It’s hard to see into the future, but I’ve gazed into my crystal football and I will make for thee these predictions three.
1. Tasmania will have the next W-League side
In addition to A-League expansion, the W-League will soon expand to ten teams.
Tasmania would be the perfect candidate since they were knocked back by the AFL in their bid for a team in the AFL Women’s competition.
Not only that, Tasmania’s players have been ‘allocated’ to the Greater Westner Sydney Giants, who took their potential place in the men’s league during the last round of expansion.
That’s just insulting.
Tasmania never had a team in the NSL, with their 2004 bid stopped in its tracks by the league folding, but there is now an opportunity to be in the W-League.
With AFLW competing with the A-League for fans, what better place for FFA to give the next W-League licence than Tasmania?
2. Aa A2-League will be established
There are plenty of potential locations for future teams in an A2-League.
In order to have two leagues with 16 teams each, 22 new new teams need to be added.
Major city locations could include Manly, Sutherland, Macarthur, Dandenong, South Brisbane, Joondalup, Adelaide City and South Melbourne. Regional locations could include Tasmania, Wollongong, Canberra, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Geelong, Cairns and Townsville.
Teams 17-22 could be Laverton, Ipswich, Fremantle, Darwin, Ballarat and Mid-north Coast.
Many will obviously be left out of the top flight, therefore the pressure to establish an A2-League will be impossible for FFA to hold back.
3. FFA will regulate football hooliganism
Prohibition of alcohol didn’t work and now we’re finding the same thing is also true with drugs. Why would football hooliganism be any different?
One way that hooligans have caused trouble at matches is by jumping up and down on seats and breaking them. Luckily, FFA have shown flexibility and welcomed safe standing areas in the design of the new stadium in Parramatta.
FFA could apply this same progressive attitude in other areas, such as the use of flares. Norwegian club SK Brann has shown this can be done successfully and safely while enhancing the atmosphere at home matches.
But the biggest problem caused by hooligans is violence toward the other team’s supporters, which is a very bad look.
Just before the latest Big Blue, hooligans clashed violently in the street and were recorded on camera. The way the incident was reported made it look like a full-scale riot, but there were only around 30 people involved, with just four being charged.
This aggression would be much better channelled into legal and consensual forms of violence, such as MMA or, in the future, bare-knuckle boxing.
These fights could be broadcast on TV and used to generate extra revenue for cash-strapped clubs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxsoDZ0mMUgandamp;feature=youtu.be
How accurate are these predictions likley to be?
Adding a Tasmanian W-League team would take the A-League to all states and territories except for the Northern Territory so it could happen.
The pressure from NPL teams to start a national second division is quite strong and there are stories of a revolt in Victoria’s clubs. It might just happen.
Regulating football hooliganism has to happen for the good of the – it’s a lock.
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