We’re only 6 weeks into the 2014/15 A-League season, and already there is a trend emerging that should have the teams at the bottom of the table concerned.

The likes of Perth Glory, Victory, Sydney FC and Adelaide look a step above the likes of the Jets and the Mariners, and it’s reflected in the A-League ladder already. After 6 games, a staggering 8 point gap exists between the top 4 and the bottom 4. Before this season, the largest such gap was half of that (4 points), after round 6 of the 2010/11 season.

In fact, such is the discrepancy between the top and bottom of the table that 3 teams are yet to be defeated (Adelaide, Sydney, and Victory), far eclipsing the record of one undefeated team after 6 rounds in any previous A-League season.

If you’re at the foot of the table — like last year’s Grand Finallists, Brisbane Roar and Western Sydney Wanderers — these figures should worry you.

Brisbane Roar currently sit 9 points outside the top 4, and 12 points behind league-leaders Perth Glory. The Wanderers, on the other hand, are yet to get off the mark, sitting 12 points outside the top 4, and 15 points behind Perth.

Both teams have at least one game in hand, but for the Wanderers in particular, they already sit the equivalent of 5 games behind the Glory — and we’re only six weeks into the new season!

Don’t worry, I can hear what you’re saying.

Yes, there’s still 21 rounds of football left, and plenty of opportunities for both sides to catch up and challenge for the Premier’s Plate. Mathematically, that is 100% correct.

Historically, though, it’s a highly unlikely scenario:

Season Premier Round 6 position Round 6 points 2005/06 Adelaide 1st 14 2006/07 Victory 1st 18 2007/08 Mariners 1st 13 2008/09 Victory 1st 11 2009/10 Sydney 2nd 10 2010/11 Brisbane 6th 8 2011/12 Mariners 3rd 11 2012/13 Wanderers 7th 7 2013/14 Brisbane 2nd 12 Average: - 2nd/3rd 11.56

The Roar are currently on 3 points from 5 games, whilst the Wanderers are on 0 points from their 4 clashes so far. Therefore, on parity, the most amount of points they can be on after 6 games is 6 points each.

As the table above shows, that is less than the lowest points total for any A-League Premiership team after 6 rounds, and both are currently placed lower on the A-League ladder than any other previous premier. Additionally, their maximum totals of 6 points each is roughly half that of the average amount of points accrued by a premier through the first 6 rounds of the season.

In other words, it doesn’t bode well for any Premiership aspirations.

Now, obviously, there is still plenty of time for the Roar and Wanderers to kick-start their season toward a possible, if highly unlikely, Premiership run.

Brisbane had a strong 4-0 win over Newcastle on Friday night, and seemed to display at least a hint of the form that earned them the moniker of ‘Roarcelona’. Western Sydney play 5 of their next 6 at the friendly confines of Pirtek Stadium, where they manage at least a point in almost 80% of their games.

And that’s all well and fine.

But the Glory, Victory, Sydney and Adelaide already have points on the board, and their strong form is making each of them particularly difficult to overcome at the moment.

In fact, Brisbane have already lost to Perth, Sydney and Adelaide, and the Wanderers have similarly gone down to Perth, Sydney and Victory. If either the Roar or the Wanderers stand even a mathematical chance of claiming the Premier’s Plate, they need to be pegging back each of those teams, and not dropping all three points!

The other factor that is working against the Roar and Wanderers at the moment is that ‘divide’ between the top 4 and the rest of the competition. If that trend continues, and the top 4 teams continue to regularly accrue points in games against bottom 4 teams, it makes it that much harder for Brisbane and Western Sydney to catch up.

It has been shown over the first decade of the A-League that it is vital to get early points on the board if you want a realistic chance at winning the A-League Premier’s Plate.

The last 4 seasons have seen the Premier’s Plate head to Western Sydney, Central Coast, and twice to Brisbane.

This season, however, it seems almost certain to have a new destination.

About the author Justin is a passionate football fan, and the Editor-in-chief of Ultimate A-League.

Follow @justintickner Justin is a passionate football fan, and the Editor-in-chief of Ultimate A-League.