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If you’ve ever had kids, you’ve probably been asked that question a thousand times, usually coming from the back seat of your car. Just to placate them you might say; “soon mate . . . nearly there” or “won’t be long now Princess”. Is Australian football there yet?
With our third coming in the FIFA World Cup, our second in succession, has Australian football finally arrived as a mainstream sport in Australia?
And has Australian as a sporting country finally been accepted as one of the world’s true football nations?
In his book, Shielas, Wogs and Poofters, Johnny Warren’s criteria for football finally arriving in this country had been summarised in three main ambitions:
1. Setting up a viable Australian national football competition,
2. Becoming a part of Asia, the fastest growing football market in the world, and
3. Producing a national football team that could compete successfully to win the FIFA World Cup
On the first point, has the A-League now become a viable national football competition?
When the A-League first started there were real concerns that it would fail. Frank Lowy the FFA Chairman at the time begged people to support it and please don’t let it fail again. This was football’s last chance and please give it your support.
Most football fans today would probably give the A-League the thumbs up, but with falling crowds last year and only a few A-League clubs actually making a profit, others would argue whether it is indeed viable and a long-term proposition.
Established and well supported yes, especially compared to the defunct National Soccer League that it replaced, but the A-League faces some serious financial challenges in the next few years with a declining world economy and having to support two more teams this season and another two next year.
On the second point, I think we can all agree that its mission accomplished.
Despite some early protests from incumbent Asian countries, Australia is now well and truly a part of Asian football.
Johnny would be smiling down on all of us about that – particularly the impressive way we have qualified for the FIFA World Cup this time through the Asian Football Confederation.
There seems little chance now that Australia will not remain a major player in the AFC and qualify again in future years through Asia.
A-League clubs are also competing successfully in the major Asian club football competition – the Asian Champions’ League. It’s not that far fetched to think that one day an A-League club will be the AFC’s ACL champion.
The third objective probably gets the lowest mark.
Yes, we are in the FIFA World Cup for a third time, but will we be challenging to win it?
Johnny Warren always said that instead of just struggling to just get into the FIFA World Cup, football would only ever succeed in this country if we were going there with the mentality to actually try and win the FIFA World Cup.
I’m sure Pim Verbeek and the lads are always going to prepare themselves to be able to beat any country in world football, but do they really think they can win it.
Will our country of overachievers ever finally over achieve in world football to that extent?
Are we there yet?
Well kids, its still six months till we even know who we will be playing and then its another six months till we actually get to play and who knows what’s going to happen after that.
Be patient.
Just sit back, relax, think pleasant thoughts and enjoy the ride along the way.
I promise you it’s going to be lots of fun.
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