Archie Fraser, your time at the FFA is up

 
Australian Football Roar Guru

By Australian Football, 11 Feb 2010 Australian Football is a Roar Guru

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As a Gold Coaster, I can feel for the owner Clive Palmer of Gold Coast United FC with some of the weirdest decisions made by new boy Archie Fraser, ex AFL, St Kilda CEO.

Some of his administrative decisions have been confounding and mystifying for the HAL, particularly the commencement of the HAL season and its ending, and the match scheduling.

This has caused enormous anxiety amongst the HAL clubs and their players––especially for those being considered for selection by Pim for the Australian National Football team.

Clearly Archie Fraser did not consult Pim Verbeek for his opinion in this regard to when the best time would be for the local HAL’s start to the season to coincide with the FIFA’s 2010 Football World Cup.

This will now result in lengthy long term football inactivity of those HAL players before the 2010 Football World Cup commencement date. That left some who had to decide whether to stay and play at the business end of the season, or move to an overseas club.

Now we have the unsavoury business of possible legal action taken by the FFA against Bleiberg and Palmer for comments they made being charged for bringing the game into disrepute for merely voicing an opinion. (Palmer’s FFA corruption comment may have been a bit over the top).

However, it seems to me GCU have been justified about some of the decision making at head office in regard at the regional clubs’ expense, starting with the Jets and FFA poaching of ex Jets Manager Gary Van Egmond.

Then the important inaugural home game of Gold Coast United’s first round home draw that was to be played at the Robina stadium, only to see it switched to Suncorp at the expense of owner Clive Palmer’s GCU FC.

Add to that the lengthy suspensions of Steve Pantelidis compared to Muscat’s, but he is not alone with his suspicions that the FFA are playing some form of cronyism to aid the big city HAL clubs Melb Vic, Brisbane ROAR, and to a small degree SFC.

This incredible decision now, to allow Nik Mrdja, to transfer to Melb Victory outside the January transfer window is another example of his incompetence.

Some say it was within the HAL rule book but, clearly not in context of true fair play––some would say it was down right cheating to ensure a Melb Vic and SFC final in either Sydney or Melbourne. Well that had crossed my mind admittedly as it has with Clive Palmer.

All does not seem fair and equal when the integrity of the HAL is in question with its dealing with the regional clubs.

Part of a transcript from 442 website, Newcastle Jets boss Branko Culina this evening joined the row over the move.

“Around the rest of the world there is a transfer deadline where you can’t sign players who are contracted in that period,” he told The World Game. “I’m only talking for the interest of the game. There are only two rounds to go.

“Where else in Europe or around the world would you be able sign a player with two rounds to go from another team that’s competing in the same competition as you are, the same league, not another team from around the world, so you can bolster your team if you have a chance of winning the championship in the last game?

“Where? Tell me. Please. It doesn’t make sense. From a footballing point of view it’s not something that I think is good for the game or its supporters.”

More incompetence: “Football Federation Australia has admitted no-one told them Nik Mrdja had re-signed for Central Coast Mariners next season when they approved his move to Melbourne Victory.” (442 website).

Branko Culina makes a valid and fair point with his above quotes and it is hard to argue against them – why was it allowed to happen in the first place, and what now can be done to rectify this outrageous decision allowed by the HAL manager Archie Fraser? Should the match be replayed or should the points be withdrawn from Melb Victory?

I think the points should be deducted to save the HAL’s integrity and embarrassment and remind Archie he no longer works in the confine of AFL’s contrived system.

FIFA regulations and the ASEIAN confederation require player’s transfers to occur within FIFA transfer windows: clearly Mrdja’s questionable transfer to Melb Vic was unfair and now stands as an embarrassment to the FFA.

Something should be done about it before the finals can commence.

Just to make the situation worse, this reported quote in the Saturday’s 6th Feb. Gold Coast Bulletin, “There is a FFA conspiracy aimed at ensuring the March 21 title-decider is staged in Sydney or Melbourne at the expense of the tourist strip,” Palmer claimed.

The HAL is Australia’s Premier Football league; it needs to have complete transparency with match scheduling, player transfers, and running its competition according to the FFA’s constitution.

Now what is the FFA’s constitution? It seems anything that Archie has learnt at his time with the AFL.

Suddenly we are faced with the goal posts being moved by Archie Fraser of the FFA, as Clive Palmer sees it.

Does Clive have a point? Well it can be seen as the FFA with Archie Fraser’s strange handling of the HAL affairs this season, he very well may have and that saddens me.

Not that I think for one moment the FFA is corrupt, just that Archie Fraser has made some monumental stuff ups and he should go.

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