The A-League is often described as a developing child, still in its infancy. This does give us the opportunity to learn from other leagues, but also for us to create a competition unique to Australia. While some have questioned whether the A-League should bother with a final series, it is quintessentially Australian.
The first past the post system used in Leagues around the world works in countries in which football is established and, in most cases, they have a knockout Cup competition that delivers a Grand Final type match, such as the FA Cup final.
In a country like Australia, in which the A-League struggles to maintain attention from the media and casual sporting fans, the finals campaign allows the A-League to gain significant momentum with a climactic round of matches culminating in one single match to decide the champion.
Grand Finals are part of Australia’s sporting culture, part of the other major codes, and for the A-League, a chance to take centre-stage for one weekend with a showpiece event that, hopefully, showcases the best of the League to an audience greater than just another regular season match.
The A-League final will never have the heritage and tradition akin to the AFL’s great day in September, especially when it alternates the location of the Grand Final.
But it can build its own traditions and folklore.
Already A-League Grand Finals have given us a 41,000 plus crowd to see the inaugural champions, Sydney FC crowned, Melbourne’s 6-0 demolition which included some Archie Thompson heroics and Kristian Sarkies planting a smooch on John Howard’s head!
The regular season alone would not be able to gain more attention if we used the first past the post system, and with the mainstream press slow to jump on the A-League’s bandwagon, it is easy to envisage a situation where the importance of League position and individual results would be lost.
The NSL also tinkered with the finals series, occasionally reverting to the first past the post system. But the fact remains that the largest crowds and biggest games of the now defunct league were the Grand Finals.
The problem with the final series is rewarding the team who finishes the league at the very top.
The FFA is right to give some importance to the Premiership by awarding the victor one of the two Asian Champions League spots. And in this regard the A-League has one up on other codes that don’t have a similar reward to give.
However, with the games staggered over the weekend, the 28,905 Victory fans were robbed of the chance to celebrate their Premiership win and return to Asia.
The only footage the media could show of Ernie Merrick and Kevin Muscat was the pair walking in an empty Telstra Dome, along with a press conference.
How much better would it have looked for the League to have the parallel images of 28,000 plus fans celebrating with their team while Adelaide United players and fans scratched their heads at what could have been?
The FFA can have two bites at the cherry by making the final round of the regular season an event in itself, with a worthy prize to the first past the post after the home and away rounds, and then move into the finals series with momentum and capitalise on Australia’s love affair with Grand Finals.
If the A-League is a developing child, it still has some things to learn from its fully developed siblings around the world, such as not staggering final round games.
But it must also stay true to Australia’s sporting traditions and culture.
Recommend this story.
January 29th 2009 @ 8:29am
Koala Bear said | January 29th 2009 @ 8:29am | Report comment
Redb,
What is your weight 250 klios…? I might have to adjust my line accoringly ….
I use to go down to the banks of the Currumbin Creek (river) and cast a line into it and wait for a long, long time for a bite .. But I have to say, here on the ROAR, it only takes a few minutes and it’s much, more, more fun…
~~~~~~~~
KB
January 29th 2009 @ 8:30am
Adrian Musolino said | January 29th 2009 @ 8:30am | Report comment
JB, that slipped through editing. It has been changed now.
January 29th 2009 @ 8:31am
Redb said | January 29th 2009 @ 8:31am | Report comment
KB,
Ok, got me ya ol’ bastaaard.
Redb
January 29th 2009 @ 8:46am
Rob said | January 29th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Redb,
Ah, I think you might have missed something. KB wasn’t having a crack at the AFL per se, but only the rediculous situation where the first 8 teams (half the competition) play in a finals series. I think it’s ludicrous too, and makes a mockery of the league. It’s not unique to AFL, though, as the Rugby League does it too, and it’s equally farcical. I’m no fan of either sport, but I think the formula is wrong. But this isn’t unique to Australia.
In Brazilian football, a couple of years ago my team, Grêmio, was, regrettably, in the Serie B, and there were three phases of competition before the promotion places were decided. A whole home-and-away series between all 24 teams, then the top 8 played in two groups of 4, home and away, and the top two in each group went on to a final group of 4, where the top two were promoted. Sound complicated? You bet! And Grêmio won the final group in memorable fashion, with 7 players on the pitch in the final game against Nautico, who had 10, in the final few minutes. A certain young starlet named Anderson (now Man United) ran from inside his own half, dribbled about 5 defenders and slotted home past the keeper. Sensational. If you want to see it, look up “Batalha dos Aflitos” on Youtube. Oh, and all this drama occurred after the Grêmio keeper had saved a penalty.
I completely agree with KB that football should never allow the finals series to be expanded beyond 4 teams.
And Adrian, one way to set up a more important final day of the regular season would be to play all the games together, and have a trophy ready to roll at the end of the match. That would make all the difference. Although I’m not inventing the wheel here, because a couple of others said this here already.
And sorry about the Grêmio rant. I just can’t help myself… Grêmio Imortal!!!!
January 29th 2009 @ 9:17am
Redb said | January 29th 2009 @ 9:17am | Report comment
Rob,
The great advantage of a final 8 is the two prelim finals, both of which make a perfect set-up for the Grand Final. However, I agree at least 2 of the finals in the early rounds are there just to make up the numbers, good for TV revenue, etc.
