PHOTO: Canberra and Sydney muscled out of the finals | Getty Images

Canberra United and Sydney FC sit alone at separate tables in a dimly lit cocktail bar. They glance warily at each other, over their barely touched tumblers of neat spirits, and Canberra raises an eyebrow to Sydney as if to say “You too, eh?”

These jilted lovers were kicking along just fine a week ago.

Off the back of two dynamic matches against each other just a week apart, they were the prom queen and queen, most likely to succeed after graduation, and destined for another meeting come grand final day.

It was all planned.

And then there was Brisbane and Melbourne. The stalwarts who know how to win, at all costs, in all conditions, enjoying the rain and stealing the thunder.

Just like a break up that takes the wind out of you, Canberra and Sydney were stunned by their opposition, and left to wonder what they could have done to salvage their relationships.

And yet their counterparts sailed off into the sunset to hookup with each other in a golden day of frivolity and celebration next Sunday in the grand final.

The only consolation to the grieving teams?

They know this new partnership will never last…