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FFA Cup another giant leap for football in Australia

28th July, 2014
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What kind of leadership does football in Australia require? (Photo by Paul Barkley/LookPro)
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28th July, 2014
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The day is nigh. Another chapter is being written in the increasingly busy book of Australian football.

Much of the hype surrounding the FFA Cup has been built on the success of the FA Cup in England, but we’ve a vastly different product down here.

22 non-professional teams will be vying for their share of the limelight, with the potential of claiming an A-League scalp providing plenty of drive.

Credit where it’s due, the Cup kicks off tonight on solid foundations. Coverage in the build-up and the live broadcast of Broadmeadow Magic versus Brisbane Strikers ensures there will be plenty of eyes on the tournament’s debut fixtures.

While today will obviously go down as an historic moment, the FFA Cup carries greater significance than a platform for upsets and a handy addition to the trophy cabinet. It’s another step towards the ultimate goal of having a national second tier competition.

The implementation of the National Premier Leagues has provided a good base and the two teams that contested the inaugural NPL final in 2013 – Sydney United 58 and South Hobart – will be on stage in the round of 32.

For all NPL and state teams, this is an opportunity to prove the depth of and demand for football across the country.

Those perhaps with more motivation to succeed are the NSL alumni now kicking it in various state competitions. The likes of Sydney Olympic, Strikers, Melbourne Knights and Adelaide City return to the national stage once more.

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There is at least a hidden ambition in all former NSL clubs to reclaim their professional status and they’ll be handed a brief audition to continue knocking on the door.

The FFA Cup’s success will not prompt instant growth to the levels required, but it’s an important rung in the ladder.

Of course, there are elements of the Cup more focused on the here and now.

“Fairytale” will become football’s greatest cliche over the next few months, and with good reason too. There are plenty of headlines in waiting across the round of 32 fixtures, not least those from the lower leagues of state football. Victorian State League One side South Springvale, a self-confessed “pub team”, enter as the lowest-ranked team, alongside NSW State League One’s Hakoah Sydney City.

Throw in Victorian NPL 1 side St Albans Saints against NSW NPL 2 outfit Parramatta FC and you’ve got some juicy one-liners in waiting.

Only four A-League teams were handed the “reward” of playing non-A-League competition, but it won’t be considered an easy ride.

Melbourne Victory have perhaps the most difficult task when they travel to NPL Western Australia premiers-elect Bayswater City, who cruised to a 5-0 win over Subiaco over the weekend in front of Victory assistant coach Jean-Paul de Marigny.

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With A-League teams still in the middle of their pre-season campaigns and NPL teams in peak form as their seasons reach a climax, these clashes are just fairytales waiting to happen.

The FFA Cup looks to have an ideal mix of instant excitement and future rewards, as the football bandwagon continues to roll on.

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