86'	Report	Mahoney 33'	Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Attendance: 6,328 Referee: Barry Harwood

25 March 1981	St Kilda Hakoah (2)	3–1	Essendon Croatia (2)	Melbourne
	French 69' McClunie 81' Webster 90'	Report	Murphy 22'	Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Jack Johnston

25 March 1981	Heidelberg United (1)	1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–3 p)	Preston Makedonia (1)	Melbourne
	Cole 63'	Report	McMillan 52'	Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 6,000 Referee: Bob Mee
	Penalties
	Cole Yzendoorn Taylor Campbell Rooney		Ollerton Flavell Petrovski Lucchesi

6 May 1981	Marconi Fairfield (1)	1–0	Canterbury Marickville (2)	Sydney
	Byrne 62'	Report		Stadium: Marconi Oval Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Arthur Owens

6 May 1981	Sydney City (1)	1–0 (a.e.t.)	Weston Bears (2)	Sydney
	Boden 116'	Report		Stadium: Marconi Oval Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Ken Allen

6 May 1981	Wollongong City (1)	2–4 (a.e.t.)	APIA Leichhardt (1)	Wollongong
	McBreen 77' Tredinnick 90'	Report	O'Connor 75' Soper 89', 119' Kafka 100'	Stadium: Woonona Oval Referee: Tony Boskovic

6 May 1981	Brisbane Lions (1)	2–0	Grange Thistle (2)	Brisbane
	Cameron 17' (o.g.) Hermiston 32'	Report		Stadium: Perry Park Attendance: 300 Referee: Jack Wood

8 June 1981	Canberra City (1)	2–4	Sydney Olympic (1)	Canberra
	Gibson ?' Maclaren 63'	Report	Koussas 8', 40' Wilson ?' Rowden 25'	Stadium: Bruce Stadium Attendance: 4,300 Referee: Tim Davies

8 June 1981	Brisbane City (1)	3–0	Mareeba United (2)	Brisbane
	P. Wilkinson 11', 44' McVeigh 83'	Report		Stadium: Spencer Park Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Col Amos

Third round

27 May 1981	Marconi Fairfield (1)	2–2 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p)	Sydney City (1)	Sydney
	Sharne ?' Krncevic ?'	Report	Boden 46', ?'	Stadium: Marconi Oval Referee: Richard Lorenc

16 June 1981	APIA Leichhardt (1)	2–1	Sydney Olympic (1)	Sydney
	O'Connor 35' Soper 72'	Report	Cotton 78'	Stadium: Sydney Sports Ground Attendance: 5,765 Referee: Chris Bambridge

Quarter-finals

3 June 1981	Brisbane Lions (1)	1–0	St Kilda Hakoah (2)	Brisbane
	Ferris 25'	Report		Stadium: Richlands Stadium Attendance: 600 Referee: Dave Nugent

17 June 1981	Heidelberg United (1)	0–1	Adelaide City (1)	Melbourne
		Report	Fashanu 87'	Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Tony Boskovic

17 June 1981	West Adelaide (1)	4–2	Brisbane City (1)	Adelaide
	Lorenzoni 18' Manecas 57', ?' Smythe 88'	Report	Caldwell 11' Hamilton 48'	Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Attendance: 1,800 Referee: Jim Rossis

8 July 1981	APIA Leichhardt (1)	1–3	Marconi Fairfield (1)	Sydney
	Morsello 65'	Report	Krncevic 12', 63', 89'	Stadium: St George Stadium Attendance: 3,800 Referee: Henry Witschge

Semi-finals

29 July 1981	West Adelaide (1)	1–0	Adelaide City (1)	Adelaide
	Bozanic 62'	Report		Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Attendance: 6,200 Referee: Barry Harwood

5 August 1981	Marconi Fairfield (1)	2–3	Brisbane Lions (1)	Sydney
	Jankovics ?', ?'	Report	Bennett 46' Williamson 59', 62'	Stadium: Marconi Oval Attendance: 3,200 Referee: Peter Rampley

Final

20 September 1981

15:00 AEST

Brisbane Lions	3–1	West Adelaide
Daunt 4' Ferris 75' Williamson 87' (pen.)	Report	Topaz 82'

Canberra Stadium, Canberra

Attendance: 6,132

Referee: Chris Bambridge

References

^ "Dream start leads Lions to the Cup". Soccer Action. 23 September 1981. p. 2.
^ Stock, Greg. "1981 National Soccer League Cup Results". OzFootball.

[1] "Dream start leads Lions to the Cup". Soccer Action. 23 September 1981. p. 2.

[2] Stock, Greg. "1981 National Soccer League Cup Results". OzFootball.

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