The A-League - how big can it get?

[Zidane98]

Really though? because everything reported in the media, including quotes from Lyal Gorman, then CEO of the Aleague, suggests that the FFA chose to move the derby so it wasnt completely overshadowed by the AFL Grand Final replay.

from The Heraldsun, September 26th, 2010


The quote is also repeated in The Age from the same date. Its also a sentiment echoed by several other sports industries including racing and cycling that were due to be held on the same day.

Comments in the Sunday Age also suggest that the Aleague WANTED to move it when the Grand Final replay was inevitable

That's a perfect example of other sports moving their schedule to accommodate a more important event. The A League GF is a more important event than WB vs Fremantle or Carlton vs GWS in the AFL. Contractual rights aside the AFL should work around any major one off events held during AFL season (not just soccer related). My 5 year old son could easily devise a fixture going off what they put out which frees up ES for either Sat 16th or 17th May. The only possible excuse the AFL could have for its childish behaviour in this matter is if the MCG wasn't available on Friday night for operational reasons.

As for your last comment, the fact that it will be owned wholly and solely by the AFL, and that its tenants are paying for it - anything else is icing on the cake which is why both the 20/20 team and the Victory get better deals than the anchor tenants - is a lie to that.

Codswallop. Docklands stadium would not have gone ahead if it wasn't a multipurpose / multi sport entertainment venue - they make just as much money of events throughout summer and other sports combined as they do from AFL season. AFL by itself does not pay for the venue. The land that ES was built on was virtually gifted by the state government. Further to that the developers insisted on a clause that prevents any competing stadium of 30k or more being built for the first 20 years of operation.

And we can tell the AFL has no interest in cooperation as one can ascertain from this article:

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/...world-soccer-powerhouses-20140812-1039ym.html

Good to see Gough put Mclachlan back in his place with his ignorant attitude. If something can't be sorted out with ES I daresay Gough will be sending McLachlan another letter politely telling him to move either the saturday or sunday game at the G to friday night and host a potential A League GF at the MCG.

 

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

Football has overtaken Rugby union in popularity a while ago.

The round ball game has become the third biggest footy code overall in Australia, behind Aussie rules and Rugby league. I can't speak for the other states, but it is possible for the A-League to become the second most popular footy code in each state, behind the AFL in the AFL states and the NRL in the NRL states (but probably still third overall). The standard of the comp is always improving.

However the FFA need to stop making stupid decisions, they shouldn't expand teams just to get rid of them 2/3 years later. You won't see the AFL get rid of GWS no matter how bad they are because they know that if they persist long enough it will pay off. Fury and GCU should've been given a proper opportunity to prove themselves. NQF had decent crowds and GCU would've been okay if Clive Palmer wasn't running the club (they had okay crowds to begin with).

If it was up to me, I'd bring back NQF and GCU, then give Canberra (Capitals) and Wollongong (Wolves) a team, making it 14 teams all up, have 26 games (each teams plays each team home and away) and consolidate. I'd have a 23 week normal season (with some mid-week games during the summer holidays) and three week finals with the current final six format, meaning the Grand Final returns to March and doesn't overlap with the AFL/NRL season too much. I'd also bring in an FFA cup as well.

Ideally we'd have 2.5 ACL spots, I know they have a rule that only one spot could go to "cup winners", but ideally the ACL qualifiers will be league winners (top of the ladder in normal season), Grand Final winners and the half spot going to the FFA cup winners. If a team wins 2 out of the 3 trophies on offer the ACL spot should go to the second placed team in the league and if a team wins all three trophies on offer, then the half spot should go to the third placed league team.

I dont no way follow any sport in another country so i do follow the victory in A-League and think they must get more sides in the league

 

[NUFC Tiger]

Also played for Wollongong United briefly I think.

Closest thing we have to a hometown hero besides Brett Lee.

Edit: it was south coast united

Would be a pretty good marquee player if South Coast/Wollongong ever get admitted into the A League as an expansion team.

 

[Loonerty]

I really hope so. I think the fact there were 5 or 6 thousand people at the FFA Cup game down here is a sign that we can get a crowd.

