This was the last fixture of the opening round of the new competition: against Sydney at what was then known as the Sydney Football Stadium. More than 25,000 - a huge number at that time - turned up. Organisers had to throw open the gates to allow the stragglers in to ensure kick-off took place on time.

Dwight Yorke put the hosts ahead a minute before the break, Archie Thompson levelled with a header 17 minutes from time.

First win: round five, 2005-06

Victory took on Newcastle Jets in the fifth week of the season with Ernie Merrick's men still looking for their first win. The first four games had yielded just three points after draws in Sydney and Brisbane and at home to Perth Glory, as well as a loss in Adelaide. That all changed in the 68th minute of this game when Archie Thompson netted to score the only goal of the game.

The rout of Sydney: round eight, 2005-06

Both teams arrived at this game in sparkling form. Victory, having broken their duck in round five, had won their next two matches, against Central Coast and the New Zealand Knights, while Sydney had won three on the spin, against Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. No one predicted anything but a tough, difficult battle.

What we got was a one-sided rout, Victory slamming on five goals without reply.

Richard Kitzbichler opened the scoring after 34 minutes and the hosts went to the break one up. Kevin Muscat made it two from the penalty spot at 53 minutes.

But then came the avalanche. Thompson bagged two, including one amazing solo effort, and Muscat stroked home a second penalty. The capacity crowd  was delirious, but little did the fans know that this was as good as it was going to get in that opening season. Sydney came back to win the premiership and Victory finished second bottom.

Records set at Etihad (nee Telstra Dome)

The 2006-07 season kicked off with soccer on a high following the Socceroos' dramatic exploits in the World Cup in Germany. Victory began the season in sensational style, winning their first seven games in succession en route to what would be their first premiership-championship double.

Crowds grew impressively. In round two of that year Victory made their Docklands debut and attracted more than 39,000 to the then Telstra Dome for a thrilling 3-2 triumph over Sydney FC, a Muscat penalty and a Danny Allsop double doing the damage.

Better still was to come in round 16 that year when the two sides met again at Telstra Dome and a crowd of in excess of 50,000 turned up for what turned out to be a hard-fought goalless draw.

Muscat v Kosmina: round eight, season 2006-07 

Adelaide and Melbourne have always had a passionate sporting rivalry, no matter what the code, and the Reds v Navy Blues fixtures in the A-League are no different.

Anyone who doubted that passions ran high only needed to be at Telstra Dome on this night when Muscat, Victory's captain, chased down the ball as it went for a throw-in and knocked the combustible John Kosmina, Adelaide's coach and a Socceroo legend, off his chair on the sidelines. Kosmina, nearly 20 years Muscat's senior, leapt to his feet and grabbed the Victory firebrand round the throat, shaping to throttle him before the pair were separated.

Adelaide had the last laugh as a late Greg Owens goal gave the South Australians a 1-0 win in front of another bumper crowd of 32,368.

First championship: 2006-07 season

It was the most comprehensive display of superiority in a grand final and we may never see such a scoreline again, or at least not for a very long time.

"Melbourne Victory 6-0 Adelaide United" looks like something from a school fixture or low-grade club fixture. But it was a rampant performance by the hosts in front of a 55,000-plus crowd at Telstra Dome that will live long in the memory of anyone who watched it.

Archie Thompson's feat of scoring five goals in a title decider was unprecedented, and again is a record that should stand for decades. And Brazilian midfielder Fred put in a performance that can rarely have been equalled in a title decider, creating several of Thompson's goals.

The Reds were disadvantaged by having skipper Ross Aloisi sent off in the first half, but the reality is they could have played with 13 men on this night and still not come close.

Champions League thrills and spills

Victory's first foray into the Asian Champions League was a steep learning curve for all concerned and although they got off to a great start with a 2-0 win over Chunnam Dragons, it was ultimately to be a failure.

But in April 2008 the tournament produced one of the most exhilarating games played at Telstra Stadium when Victory took on Japanese giants Gamba Osaka in a group game which produced seven goals and heartbreak for the hosts.

Danny Allsop gave Victory an early lead before Gamba got two, in the 31st and 38th minutes, only for defender Rod Vargas to equalise before the break. Allsop put Victory in front with 25 minutes remaining, but Yamaguchi levelled for Gamba three minutes later. It looked as though the spoils would be shared - until Brazilian frontman Lucas struck in the 89th minute to give Gamba a 4-3 win.

Second grand final triumph

It was 2009. Once again Adelaide United provided the opposition, and once again the Reds found Victory their championship nemesis. And once more the hosts found themselves playing against 10 men for the bulk of the match as Reds Brazilian striker Cristiano was dismissed in the 10th minute for elbowing Victory defender Rod Vargas in an aerial challenge.

Referee Matthew Breeze consulted his assistants before flourishing what many believed to have been a harshly awarded red card. It certainly changed the dynamic of the game, although Victory made heavy weather of seeing off the South Australians.

Eventually Tom Pondeljak broke the deadlock with a long-range drive for a 1-0 win, but it certainly didn't have the swagger and style of that first triumph.

The Melbourne derbies

After five years of lording it as the only team in town, Victory finally had some intra-city opposition in the shape of new franchise Melbourne Heart. The first meeting between the two came in October 2010 when the new boys pulled off a surprise 2-1 victory.

Since then there have been 12 more matches; Victory have won five of the 13, Heart four and four have ended in draws.

From a navy blue point of view, Archie Thompson's last-minute winner in October 2012 which brought a 2-1 triumph and the 5-2 triumph earlier this season are the standout memories.

Ernie Merrick's contribution 

Like him or loathe him - and by the time his six-year reign ended in a dramatic post-season sacking there were plenty who had had enough of the controlled and measured Scotsman - there is no denying the massive contribution Merrick made to the Victory identity - and the early success he brought the club.

Two premiership-championship doubles in the first four seasons and another grand final loss in season five were major achievements. He even became a cult figure for a while because of his touchline immovability and refusal to show any emotion whatever the circumstances.

It was observed that Easter Island statues sometimes revealed more of their feelings than did the Victory boss while a match was in progress.