A 1-1 draw between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC in 2010 sent the game to penalties where the Sky Blues clinched the trophy to become the only interstate team to win on the road.

Others suffered far more heartbreaking and unfortunate endings. Adelaide United lost twice to Melbourne Victory – including one six-nil drubbing. Perth Glory lost at the death to Brisbane Roar in Queensland, so to did Central Coast Mariners in perhaps the most dramatic of circumstances while the Wanderers also fell at the final hurdle away to Brisbane.

Aurelio Vidmar was in the dugout for both of Adelaide's grand final defeats. He jokes the cause of their 6-0 drubbing came down to just one factor – "Archie Thompson" – though there's no hiding the one common denominator he found in both losses. Two red cards – one very contentious – compounded their downfall, and while one or two players succumbed to parochial and passionate crowds of scales far larger than normal, he fears officials can fall victim to the home fans.

"We lost Ross [Aloisi] after about 30 minutes in the first final [to a red card] so that doesn't help. The second game, Cristiano was sent off after nine minutes so a little bit of luck plays its part in those things," Vidmar said. "It takes a lot of strength from the officials not to succumb to the influences from crowd noise, especially on contentious or critical situations and decisions."

Sydney FC went the entire A-League season of 2014-15 undefeated on the road until the grand final. That record away from home made them favourites in the eyes of some before they slumped to a hapless 3-0 loss to Melbourne Victory in a scoreline that flattered the Sky Blues.

They had a strict and regular routine for away games which they say served as the backbone to their undefeated run. After their capitulation, they pointed the finger at the disruption caused by FFA-mandated grand final duties.

It's understood the club was frustrated at having to cancel a training session in Sydney to travel early to Melbourne for a fan day and formalities wedged between peak-hour traffic in both cities which made for a chaotic itinerary the day before the final.

Western Sydney Wanderers suffered similar problems when they travelled to Brisbane in 2014 – a match they lost 2-1 in extra time. Transport delays the day before the match made for a frantic rush and even kept the official pre-match press conference waiting.

The routine disruption isn't ideal but Vidmar did not find that one of the main reasons his Adelaide teams lost both their finals away to Melbourne Victory in 2007 and 2009.

"You've got to put up with that and you've got to plan the best you can and they've been there before, Western Sydney," he said. "You've done all the preparation before you travel."

The Wanderers aren't taking any chances this year and will leave for Adelaide on Friday to minimise any potential disruption to their routine.