 

[Jatz]

To be fair, that was only for one game. Maintaining those numbers across the season would be really hard to do.

I honestly don't know where the A League should expand next. There's no real obvious candidate.

 

[SM]

To be fair, that was only for one game. Maintaining those numbers across the season would be really hard to do.

I honestly don't know where the A League should expand next. There's no real obvious candidate.

I would say Canberra, decent population size and (arguably) has sides in the other three codes.

Another one I'd say is New Zealand, especially with Wellington playing so well, we need to capitalise on that and get a NZ derby up and running. That way even if one or both are doing poorly there'll still be interest in the derby games.

 

[Jatz]

I would say Canberra, decent population size and (arguably) has sides in the other three codes.

Another one I'd say is New Zealand, especially with Wellington playing so well, we need to capitalise on that and get a NZ derby up and running. That way even if one or both are doing poorly there'll still be interest in the derby games.

Canberra maybe. They don't get the crowds though.

Wellington average crowds of about 7k or so. They definitely won't be putting another team down there.

Tasmania could be an interesting one. No other sporting teams to really compete with.

 

[chef]

Does it really need to expand? Seems pretty perfect atm and all it'll do is dilute the competition more.

 

[SM]

Canberra maybe. They don't get the crowds though.

Wellington average crowds of about 7k or so. They definitely won't be putting another team down there.

Tasmania could be an interesting one. No other sporting teams to really compete with.

But the point is that having a local derby can boost crowds, which is why I'd be for another NZ team. Even when the Nix are doing poorly there'd still be motivation to finish above the Auckland whoevers.

 

[SM]

Does it really need to expand? Seems pretty perfect atm and all it'll do is dilute the competition more.

I feel like 10 teams is just far too few for a professional competition.

Playing each other three times in a season just seems silly.

 

[Jatz]

But the point is that having a local derby can boost crowds, which is why I'd be for another NZ team. Even when the Nix are doing poorly there'd still be motivation to finish above the Auckland whoevers.

So for 3 out of 27 fixtures, the NZ crowd might hit 15k. Not enough to warrant a side.

Chef is bang on the money.

 

[chef]

I feel like 10 teams is just far too few for a professional competition.

Playing each other three times in a season just seems silly.

I'd rather watch a higher standard of football, so it seems about perfect to me.

 

[SM]

So for 3 out of 27 fixtures, the NZ crowd might hit 15k. Not enough to warrant a side.

Chef is bang on the money.

Well no, I meant that in games against other sides they'd still turn out to support their club in a shit season in the hope they'd finish above their rivals. Since it's one of the mooted destinations for an expansion team I'm not alone in that belief.

I think they're talking expansion in 2-3 years so it'll be interesting to see where they go.

I'd rather watch a higher standard of football, so it seems about perfect to me.

I'd rather watch a comp where a team can't be shit for half the season and still plausibly win the Grand Final.

 

[Jatz]

Well no, I meant that in games against other sides they'd still turn out to support their club in a shit season in the hope they'd finish above their rivals. Since it's one of the mooted destinations for an expansion team I'm not alone in that belief.

I think they're talking expansion in 2-3 years so it'll be interesting to see where they go.



I'd rather watch a comp where a team can't be shit for half the season and still plausibly win the Grand Final.

That isn't going to get crowds to games.

Do Central Coast fans go to games because they might finish above Newcastle? Of course not.

It may be mooted but I'd be very surprised if they went down that path.

 

[chef]

I'd rather watch a comp where a team can't be shit for half the season and still plausibly win the Grand Final.

You can watch that now.

 

[NUFC Tiger]

To be fair, that was only for one game. Maintaining those numbers across the season would be really hard to do.

I honestly don't know where the A League should expand next. There's no real obvious candidate.

I think Wollongong is probably one of the strongest contenders for an expansion side at present, already have a decent fanbase and infrastructure in place.

I believe there is a strong push for the Fury (former Northern QLD franchise) to regain admittance into the league in a few years as well (they have a youth side playing in the national youth league I think).

I would say Canberra, decent population size and (arguably) has sides in the other three codes.

