Winning the GF is probably the bigger *event*. As such, I’d like to win it in Melbourne against the Victory. That would be so sweet I’d die of diabetes.

If you look around the world there’s a huge variety in the way that different countries run their leagues. Our way isn’t quite unique but it works for us.

First of all I like your system and definetly favour first past the post, however as to what trophe I would like my club to win (at the moment) is definetly the toilet seat because of its prestige, when compared to the ( insert comical nickname here ).

Whether the interest is there to fill say eight spots? Something that only a debate and sounding out of interests will achieve. But we already have four or five waiting in the wings, who missed out on the first 12 spots.

Maybe those guys would love the chance to play off on the pitch for promotion, rather than just having to convince the FFA board. Down the track, it would be ideal for those decisions to be sporting, as well as financial and strategic. (Which is where ‘criteria’ would come in… similar to the deal with the initial A-L licenses.)

I think that was me your referring too and I didn’t really mean it like that, just that Grand Final day is an exciting event. It was so even when we had only 8 teams and the finalists had likely played each other 4 times. I think the best build up for the FA cup final recently was the Man U vs Arsenal match when they were both the top teams.
I reserve the right to change my mind if they get the cup formula correct as a good replacement.

Benjamin from 442 about a 2nd tier in Australia and I think he nails why it is a long way off
Realistically, if the A-League move onto the $60m/year deal that’s being talked about, you would expect that the best the 2nd tier would get would be around the $20m/year we’re already getting – gate receipts would inevitably be lower, sponsorship would be lower, corporate hospitality would be lower, and the chances of getting into the ACL would be negligible… All this and at the same time operating costs would be virtually the same as the A-League.

I don’t see where the minimum 8 franchises would come from – especially considering that so few of the bids for the A-League franchises have been able to get anywhere near the required financing.

I talk to lots of football fans, I reckon anecdotally only half those follow the A-League coz most fans of the EPL etc don’t take our league seriously. The way the league is structured is part of that.
The 6 teams from 10 is obviously poor for credibility, no argument from me their.

i’m just talking about the long term direction of the league. Once a second div, an FFA Cup and P&R comes in, they should go for a purely ‘first past the post’ league title. And have the FFA Cup Final as that big ‘season ender’ that everyone wants, replacing the AFL/NRL style grand final.

This could also appeal to the existing world football fans in Australia who already follow leagues like the EPL and are familiar with the successful European model. It can work here too in the long term, but of course it has to come with all those over things that make club football in Europe so exciting.

I talk to lots of football fans, i reckon anecdotally only half those follow the A-League coz most fans of the EPL etc don’t take our league seriously. The way the league is structured is part of that.

I don’t think we can replicate the European leagues, everyone else does (bar the Americans) but which league has risen to prominence from outside the top sphere recently?

Only the J league and perhaps in future the MLS. If we just copy the EPL model we will always be a minor league …same system but with a population of 22m.

Australian football should be a fusion of what works overseas and then adapted to what will work here. I think while we have less than say 16 teams for pure full home and away and we play on during international breaks their needs to be finals and once we have 16 teams we should keep finals because people want them.

I am not sure if your just advocating that the team that finishes first on the ladder is best not the grand final winner (fair enough) or that we should only have first past the post?

Seeing people say that Aussies like finals feels strange. I am an Aussie, and I like first past the post.

First pass the post is best.

The changes that will happen to the A-league after I become world ruler will provide the best of both worlds, for all fans. Prizes for those that excel across the season. Prizes for those that have a good cup run and reasons to keep trying for all the clubs.

I will also lower the price of beer at stadiums and make it colder.

Thats what the finals are. They are contest of the best and your season should be geared towards finetuning your squad to hit your best form for the finals so you can try defeat the best. Like some kind of gladiatorial final battle. No team gets lucky. Some teams just cant handle the big stage, the pressure, some can.

It happens in so many sports,ie. Olympics, the World Cup, Gridiron, yet football fans dont flinch for a moment when they say first-past-the-post is the best. Its not. Its flawed. It doesnt discover the true champion. It discovers the most consistent. And as a follower of sport, I demand the true champion.

A first past the post league based on a balanced home and away.
A simultaneously running knockout comp, lets call it the Australia cup, including A league clubs and top state league clubs.
A pot of money for clubs to receive based on the year`s performance (1st gets more, last gets less).
Staggered entry into the next year`s Australia cup based on league performance (1st joins the cup later in the competition whilst last enters the competition right at the start).

But until then I guess I`ll cop whatever the FFA puts on.

Here is a question though – as a fan, would you prefer if your club won the Prem or the Champ? Okay, a genie has told you you could have one or the other, but not both. Which do you want? I want the Prem.

I am not a Victory fan, but respect what they have done winning the Premier`s plate and the Championship twice.

Are there teams that have hit form at the right time or just plain got lucky to win the Championship? I think so. Does that make them the best team of that year? I don`t think so.

I will use the example of Liverpool in the EPL last season where they thumped Man Utd twice yet finished 2nd behind them. From memory Liverpool also did well agst Arsenal and Chelsea (the top 4) yet they didnt win the title. Why? Because they drew with too many average sides. So they weren’t the most consistent, despite being the best of the best, so therefore they werent champions. I think that’s a flawed system.

I’d have loved to have seen a Man Utd v Liverpool GF last season to decide the title.

I like my NRL/AFL format, fairly even competition and unsegregated crowds.
Just because I like nutmgs and sliding tackles doesn’t make me sophisticated

What’s the alternative? Continue to copy the AFL and NRL format forever … and that is what its about. Not South America or MLS or K-League

Finals are the best way to adjudicate who is the best team, rather than the most consistent, which is the glaring flaw of the European system. Just look at Liverpool last season. Only reason people like first-past-the-post is because they’re used to it.

In our sport anything can happen on the day so if you’ve been the best team all season but are unlucky in the Finals then you should still get some recognition.

it’ll be great if they ditch the rugby/aussie rules-style grand final one day for a true FFA Cup Final. Along with a second division, promotion/relegation, all that stuff… its a good ideal for FFA to work towards.