A-League season must start with bang of derbies

 
Adrian Musolino Columnist

By , 17 Jun 2012 Adrian Musolino is a Roar Expert

Tagged:
 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

    73 Have your say

    A-League season must start with bang of derbies + enlarge image

    Tony Popovic and Western Sydney should kick off the season against their city rivals (AAP Image/Dean Lewins).

    Related coverage

    Sports Highlights

    Watch more sports news video


    Football Federation Australia will unveil the draw for the 2012/13 A-League season on Tuesday morning; a much anticipated event given the advent of the league’s second same city derby.

    And since the A-League season has been moved to kick-off immediately after the AFL and NRL seasons wrap up, providing highly-sought after clean air, the draw for the opening round of the season has become even more critical.

    It must, given the openings in the major cities, take advantage of the depth it now has in terms of truly marketable fixtures and start with a bang in as many key markets as possible.

    Early mail suggests Round 1 will include a Melbourne derby and a grand final rematch with Perth Glory hosting the Brisbane Roar at Patersons Stadium, while the Sydney derby may be held off with suggestions Sydney FC will travel to Wellington and Western Sydney will host Central Coast in their respective openers.

    But given the arrival of Western Sydney, the governing body should use the two derbies as the centerpiece of the opening round, giving the new franchise a worthy arrival into the competition with the honour of hosting the established Sydney side at its as yet undetermined home ground.

    Here is how the first round of the A-League season should look:

    - Western Sydney versus Sydney FC

    Highly sought after Sydney derby deserving of a prominent opening round slot, at the new franchise’s home ground to give the newer club a much-needed kick-start with the benefit of a big buildup leading into the season. Home ground to the new team helps create an identity separate to Sydney FC, immediately providing a stage for division and rivalry between the two Sydney clubs.

    - Melbourne Victory versus Melbourne Heart

    The success story of recent A-League seasons, the Melbourne derby will provide a strong start for the 2012/13 A-League season in the post-AFL season vacuum in Melbourne in October – the perfect launch for the Melbourne clubs, eager to gain immediate traction over their same-city rivals. With the rivalry strong and atmosphere of a Melbourne derby second to none in the league, it’s a guaranteed winner.

    - Perth Glory versus Brisbane Roar

    Given the controversial circumstances in which the grand final between these two clubs ended, giving the unlucky loser the right to host the rematch provides the Glory the revenge angle to market the match strongly. With crowds increasing at the tail-end of last season, the Glory will have the chance to carry that momentum into the new season.

    - Newcastle Jets versus Central Coast Mariners

    The original A-League derby may not have the selling point given the arrival of second teams in Melbourne and Sydney, but this rivalry matters to Newcastle and Central Coast fans. After an off-season where it stood on the brink of extinction, the Jets hosting the match seems fitting.

    - Adelaide United versus Wellington Phoenix

    The weaker of the five matches as the lack of a genuine rivalry for Wellington makes it the difficult team to fixture a blockbuster for. However, with Adelaide United hosting an Asian Champions League quarter final leg a fortnight before the season starts, it provides some momentum and traction in the market to sell an opening round home match.

    So with three derbies, a grand final rematch and a home match in one of the most stable markets already “in season”, Adelaide, the FFA can bank on strong attendances and momentum in four of the five big markets.

    And even if some consider that opening round too stocked with big-name fixtures, the increasing number of derbies and rivalries naturally developing with time provide strong fixture options for the following month.

    Consider the follow-up fixture options:

    - Melbourne Victory versus Sydney FC; genuine rivalry that opened last season.

    - Brisbane Roar versus Central Coast Mariners; rivalry born from an epic grand final.

    - Melbourne Victory versus Adelaide United; rivalry that has developed over the years with genuine feeling between the two teams.

    - Western Sydney versus Melbourne Heart; first meeting of the expansion clubs with former Socceroos at the helm.

    - Brisbane Roar versus Melbourne Victory; Ange Postecoglou’s return to Brisbane to face his former club.

    - Sydney FC versus Newcastle Jets; played out a great last match of the home and away season for the last spot in the finals. In addition to matches against Central Coast and now Western Sydney, has New South Wales bragging rights as a selling point.

    The A-League finally has two proper derbies in the two biggest markets in Australia, and rivalries that have evolved over time.

    So given the reasons behind the October start, it makes sense to play its biggest hands straight up with enough other options to keep that momentum rolling on into the first couple of months of the season.

    Adrian Musolino is editor of V8X Magazine, and has written as an expert on The Roar since 2008, cementing himself as a key writer who can see the big picture in sport. He freelances on other forms of motorsport, football, cycling and more.