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Often, the FFA’s strategic announcements are greeted with trepidation by fans and media alike. Many of us have a grand vision of where we want the A-League to be, and we’d like to think the governing body is on the same page.
So it’s tempting to pick apart any type of concept they try to implement – the National Club Identity Policy (NCIP) in 2014, the 20-year Whole of Football Plan last year being a couple of examples.
There were valid concerns raised in both of those. The NCIP is purportedly progressive, but has caused more division than the unity it’s meant to promote. That’s a debate for another day.
The point is, though the FFA’s Strategic Plan – announced on Tuesday – has copped some flack for only looking four years ahead, there is at least a desire to grow the game. Chairman Steven Lowy admitted that ‘there is impatience from all levels of the game to do more, and do it quickly’.
He’s not wrong, as leagues around the world continue to strengthen, there’s a sense the A-League is becoming less lucrative to both the foreign market and the target audience in Australia.
The FFA appears to be responding to that, making fan engagement one of their lead priorities as they look to increase interest in the A-League and W-League.
I wholly agree with David Gallop’s assessment that football needs to be converted “into more of a top-down funded sport and less of a bottom-up funded sport”.
The strategic plan is predominantly driven by commercial objectives rather than growth of the game, though, and one of the FFA’s big challenges over the next four years will ensure they live up to the most important pillar outlined – ‘building generations of successful national teams’.
Of course, Australian football heavily relies on the A-League to thrive and there is always going to be that corporate desire to boost all sorts of numbers.
But it must be given attention in tandem with creating clearer pathways to the top. Gallop identified the establishment of A-League academies and introduction of National Youth League teams into the NPL as examples of change, but the lower levels of the game still demand more care.
Perhaps the main thing that separates fans from board members is patience. As Lowy insisted, the FFA will ‘not divert from our disciplined approach and our commitment to sustainability’.
Lowy and his team are prepared to gradually build up the game, which is incredibly frustrating for a fan. Not frustrating in the sense they’re being too slow, but frustrating in that there seems to be a fear of implementing change too quickly.
The promotion/relegation debate has been flogged to fatigue, and it will continue to be until it becomes part of the game. Those at the top of the game believe it’s an unrealistic goal for at least the next 10 years or so, and that’s mostly because they believe it’s an unrealistic goal for the next 10 years.
Yes, the growth of A-League academies is very encouraging; Sydney FC and Western Sydney’s successful start to life in NSW’s NPL2 is proof of the talent that lies there.
It does harm other NPL clubs, though. Most young players would rather play for Melbourne Victory or Sydney FC in the NPL rather than, say, Bulleen Lions or Manly United.
At present, playing for an NPL club not attached to the A-League is simply a chance to be noticed by an A-League club, and that will only change when state clubs have a chance to stake their case to join the upper echelon – be it through expansion or promotion/relegation.
The NPL has grown plenty over the last few years and hopefully the FFA doesn’t stop giving it the attention it deserves. It must be seen as the breeding ground for ‘the next generation of stars’ that Gallop yearns to see.
I wrote in January that the A-League would be fine without a new marquee addition before the end of the season, and while Luis Garcia has been a nice addition, the quality on the pitch has been a big enough drawcard this season.
One of the main headlines from yesterday’s announcement was the FFA’s desire to collaborate with A-League clubs about attracting marquee players. This is necessary in years to come if the football audience is to grow.
It would just be nice if this is matched by a desire to work with NPL clubs who have an incredible thirst to bloom, but scant resources to do just that. After all, they hold the key to international success for Australia .
The ideas of the strategic plan are good, but a focus on making change now, rather than constantly planning for the future, would be better.
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