Sources: Soccer Action, Teamsheets and ASF Annual Report.

FIFA World Cup Qualifier
Saturday September 21 1985 Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand Referee: Keith Hackett (England) Attendance: 14,826
New Zealand Frank Van Hattum, Allan Boath (c), Shane Rufer, Ceri Evans, Malcolm Dunford, Kenny Cresswell, Grant Turner, Steve Sumner, Declan Edge (Peter Henry 89), Wynton Rufer, Colin Walker Coach: Kevin Fallon	0	-	0	AUSTRALIA Terry Greedy, Charlie Yankos, Zarko Odzakov, David Ratcliffe, Steve O'Connor (Robbie Dunn 60), Graham Jennings, Joe Watson, Ken Murphy, Oscar Crino, John Kosmina (c), David Mitchell Coach: Frank Arok Caution: Mitchell
For Australia 1985 was a world cup qualifying year and again FIFA had placed Australia in the Oceania sub group. In order to qualify for the 1986 finals Australia had to first top the Oceania group composed of Israel, New Zealand and Taiwan. The matches were again played over home and away legs with the first opponent being New Zealand in Auckland.
Friendly Match
Friday September 21 1985 Lang Park, Brisbane Referee: Bill Monteverde (Australia) Assistant Referees: Alan Kibbler and K.Adriaansen (Australia) Attendance: 3,576
AUSTRALIA Terry Greedy (Jeff Olver 70), Alan Davidson, David Ratcliffe, Charlie Yankos, Graham Jennings, Zarko Odzakov, Joe Watson (Frank Farina 58), Oscar Crino, Ken Murphy, David Mitchell, John Kosmina Coach: Frank Arok Cautions: Nil Goals: Kosmina 8, Crino 13, Watson 63	3	-	0	China Xu Jian Ping, Wang Dog Ning, Gao Sheng, Jia Siu Guan, Lu Hooung Riang, Wang Jun, Li Hua Yun, Duan Ju, Chen Dong, Ma Lin, Wu Qunli Coach: Nian Weisi Cautions: Nil
The Chinese national side made a tour of Australia in September and played the Australians in a friendly for the Ampol Cup in Brisbane. Coach Frank Arok divided his Australian squad into an A and B side where they both played China. The B games played in Canberra and Sydney can be found in the B Internationals archive.
FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
Tuesday October 8 1985 Ramat Gan Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel Referee: Luigi Agnoli (Italy) Attendance: 50,000
Israel Arie Haviv, Gad Machness (Ron Rosenthal 50), Shlomo Kirat (Moshe Selekter 61), Abraham Cohen, Duvi Pizanti, Uri Malmilian, Rifat Turk, Jacob Ekhoise, Moshe Sinay, Zahi Armeli, Elyahu Ohana Coach: Yosef Merimovich Cautions: Sinai, Pizanti Goal: Armeli 65	1	-	2	AUSTRALIA Terry Greedy (Jeff Olver 37), Charlie Yankos, Alan Davidson, David Ratcliffe, Steve O'Connor, Graham Jennings, Joe Watson (Robbie Dunn 82), Oscar Crino, Ken Murphy, John Kosmina, David Mitchell Coach: Frank Arok Cautions: Murphy, Kosmina, O'Connor; Red Card: Murphy 85 Goals: Mitchell 46, Kosmina 49
The second match of the Oceania qualifying series was the away leg against Israel in Tel Aviv.
Sunday October 20 1985 Olympic Park, Melbourne Referee: Jose Rosa Santos (Portugal) Assistant Referees: Alder Silva Santos and Jose Guedes (Portugal) Attendance: 16,463
AUSTRALIA Terry Greedy, Alan Davidson, Graham Jennings, Charlie Yankos, David Ratcliffe, Steve O'Connor, Joe Watson (Jimmy Patikas 85), David Mitchell, John Kosmina, Oscar Crino, Zarko Odzakov Coach: Frank Arok Cautions: Davidson 11, Kosmina 41 Goal: Ratcliffe 31	1	-	1	Israel Arie Haviv, Zion Marili, Duvi Pizanti, Jacob Ekhoise, Abraham Cohen, Shlomo Kirat, Moshe Sinay, Uri Malmilian (Moshe Selecter 80), Zahi Armesi, Rifat Turk (Ron Rosenthal 65), Elyahu Ohana Coach: Yosef Merimovich Cautions: Kirat 33, Turk 41; Red Card: Ohana 63 Goal: Cohen 47
Following Australias great victory against Israel the return leg was played twelve days later in Melbourne. The draw left Australia on top of the group with three games to play.
Wednesday October 23 1985 Hindmarsh Stadium, Hindmarsh, Adelaide Referee: John Cameron (New Zealand) Assistant Referees: Bill Munro and Gary Fleet (New Zealand) Attendance: 2,000
AUSTRALIA Jeff Olver, Graham Jennings, David Ratcliffe, Steve O'Connor, Zarko Odzakov, Ken Murphy (Frank Farina 46), Oscar Crino (Ian Gray 70), Robbie Dunn, Jimmy Patikas, David Mitchell, Graham Arnold Coach: Frank Arok Caution: Mitchell 81 Goals: Dunn 2, 90 pen, O'Connor 13, Mitchell 58, 60, 87, Arnold 71	7	-	0	Chinese Taipei Jeng-Tsair Chiou (Jyn-Hsiung Yang 70), Hong-Yen Tsai, In-Jen Chen, Chun-Kuei Chang (Jung-Tsung Liu 67), Yao-Chuna Chang, Deng-Chyan Duh, Deng-Sheng Duh, Sing-An Chen, Duen-Jeng Wang, I-Shiu Chien, Yung-Fu Shiao Coach: Chiang Chia Cautions: Nil
Following Australias great victory against Israel the return leg was played twelve days later in Melbourne. The draw left Australia on top of the group with three games to play.
