Four years after lifting the A-League trophy and promising a glittering future in Melbourne’s west, Western United is selling off the remnants of its football operation to the highest bidder.
The remains of the former champions’ operation are heading to auction, with everything from giant television screens and espresso machines to gym equipment and shipping containers up for grabs.
Auction house Manheim has advertised a 96-lot liquidation sale, offering a glimpse of what remains of the club’s operation after its ambitious plans for Melbourne’s west unravelled.
Bidding is scheduled to open at 10am on December 3 and close at 2pm on December 9, with the goods listed in Altona North, Melbourne.
And there is considerably more on offer than a few spare footballs.
Anyone looking to upgrade their viewing experience can browse 86-inch LG monitors alongside a collection of Philips screens ranging from 50 to 75 inches.
Western United’s equipment is heading to auction after the former A-League champions’ financial collapse
Even Western United’s shipping container ticket booths will go under the hammer
Televisions and whitegoods are among the items being sold from the former A-League club
The laundry equipment includes LG and Samsung washing machines, plus LG and Speed Queen dryers.
There are Smeg ovens and dishwashers, La Pavoni espresso machines and a commercial oven/warmer, giving the sale something of a kitchen showroom feel.
Even the office furniture is going, with desks, chairs, a glass table, printers and an Epson projector and screen among the listings.
For supporters who would prefer to train like a professional footballer, the catalogue includes spin bikes, squat racks, dumbbells, barbells and a leg press. Two recovery baths and a Pilates machine are also listed.
Then there are the shipping containers, with multiple custom units and three described as 20-foot containers included in the sale.
The sale marks a dramatic turnaround for a club that entered the A-League in 2019 promising a privately owned stadium and a permanent foothold in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Western United reached the pinnacle of the men’s competition in 2022 under coach John Aloisi.
Four years later, its equipment is being sold on behalf of a liquidator.
Auction house Manheim is handling the sale on behalf of the liquidator
Recovery baths and specialised player-testing equipment offer a glimpse inside the professional football operation
The sale catalogue features 96 lots of sporting equipment and general goods
The club’s financial troubles had included a reported $15.5million Australian Taxation Office debt, while a proposed $100million takeover by American group KAM Sports failed to proceed.
Western United sat out the 2025-26 A-League season in hibernation, initially insisting: ‘This is not a farewell, nor is it a step back.’
But the hoped-for comeback never arrived.
The Australian Professional Leagues terminated its participation agreement in August, ending its involvement in both the men’s and women’s A-League competitions.
APL chairperson Stephen Conroy said the club had breached several obligations, including requirements under Football Australia’s National Club Licensing Regulations.
The damage extended well beyond the senior professional teams.
Football Victoria announced on August 12 that Western United would be withdrawn from all its competitions after the Federal Court ordered WMG Football Club Limited to be wound up in insolvency.
The entity was the company through which Western United participated in the Victorian competitions.
Football Victoria said it had explored every available option to allow the teams to finish their seasons, but could find no viable pathway following the court decision.
Young players were left unable to register with another club for the final weeks of the season under registration regulations.
‘For many of these young players, WUFC has been a significant part of their football journey and we understand how disappointing and unsettling this news will be for them and their families,’ FV chief executive Dan Birrell said.
The withdrawal also forced Western United’s results to be removed from the relevant senior and junior competitions, triggering ladder recalculations and leaving byes in the remaining fixtures.
