Australian Premier League / B-League

[jd2010]

Read on Four Four Two that there is talk of a combined state league being set up. Similar to the North Eastern reserve league in the AFL.

Not sure how it is being planned, but I think something like this could work.

Year 1: Top 4 teams from the SA, VIC, NSW, QLD state premier leagues

Going forward: Bottom 4 relegated to their respective state leagues, replaced by the 4 winners of the state league. If for whatever reason the bottom 4 all came from the one state, that state could hold off on promoting sides from the division below or have an extra 2 sides for that season.

The league would have to run through winter to not detract from the A-League. It's a bit of a pipe dream I know, but it is a step in the right direction

 

[coolknot]

It sounds like an alright idea to me.

 

[Normy132]

They've got to be bloody careful here though. They could easily send all of their biggest state league clubs bust with this. It costs a sh*tload of money to lug 20 players plus staff around the country every second week. The A-League clubs struggle financially enough as it is and they have the backing of TV money.

Having said that, the idea is right. We'll have a similar structure to what the United States have, except we'll have promotion and relegation from the second division.

 

[Zidane98]

So long as Clive Palmer isn't running it. Looks like he is more interested in building Titanic the second at the moment in any case.

 

[Silent Alarm]

Pointless idea.

Would there be that much interest for an AFL seconds comp in which VFL/WAFL/SANFL clubs play each other? Probably not.

So I highly doubt the A-League can sustain it.

Poor idea.

 

[El Camino]

I've heard it's something to do with retaining their AFC spot. Apparently there is some rule change being implemented and all leagues need to have a promotion/relegation system in place in order to compete.

 

[Gigantor]

The NEAFL is a good option for creating a second tier comp. Split up between Northern conference (Qld and NT) and Eastern conference (NSW and ACT), to save on travelling expenses.

Similarly a B-League would have to be low-cost, offering opportunities for present state league clubs to play at a slightly higher level.

But no one should expect automatic promotion and relegation. It's hard to imagine that working. Rather, you would have a system where successful teams could apply for membership to the A-League from time to time if they meet certian criteria. At least that's a whole lot better than creating clubs out of nothing.

You also end up with a reserve of clubs that can step in any time a club goes broke.

 

[fortgeschritten]

Half the a-league teams would go/would've already gone bust if not for individual backers [Sage, Tinkler, Palmer, Bakrie Group, Russian dude @ Sydney Travchenko???] how in the hell are FA going to fund a 'b-league'?

Acting as a curtain raiser to a-league games it would work alright, but can the soccer pitches handle two games on them back to back?? [i have no idea]

If you ran the games stand-alone at their own home grounds, not only will **** all people go to them, but you will potentially have ethnic-club problems come to the fore.

Although the obvious benefit i see is having younger a-league listed guys being able to be loaned out to the b-league to get first team experience, even if the quality of the league isn't that great, surely playing in a b-league comp is better for development then playing in the youth league once they get to a certain point in their development?

 

[mojito]

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/241107,australian-premier-league-plan-revealed.aspx

 

[Boro]

There is absolutely no way for this concept to work in Qld. Too many pig headed administrators working against each other. Qld needs to be split into two or 3 sections for it to work but they are refusing to even consider this. In the end, all the better players end up playing in the BPL and the supposed second tier of QSL or APL will get the dregs.

 

[Oneiros]

To be frank, #$#$ the money concerns, the travel concerns and what have you, it's becoming a necessity to blood more players, coaches, and officials at a higher level than what we have been. We have to think of the international game as well as just the domestic front.

Besides, don't give me travel costs as an excuse when we somehow have a working national baseball and ice hockey league, and even an two-nation netball league. We have an airline as a sponsor, we can work out a centralised bulk deal with both leagues.