Sunday October 27 1985 St. George Stadium, Rockdale, Sydney Referee: Bill Munro (New Zealand) Assistant Referees: John Cameron and Gary Fleet (New Zealand) Attendance: 2,694
Chinese Taipei Jyh-Hsiung Yang, Yung-Fu Shiao (Jung-Tsung Liu 46), I-Shiu Chien, Ming-Jen You, Sing-An Chen, Deng-Sheng Duh, Deng-Chyan Duh, Yao-Chuan Chang, Chun-Kuei Chang, In-Jen Chen, Hong-Yee Tsai Coach: Chiang Chia Cautions: In-Jen Chen 36, Deng-Sheng Duh 63	0	-	8	AUSTRALIA Terry Greedy, Graham Jennings (Tommy McCulloch 63), Charlie Yankos, David Ratcliffe, Joe Watson, John Kosmina, Oscar Crino, Zarko Odzakov, Robbie Dunn, Frank Farina, Graham Arnold (Ian Gray 71) Coach: Frank Arok Cautions: Nil Goals: Odzakov 40, 55, 67, Crino 46, Kosmina 64 pen, 70, 89, Gray 90
The return match against Chinese Taipei was played in Sydney at St. George Stadium with Australia listed as the 'away' team.
Sunday October 27 1985 Sydney Sports Ground, Moore Park, Sydney Referee: Gerald Guerdes (Netherlands) Assistant Referees: Egbert Mulder and Cees Bakker (Netherlands) Attendance: 21,910
AUSTRALIA Terry Greedy, Alan Davidson, Graham Jennings, Charlie Yankos, David Ratcliffe, Steve O'Connor, Joe Watson (Zarko Odzakov 72), David Mitchell, John Kosmina, Ken Murphy, Oscar Crino Coach: Frank Arok Cautions: Kosmina 35, Watson 57 Goals: Kosmina 12, Mitchell 47	2	-	0	New Zealand Frank Van Hattum, Kenny Cresswell, Ceri Evans, Malcolm Dunford, Steve Sumner, Colin Walker, Shane Rufer, Ricky Herbert, Wynton Rufer, Allan Boath, Grant Turner Coach: Kevin Fallon Caution: Turner 8
Australia were in top spot in the Oceania qualifying group going into their last match and made absolutely certain of advancing to the next stage with a solid 2-0 victory over New Zealand.
Oceania Qualifying Group Final Standings Pos Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts 1 AUSTRALIA 6 4 2 0 22 2 20 10 2 Israel 6 3 1 2 17 6 11 7 3 New Zealand 6 3 1 2 13 7 6 7 4 Chinese Taipei 6 0 0 6 1 36 -35 0
Note: As Oceania Group winners, Australia advanced to a two legged play-off where it would play Scotland over two home-and-away legs.
Wednesday November 20 1985 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland Referee: Vojtech Christov (Czechoslovakia) Attendance: 61,920
Scotland Jim Leighton, William Miller, Alexander McLeish, Maurice Malpas, Steve Nicol, Gordon Strachan (Jim Bett 83), Graeme Souness, Roy Aitken, Frank McAvennie, Kenny Dalglish (Graeme Sharpe 71), David Cooper Coach: Alex Ferguson Cautions: Nil Goals: Cooper 53, McAvennie 59	2	-	0	AUSTRALIA Terry Greedy, Charlie Yankos, Alan Davidson, David Ratcliffe, Steve O'Connor (Robbie Dunn 82), Graham Jennings, Joe Watson (Jimmy Patikas 65), Ken Murphy, Oscar Crino, David Mitchell, John Kosmina Coach: Frank Arok Cautions: Nil
Scotland took what would turn out to be an unassailable advantage from the first leg of the two-legged playoff for a spot in the 1986 World Cup.
Wednesday December 4 1985 Olympic Park, Melbourne Referee: Joe Ramis Wright (Brazil) Assistant Referees: Romualdo Arppi Filho and Felix Ferrar (Brazil) Attendance: 29,500
AUSTRALIA Terry Greedy, Alan Davidson, Graham Jennings, Charlie Yankos, David Ratcliffe, David Mitchell, John Kosmina, Ken Murphy, Oscar Crino (Zarko Odzakov 68), Robbie Dunn (Frank Farina 74), Jimmy Patikas Coach: Frank Arok Cautions: Nil	0	-	0	Scotland Jim Leighton, Richard Gough, Maurice Malpas, Graham Souness, Alex McLeish, William Miller, David Speedie (Graeme Sharp 75), Paul McStay, Frank McAvennie, Roy Aitken, David Cooper Coach: Alex Ferguson Caution: Souness 40
The return leg in Melbourne was up to this point in Australian soccer history the most important match since the World Cup finals in 1974. Frank Arok had told the Scots to "pack their sunscreen" intending to play in the heat to wilt the Scots. The governing body betrayed the fans by hosting the game in Melbourne, at night and watering the pitch beforehand. The Scots must have thought it was Christmas. Australia needed 2 goals to make a contest and threw everything at the determined Scots. Australia unfortunately failed to find the back of the net and it was Scotland who ended up advancing to the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico.