This was a game billed in such a way as to confuse even Lewis Carroll: a Grand Final re-match which involved a team which didn't exist at the time of the Grand Final.
But the players of the respective sides certainly knew each other from that day in May. Twelve of the 14 players who had game-time for Sydney United against South Melbourne in the Grand Final are now on Parramatta's current roster as are both members of Power's coaching staff.
The outcome was somewhat similar as well - South Melbourne eventually triumphing 4-2 and retaining its proud home record in an entertaining and open match which had its fair share of fire as well as skill. And as if to wrest the stage away from the pre-match parade of five of the Silver-Medal winning Joeys, players who will be Olympians within a year had crucial roles for both teams in this fixture.
At times the match threatened to boil over, but never quite did, despite some behind the play action not spotted by the refereeing team, one involving Jacob Burns and Steve Panopoulos just before the break, and another late in the game resulting in Joe Vrkic leaving the field with blood streaming from his nose.
Speaking of the action - and obviously not making reference to any unsavoury incident - South coach Ange Postecoglou said: "There's nothing wrong with that. (It was) a bit of entertainment, and we're in the entertainment business. It was a good game - plenty of goals, incidents, penalties and send-offs. There were some good goals in there." Coming off a 1-5 loss in Brisbane last round, and now winning 4-2, Postecoglou had every reason to be satisfied with the win.
Against Parramatta, South Melbourne played a formation not often earlier seen at Bob Jane. Robert Liparoti, usually a central defender, was played directly in front of the defensive line as a deep-lying midfielder, and picked up Power's John Angelucci - himself playing in the hole behind the pairing of Olyroos Joel Griffiths and Mile Sterjovski. It was a mostly-effective ploy despite Liparoti only this season being a genuine first-team starter.
"We did that last week (against Brisbane) and I was happy with the way it went," said Postecoglou. "I know we copped five goals and it sounds ridiculous, but in the first half when we used it, it worked well, and I just thought today it'd give us a good base to build from."
South broke through for the lead midway through the half after an early penalty claim - mystifyingly turned down by referee Matthew Breeze to hoots of derision by the home crowd. John Anastasiadis had been comprehensively cleaned up by Power goalkeeper Andrew Crews as he followed up a 25 metre Michael Curcija thunderbolt spilt by Crews.
The opening goal had a most innocuous genesis. Curcija had earnt a corner which the usually reliable Goran Lozanovski duffed. The clearance ran for a South Melbourne throw which Lozanovski - perhaps seeking to make up for his earlier uncharacteristic profligacy - sent to Con Blatsis, still forward from the corner. Blatsis sent in a cross Lozanovski himself would have been proud to call his own, which was only part-cleared. It fell to Panopoulos just outside the area. Panopoulos' screamer hit the net with Crews still in mid-dive.
But Parramatta levelled sixteen minutes later, again with a corner at its heart. Peter Bennett had it played short to him, and crossed to the penalty-spot where Olyroo Joel Griffiths headed home.
If the home support were contemplating the ramifications of another stutter in this season's campaign, the thought had scarcely time to develop. South had regained the lead within two minutes. Anastasiadis made up for the disappointment at being denied his penalty claim when he met Blatsis' cross from the right and scored with a powerful header. Some bad feeling spilt over before the re-start. Panopoulos and Jason Burns tangled, bringing in players of both sides, but settled by referee Breeze and the teams' calmer heads without any cards being shown. Breeze's cards were to see significant second-half action though.
A game as open as this wasn't going to be settled without second half goals, and it wasn't a surprise when Power levelled - only perhaps its manner. After sustained South pressure, Power launched a lightening-quick raid down the right which ended up with Angelucci's cross landing perfectly for Sterjovski's header just after the hour.
Once again, it took only two minutes for South's lead to be restored.
Burns brought down Anastasiadis inside the area as Anastasiadis prepared to shoot, ending the game for Burns, and giving away a penalty, coolly tucked away by Curcija.
Speaking after the game, Power coach David Mitchell had no complaints about the penalty or the send-off - just the effects. "If you strictly by the rules of the game (Anastasiadis) was through on goal - a goal-scoring opportunity - (Burns) brought him down in the box. It's just a bit harsh when you lose a penalty, a goal against, and you lose a man - particularly at that time when we'd got back to (level at) two-two, were doing very well, and were dominating the game."
Even despite going behind for the third time in the game, Power were unlucky not to have levelled yet again. South needed to rely on a goal-line clearance from Blatsis after Liparoti slipped in his own penalty-area conceding possession. But the game was effectively settled when substitute Vaughan Coveny outran a tiring Power defensive line galloping goalwards from the half-way line to face only Crews to score four minutes from time.
"I'm very disappointed" said Mitchell. "I think the goals that (South) scored had come from some bad defensive mistakes from our side. But the players should be proud of the way they played. Even with ten men at the end."