If the top eight teams create extra interest in the A-League through the finals series, then maybe the bottom eight should have something similar?
Instead of a traditional promotion-relegation zone, why not have a melee involving 16 teams?
The top eight teams from the second division could face off against the bottom eight from the A-League (creation of a second division permitting).
The 16 teams will be divided into groups of four and play a single round-robin, with the top two from each group going to the A-League in the next season, while the bottom two go to the second division.
I call it ‘The Melee’.
The idea came to me as I was thinking about socioeconomic mobility, the upward or downward movement of people from one social class or economic level to another.
Good socioeconomic mobility is a positive for social cohesion, and makes the economy as a whole stronger.
If you apply the same principal to promotion-relegation, you will see benefits by increasing league mobility.
With 16 teams in the second division, leading to a 50-50 chance of having a shot at promotion, means people will take a greater interest.
Conversely, if there are only limited chances for promotion, fans quickly lose interest if their team is relegated.
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The teams taking part in The Melee should be placed into groups to incentivise good performance. The last two teams in the top flight would be paired with the first two teams in the second division. This pattern would continue until the ninth and tenth teams in the top flight face the seventh and eighth teams in the second division.
This way, better-performing teams in each division will have easier opponents.
The good thing about this system is the extra interest that it creates at both ends of the table and across both leagues. It also generates extra money for FFA.
Teams in the A-League either make the finals or run the gauntlet of The Melee. So, from the start of the season, fans know their team will always be in for drama.
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