Another one I'd say is New Zealand, especially with Wellington playing so well, we need to capitalise on that and get a NZ derby up and running. That way even if one or both are doing poorly there'll still be interest in the derby games.

Interestingly on NZ, I think last year Auckland City FC (probably the biggest team in NZ next to the Phoenix) said they had hopes of joining the A League in future. They already get something like 3-5k to their games so there is a fanbase there - though would be interesting to see if the FFA are willing to admit a second NZ side (after all the difficulties they had with FIFA and having a Oceania based team playing in an AFC associated competition) and in a market where the old NZ Knights failed pretty badly in the league's early years.

Does it really need to expand? Seems pretty perfect atm and all it'll do is dilute the competition more.

I think a lot of the reasoning behind the push for expansion is the next TV deal will be up for negotiation again in a few years and possibly having more teams will strengthen the FFA's hand in trying to squeeze more money.

I'm personally for expansion and trying to expand and spread the game domestically (especially into areas where there is less AFL/NRL/ARU presence) but only if the new franchise teams can demonstrate they are viable and feasible additions that don't need to be propped up by the FFA.

 

[Loonerty]

As much as I'd love a Wollongong/South Coast team, it'd be down the list of priorities. Another NSW team would probably not thrill a lot of people.

And I think as the standard of the football increases, there will be more opportunity to expand the league which, as SM said, it really needs. 10 teams in the top league is pretty shit but realistically it's all we can have to maintain a decent quality at this stage.

 

[SM]

That isn't going to get crowds to games.

Do Central Coast fans go to games because they might finish above Newcastle? Of course not.

It may be mooted but I'd be very surprised if they went down that path.

CCM and Newcastle has to be the most contrived rivalry though. People in NZ actually have a rivalry between Auckland and Wellington.

You can watch that now.

You mean EPL? I'm not sure what you mean.

 

[Jatz]

CCM and Newcastle has to be the most contrived rivalry though. People in NZ actually have a rivalry between Auckland and Wellington.



You mean EPL? I'm not sure what you mean.

Use any team. Melbourne City don't go to more games in the hope of finishing above Victory.

Supporters go to games to support their team, it has very little to do what a rival is doing that weekend.

Unless it's Union, next to no one will care about a forced rivalry in the A league.

 

[SM]

Use any team. Melbourne City don't go to more games in the hope of finishing above Victory.

Supporters go to games to support their team, it has very little to do what a rival is doing that weekend.

Unless it's Union, next to no one will care about a forced rivalry in the A league.

If you say so. I remember similar comments about a contrived A-League rivalry in Sydney when WSW were announced..

 

[chef]

You mean EPL? I'm not sure what you mean.

Misread your quote, I blame the dentist that numbed half my face (and maybe my brain).

 

[chef]

If you say so. I remember similar comments about a contrived A-League rivalry in Sydney when WSW were announced..

The rivalry seems alive and well down here in Vic too.

 

[SM]

Misread your quote, I blame the dentist that numbed half my face (and maybe my brain).

I'm in for a check up in 2 hours so hopefully I don't need anything like that.

 

[Jatz]

If you say so. I remember similar comments about a contrived A-League rivalry in Sydney when WSW were announced..

Not even close to being similar.

Western Sydney is very multicultural where the number one sport played in the region is football. That side was always going to be big (and popular) as the sport is so popular there. That's not the case in NZ. No offence to the Nix, but putting another nothing side in to give them a rival is not going to boost crowds.

 

[SM]

Not even close to being similar.

Western Sydney is very multicultural where the number one sport played in the region is football. That side was always going to be big (and popular) as the sport is so popular there. That's not the case in NZ. No offence to the Nix, but putting another nothing side in to give them a rival is not going to boost crowds.

The WSW bid was roundly criticised at the time because the belief was WS was too multicultural to support a single team. A lot expected it to be a very very average outfit which has surprised everyone and garnered a huge rivalry with Sydney in only a couple of seasons.

I'm all for playing it safe and not having another Queensland debacle, but we do need to expand to eventually have a rivalry in every state (or country). It will improve interest in those places. The only 'derby' that isn't succeeding at the moment is CCM and Newcastle because it's such a random notion of a rivalry.