Not since Western Suburbs won the NSW Rugby League grand final 84 years ago has a team in one of Australia’s four major football competitions gone from wooden spooners to champions in the space of 12 months.

If the Jets can cap their fairytale season with a win in Saturday night’s A-League decider over Melbourne Victory, it will be a feat unmatched by any other.

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Many sides have come close over the years but none have tasted success on the big stage.

Two clubs have risen from bottom in one year to grand finalists the next in the VFL/AFL, but neither of them won the decider.

Collingwood were the most recent and came agonisingly close to victory in 1977, but drew with North Melbourne in the first grand final and lost the replay a week later.

Fitzroy won both the wooden spoon and the premiership in 1916, when the VFL was heavily depleted due to World War I, but lost the grand final in 1917. In Super Rugby, the Highlanders (1998) and the Sharks (2001) reached the final after collecting the spoon but again, both teams were beaten. In rugby league, Western Suburbs were premiers in 1934 but they only finished bottom in 1933 because most of their best players were away on tour with the Kangaroos in Great Britain.

The year prior to that, they were runners-up.

Sydney Roosters were the last NRL team to reach the grand final after a spoon but were defeated by St George Illawarra in 2010.

When it comes to the round-ball game in Australia, there are no true parallels. Most teams who finished last in the National Soccer League (NSL) were relegated to the state leagues, making comparisons nearly impossible.

Brisbane City qualified for a post-season play-off final in 1979, the year after finishing bottom in the NSL. They were beaten by Sydney City. But it wasn’t regarded as a proper finals series, with Marconi - who finished first - recognised as the NSL champions that season.

While many teams in the A-League’s short history have rocketed up the ladder, none have done it quite so dramatically as the Jets.

Newcastle finished last in 2016/17 but Ernie Merrick’s appointment as coach helped spark a remarkable turnaround in fortunes, ending their eight-year finals drought.

A sellout crowd awaits at McDonald Jones Stadium to see if they can go all the way.

WOODEN SPOONERS TO GRAND FINALISTS

* NSWRL/NRL

Sydney Roosters: bottom in 2009, beaten in 2010 grand final by St George Illawarra

Western Suburbs: bottom in 1933, won 1934 grand final against Eastern Suburbs

Newtown: bottom in 1928, beaten in 1929 grand final by South Sydney

St George: bottom in 1926, beaten in 1927 grand final by South Sydney

* AFL/VFL

Collingwood: bottom in 1976, beaten in 1977 grand final replay by North Melbourne

Fitzroy: bottom in 1916, beaten in 1917 grand final by Collingwood (note: only six teams participated in 1917 and four in 1916 due to World War I. Fitzroy also won grand final as well as wooden spoon in 1916 after four-team finals series)

* SUPER RUGBY

Sharks: bottom in 2000, beaten in 2001 grand final by Brumbies

Highlanders: bottom in 1997, beaten in 1998 grand final by Blues

* NSL/A-LEAGUE

Newcastle Jets: bottom in 2016/17, face Melbourne Victory in 2017/18 grand final

Brisbane City: bottom in 1978, beaten in 1979 post-series play-off final by Sydney City (note: Marconi recognised as champions)