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The A-League has come along way, that’s been said many times. Following a gradual build-up in the past 10 years, I believe it can really take off on a global scale.
You often hear people talking about promotion and relegation, or mass expansion, as part of the not too distant future of the A-League. These people, who’s enthusiasm I wish I could share, are all having a pipe dream.
Australia could never, not in a million years, be able to have the same football triangle which we see in Europe or South America. Australia is too barren and the support of football will never match other countries.
So what does the future hold for the A-League? I don’t want to start looking 10-20 years into the future, that’s too far for my liking. Instead I’ll discuss the future of the A-League in 2017/18 season, when the current broadcast deal ends.
I am a realist, I like to image the real possibilities. So here I go.
Firstly, what I would like to see is moderate expansion, to increase the league teams to 12, making the season 33 games long. The most logical places I see expansion is southern Sydney and Canberra, but that’s a debate for another time.
Secondly, I would like to see a third marquee spot opened up. I know about the junior marquee but that never gets used. The marquee system would work as one domestic, one international and one for whatever the club sees fit. This system would allow clubs to have a ‘peoples’ marquee’ such as Alessandro Del Piero and one who is there just for their skill, such as Thomas Broich.
People may argue that this would affect the lower clubs, but in reality one player can’t change everything. They will make a difference, of course, but I can’t see one extra marquee making a team like Sydney a dominating power over the Central Coast Mariners.
These are only two of the many possible and realistic advancements for the A-League. Who knows, the A-League could average 18,000 people and have a couple of ACL titles under their belt by the time 2016-17 comes around. The net few years could be the biggest ones A-League fans have ever witnessed.
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