Remember currently, the A League has 8 teams and yet has allowed 4 teams to make the finals, effectively half the competition same as AFL and NRL with 16 teams.
FYI…the VFL with 12 teams had a final 5 for many years. With 14 teams it went to 6 finals places and then with 16 teams it increased to 8finals places.
Redb
January 29th 2009 @ 9:24am
Kazama said | January 29th 2009 @ 9:24am | Report comment
Rob: “…have a trophy ready to roll at the end of the match.”
So if we had a situation where three teams at three different venues could win the plate then we would need to have three copies of the trophy made to allow for this. Seems a bit of a stretch to me, as well as maybe damaging the reputation of the trophy (anyone who has had the opportunity to hold or even have a photo with a famous trophy would know what I mean).
BTW, loved the clip. Worth watching for the fantastic commentary alone!
January 29th 2009 @ 9:47am
Finno said | January 29th 2009 @ 9:47am | Report comment
I think the final series is a must and the first past the post being awarded the ACL berth is good.
Maybe 3 team in the finals with the 1st team past the post to go directly through to the final with 2nd and 3rd to play off for the other spot. It is a great way for the A -League to generate money and media focus. With the inclusion of 10 team I will be interested to see if they leave it at 4 team final series.
I still think we need an FFA cup knock out comp for every team in Australia. With the A- League teams all getting automatic inclusion into the top 16. Regions play off for a spot then state play off. It would possible raise the profile of football an generate more interest at a grass root levels.
The top 16 could include 3 NSW Teams, 3 VIC 3 QLD 3 SA , 2 WA, 1 TAS , 1 NT.
There is little chance of these teams winning but strange things happen as we have seen every year in the FA cup in the England. It does give great local coverage and will generally media attention when a minnow beats Sydney FC (example only). You even give these clubs a small amount of money to help with travel. Even prize money for getting through.
January 29th 2009 @ 9:54am
Michael C said | January 29th 2009 @ 9:54am | Report comment
Rob -
it’s all ridiculous, whether it’s 4 from 8 or 8 from 16, it’s still the ‘top’ 50% into the finals. Very, very, rarely, it HAS happened in this ‘modern’ 16 side era of the AFL that an 8th placed team had 10 wins (and either 12 losses or 1 draw and 11 losses). Normally this was a tight tussle with teams in 9th and 10th to play what invariably will be just one extra match.
In soccer – - with draws – you of course can more easily have a team make the finals with less wins than matches lost……..
reality though – - in a crowded sports market place – - a grand final on a regular weekend might become a regular ‘fixture’ in the broader sportsfans mindset.
But – no finals means greater capacity to expand regular season for a 10-12 team comp.
I still don’t ‘get’ that there are these 2 legged finals in the first ’round’ of finals, after which, it’s all or nothing matches.
January 29th 2009 @ 10:20am
Pippinu said | January 29th 2009 @ 10:20am | Report comment
It’s always interesting to read people’s views on finals, and how to work out who is the champion, etc. We all proffer views, but we’re kidding ourselves if we truly think there is one answer – or if there is even an answer.
For instance, having a world cup every 4 years has no greater merit than determining the world champion as whoever is sitting top of the pops on Christmas day, or new year’s eve – or any other day one cares to mention.
But we persist with a WC because of everything that it offers – which is far more interesting than checking the Top 40 once a month.
Similarly, determining the champion as last man standing at the end of the season, has no greater merit than letting 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 or even 12 teams slug it out over 2 – 5 weeks at the end of the season proper.
1. It’s far more interesting; and
2. There’s a lot to be said for separating the boys from the men when all the pressure is on to perform at one crucial moment.
Now, we are used to witnessing plenty of cultural cringe in Australia, especially in the pages of the Roar, but there are plenty of reasons for continuing with what we do presently, and most have been covered by other posters.
I will say this, for those who suffer from cultural cringe, be aware that:
1. most leagues have now developed finals series to allow lower tier clubs to play off for promotion (excitement and money is pretty much the reason) – or even to play off for spots in the CL; and
2. even the EPL has put on the agenda the possibility of a finals series to determine its champion.
So, rather than suffering from cultural cringe, you should feel proud about the fact that Australian football (and you can interpret that in both ways) is 130 years ahead of the rest of the world.
My personal view? I’m gradually forming the opinion that it doesn’t really matter what percentage ends up in the finals. With the AFL going to an 18 team comp soon enough, Choco Williams has put up a proposal of 12 teams going into a finals system, where it’s knock out all the way to the final game – and I think the idea has plenty of merit.
Similarly, in the A-League, when we get to 12 teams in a couple of years time, I see no problem with a top 8, and making it all knock out till the final 2.
If people can move away from this mental block of 50% somehow being in any way meaningful, they will be able to adapt quite readily to a finals system that allows 66% of the teams, afterall, there’s no law against it!
January 29th 2009 @ 11:08am
Albert Ross said | January 29th 2009 @ 11:08am | Report comment
As a matter of interest which code developed the finals system first? How has this system been modified?