A-League thread

[Diocletian]

#nix4eva #yellow&black

[dwaino]

That would appease/please the AFC, dwaino.

As far as expansion, I'll believe it when I see it with how dysfunctional the FFA is now.

They've got to go, as simple as that. They served their purpose which was to fill out another franchise in a small market when the comp was finding its feet. Including the Knights, NZ has not grown one iota and contribute nothing to the league. Instead they suck out of it with continually poor performances, poor crowds and just not being marketable at all. They aren't even in the same federation as us anymore so it just makes no sense and from the outside looking in, their inclusion just looks cheap. If the current A League club bosses are serious about a separate competition from the FFA to build on the current competition by expansion and another tier as they are saying then NZ just has to go. The only purpose the Nix currently serve is developing young Aus players. That can be done at home with an expanded competition. The FFA can keep the Socceroos and leave the A League to someone else because clearly beyond the Sydney market they don't give a toss about developing the domestic league.

[mightytiges]

That would appease/please the AFC, dwaino.

As far as expansion, I'll believe it when I see it with how dysfunctional the FFA is now.

They've got to go, as simple as that. They served their purpose which was to fill out another franchise in a small market when the comp was finding its feet. Including the Knights, NZ has not grown one iota and contribute nothing to the league. Instead they suck out of it with continually poor performances, poor crowds and just not being marketable at all. They aren't even in the same federation as us anymore so it just makes no sense and from the outside looking in, their inclusion just looks cheap. If the current A League club bosses are serious about a separate competition from the FFA to build on the current competition by expansion and another tier as they are saying then NZ just has to go. The only purpose the Nix currently serve is developing young Aus players. That can be done at home with an expanded competition. The FFA can keep the Socceroos and leave the A League to someone else because clearly beyond the Sydney market they don't give a toss about developing the domestic league.

That's what should happen but the problem the FFA has is there isn't too many instant Western Sydneys out there so the options for expansion are limited. Getting rid of Wellington means 3 new clubs are needed to get to 12. Options limited to South Sydney/Shire/Wollongong, one of Dandenong/Casey or Geelong, & possibly Ipswich/Western Brisbane (?). The FFA will want more derbies to boost crowds and ratings, so I don't see them returning to the Fury or Gold Coast anytime soon.

[dwaino]

That’s why expansion won’t happen under FFA. It would require the current club bosses to go through with their talk, create a new comp and you will see some of the old NSL and ethnic clubs come back. The FFA would never do this and creating even two new sterile, characterless teams from scratch won’t do anything for the game.

[mightytiges]

I can't believe we're back up 4th  . Another pearler of the goal from George  .

That’s why expansion won’t happen under FFA. It would require the current club bosses to go through with their talk, create a new comp and you will see some of the old NSL and ethnic clubs come back. The FFA would never do this and creating even two new sterile, characterless teams from scratch won’t do anything for the game.

Yep. The wishful thinking mentality of the FFA with Gallop in charge is to "fish where the fish are". They see waving their wand and creating another Sydney and another Melbourne team as creating more derbies and solving all ills believing that will boost crowds and tv ratings. As you say this won't happen if these new teams are characterless and as a result have no major following. However, the FFA will never bring in a South Melbourne despite its history and multi-generational supporter base.The FFA has never wanted old 'ethnic' NSL clubs. Even Wollongong Wolves won't come back as the FFA seem locked in on a South Sydney team.

[dwaino]

I can empathise with the FFA not using the existing ethnic clubs to start the A League, it was a way for those like me of non Yugo or Greek heritage to be able follow a club and not feel alienated. But it is time. These clubs like South Melbourne, Marconi and Wollongong have facilities that are almost up to scratch and ready made supporter bases. Brisbane Striker’s stadium has seen better days but wouldn’t be hard to fix up. As long as the networks were committed to showing all games there should be no issue with audiences regardless of division as people will always watch their team. The lack of growth between the big clubs I think is evident that they milked all they can and I don’t see how any new teams in existing regions is in any way viable.

[mightytiges]

The original idea was to concentrate the sport's support in each major mainland city. The NBL has done something similar now with franchises such as Melbourne United in their revamped league. NSL crowds were small because they were spread across multiple clubs and most NSL clubs had small following on gameday (South Melb the exception although I don't remember them reaching 5 figures except during finals). Perth Glory (17k crowds in their early days) and then Adelaide Utd were glimpses of what one-'state' team per city could deliver. They became the model for the A-league. John O'Neill being a Rugby guy obviously was familiar with such a set-up too. The exception was CCM because it was in a region void of professional teams from the other footy codes. NZ only got a gig because the FFA needed an 8th club  .

It's a catch 22 in some ways. The game wants/needs more clubs in the A-league to reduce repetition of fixtures which increases interest across the whole season, but finding clubs that generate the necessary crowds and tv ratings is difficult. Hence, why the FFA wants more clubs in Melb, Syd & Bris to generate more derbies and bigger crowds thanks to both sets of fans in attendance (such as happens in the AFL). However, will that actually bring in new supporters and increase attendances (eg; WSW) or will these new clubs, be it old NSL or new franchises, be small clubs that dilute and spread thinly existing support (which is what happened in the NSL)?

By the way, apparently Queensland Rugby Union are going to redevelop Ballymore and want an A-league team to play there if Brisbane gains a second team in the planned expansion.

---------------------

Anyway, a 2-1 derby victory last night has us only a point off 3rd  . Good to see Broxham and Berisha make up for costly errors with the assists. The bad news though for us is George had to go off injured. Hope it isn't too bad  .

[dwaino]

And Geria is off to JL2. Another decent transfer fee is nice but we’re running out of players and it’s pretty bad when a second tier Asian comp is more attractive than the HAL.

[mightytiges]

And Geria is off to JL2. Another decent transfer fee is nice but we’re running out of players and it’s pretty bad when a second tier Asian comp is more attractive than the HAL.

It all comes back to how the sport is governed. The fish rots from the head. Not just the current board either. It's taken Gallop over 5 years to finally wake up to the fact that Aussie Soccer doesn't own rivers of gold  .
https://www.fourfourtwo.com.au/news/gallop-money-is-preventing-progress-486114

Yet in late 2013 he was claiming this:
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/we-will-be-no1-declares-david-gallop-on-eve-of-new-aleague-season-20131008-2v6dx.html

Delusional inept administrators that fail to deliver on their big promises have always been the millstone to the game in Australia  .

[one-eyed]

A thumping 5-2 win to Victory (despite conceding two late goals in junk time) and we're up to third spot! 

[dwaino]

Kosta taping up the net stole the show.

[mightytiges]

Victory finally hitting some good form just at the right time of the season.

We're playing our Elimination Final on Sunday, 22 April at @AAMIPark.

https://www.melbournevictory.com.au/news/elimination-final-information

[mightytiges]

Groundhog day when we play Sydney. Another 0-1 loss because we can't put the ball in the back of the net  .

[dwaino]

Not sure how they could determine George’s ball crossed the line or not with those camera angles. Have they never heard of parallax error? I can’t watch any more games with Sydney that Robbie Slater is commentating and how pathetic was the 15k turn out for a presentation.

[mightytiges]

Always sweet to beat Adelaide in a final  . Especially, when it's a come from behind last minute job  .