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The opening two weeks of the A-League season has captured the imagination of the wider football public. A revamped October commencement and introduction of Harry Kewell and Brett Emerton have played contributing factors to extensive media exposure in season seven.
With all this in mind, Football Federation Australia has pitted round three as ‘rivalry round’, which witnesses some of the more heated foes lock horns in a 90-minute showpiece.
Brisbane Roar renew their hostilities with Gold Coast United, hosting their counterparts at Suncorp Stadium.
The F3 derby is reignited, with the Newcastle Jets welcoming the Central Coast Mariners at Ausgrid Stadium.
While not depicted as a traditional rivalry, there’s no doubt that Adelaide United and Sydney FC have encompassed fervent battles in history gone by.
And finally, the only derby that is true to its name, cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart clash for the city’s bragging rights in the fourth version of the Melbourne derby.
When the A-League was initially formed, the FFA desired a ‘one team per city’ format for the opening few seasons of the new competition.
While the idea may have worked in some areas, there were many sceptics surrounding the system.
What the A-League lacked was a proper inner-city rivalry, where reputations, allegiances and club supremacy were up for the taking.
Derby matches are often portrayed as the most passionate, enthusiastic and pulsating meeting throughout the football campaign. It’s a unique facet within the game that cannot be echoed in any other fashion.
The atmosphere exuberated amongst the clubs’ fanatical supporters is what makes the environment a special scene to indulge in.
This was evident in the Melbourne derbies last season. An aggregate attendance of 81,187 emerged over the three fixtures, which witnessed 11 goals, 24 yellow cards and two red cards.
The growing enmity showcased between Victory and Heart was a fantastic spectacle for the competition – in a season which confronted many impediments off the pitch – and was truly one of the positives elements to grasp from season six.
The growing tension between the clubs was not solely palpable in the stands, with the players demonstrating their loyalties on the pitch – reminiscent of an army marching into combat.
There was no secret pertaining to how bitter sweet the taste of triumph would be over their newly found cross-town rival. When fans evoke about the season that has been, the derby meetings always convey fond memories.
Bragging rights between supporters should never be belittled, as high precedence is valued on the superior season between the rival outfits – whether it’s claiming victory in the derbies or the subsequent placing on the table at season’s end.
In many respects, the hostile environments displayed were analogous to the many famous derby encounters around the football sphere.
Some of the most famous encounters include ‘Derby della modonnia’ – Inter and AC Milan, ‘Merseyside derby’ – Liverpool and Everton, ‘Old Firm derby’ – Celtic and Rangers, ‘El derbi Madrileno’ – Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, ‘Fla-Flu derby’ – Flamengo and Fluminese and ‘Superclasico’ – Boca Juniors and River Plate.
With the growing success between the Melbourne foes, Sydney should, with anticipation have a similar ritual in the not too distant future – with the Sky Blues staking their claim against a prospective outfit from the city’s west.
It has the turbulent expansion process – which has seen clubs financially struggle and provisional licences handed out with susceptible market research.
Despite this, the FFA must seek to expand the game’s reach out in Western Sydney as soon as possible – assuming the hypothetical club is financially viable.
In the nation’s largest market, Sydney is an ideal landscape to nurture the competition’s brand. If Melbourne can accomplish the derby feat, then Sydney is more than capable of following suit.
The derby traditions are a welcome addition to the A-League.
With the cross-city rivalry absent in the opening five years of the competition, the Melbourne derby has helped cultivate exposure for our domestic game, while illustrating football’s distinctive fan culture to the sporting public.
While Melbourne is the only city to boast two clubs – the drama, tension, controversy and exhilaration is also perceptible in the other numerous rivalries dispersed among the league.
Let the battles begin!
Follow Robbie on Twitter @RobertDiFabio
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