Football will never get anywhere in Australia until it presents a united front
When it rains, it always seems to pour – which is invariably why a couple of key A-League Men fixtures on Friday and Saturday…
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They don’t like these columns.
It's time the APL came clean on the state of the game in the A-Leagues
Marcel, I get that’s meant to be a throwaway line, but the irony is twofold.
1. Waz’s sentiment is spot on.
2. He’s as well-connected in the Queensland football scene as anyone.
The A-Leagues could use someone with his football nous.
It's time the APL came clean on the state of the game in the A-Leagues
They wouldn’t talk to me if I was the last columnist on earth, Stevo.
It's time the APL came clean on the state of the game in the A-Leagues
I love jazz.
If it wasn't for Irankunda, every A-League headline would be negative right now
Yes, we’re all familiar with the tune, Brett. The one that demands NRL clubs get all the perks because NRL fans like you demand that NRL clubs get all the perks.
It’s funny how the biggest crowd Kogarah has seen in recent years was for a clash between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory. Something tells me that point is rather lost on you…
Football in Australia must never stop fighting for its fair share of funding
Yes, because…
Foxtel = News Corp and they have commercial interests in the NRL, AFL and cricket
Nine = Sydney Morning Herald and they have commercial interests in the NRL and Rugby
Both outlets – particularly Foxtel – have made it clear they’re not interested in covering rival comps.
As for where all the journalists went – KeepUp. And we all saw how that turned out.
Does the A-League do enough to nurture creative players?
The frustration lies, however, in the fact that the NRL and AFL are posting bumper crowds.
Does the A-League do enough to nurture creative players?
I think whether fans in Australia care versus fans in other parts of the world is probably a different story. Because I know a lot of folks in Germany are keeping very close tabs on Nestor.
Does the A-League do enough to nurture creative players?
You’re right – the onus really is on players not to commit reckless challenges. Thought Girdwood-Reich was a bit unlucky but once the referee goes over to the monitor, that’s usually the end of it.
Just wish these decisions could be made on the field.
Does the A-League do enough to nurture creative players?
I was at the game on Sunday. You couldn’t fail to notice the increased police presence.
How do A-League fans convince police that passion is not a crime?
Jelacic has been close to the Roar’s best for several weeks now. Will be a shame if he can’t stay.
How do A-League fans convince police that passion is not a crime?
I think Brisbane Roar would take a player like Adam Taggart back in a heartbeat.
Perth Glory's long-suffering fans deserve their change of fortune
Nice to see a bit of discussion on this one. Hopefully we see another cracking round of football next weekend.
The A-League is enjoying a purple patch and we're all the beneficiaries
Yeah, Zion’s a decent goalkeeper, but he had an ordinary Asian Cup. That’s what can happen when you’re assembling a new squad for an international tournament… which I guess was the point Arnie was trying to make the other day.
Are we a mature enough football nation to honestly discuss the Socceroos?
They are genuinely shocked to be out of the tournament.
I saw a few headlines suggesting Hajime Moriyasu basically blamed ‘the goalkeeper and defence’ for their exit.
Former national team defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka has been ripping Moriyasu to shreds for more than a week now.
Outright criticism is not really the done thing in Japan, as many of you know, but it’ll be interesting to see if Moriyasu survives this… as they expected to win the tournament.
Are we a mature enough football nation to honestly discuss the Socceroos?
I think Football Australia would do well to acknowledge that a lot of these threats – and the Matildas got them too – aren’t actually coming from genuine fans.
That’s not to excuse what’s being said, but I do think tarring every online comment with the same brush has the effect of silencing legitimate conversations.
Are we a mature enough football nation to honestly discuss the Socceroos?
How many times have I taken potshots at the AFL and NRL, though? More than a few. It’s got to work both ways.
The APL is doomed to fail until it starts focusing on football
Tony is as big a football fan as any of us. He’s been a supporter of the A-League since day one.
At the end of the day, people can write whatever they like. I know I sure do.
I think that as football fans, we need to be bigger than worrying about what some AFL fan thinks about the A-Leagues. Those sorts of pieces are few and far between on here anyway.
The APL is doomed to fail until it starts focusing on football
Just like the problems with the A-Leagues are the APL’s to solve.
The APL is doomed to fail until it starts focusing on football
Fair point. But the reality is that I’ve spent most of the season writing 600 words on the action that takes place each Sunday… and no one responds to that either.
It’s easy to point the finger at me, but as we have seen time and time again here on The Roar, these are the sort of columns people respond to.
The APL is doomed to fail until it starts focusing on football
I just wrote 600-odd words on how things can be improved, Marcel.
The APL is doomed to fail until it starts focusing on football
I’ll let slide the fact that Tony ignored yours truly as one of the best football writers in the business and point out that he’s bang on when he says there’s little interest in actual football.
This column used to be a lot more widely read than it is today. It’s impossible to deny there’s been a huge drop-off in audience across the league – for any metric we care to look at. Whether that’s crowds, social media engagement, or simply views on independent media like this.
The A-League has contracted in a way that no one has ever really acknowledged.
The APL is doomed to fail until it starts focusing on football
Australian football will always struggle while it remains so fiercely resistant to change.
The game here is too small – a point Simon Hill makes constantly – and those who work in it are forever trying to close ranks around it as a means of holding onto their jobs.
That’s why there’s never any real communication from organisations like Football Australia or the APL around how things are going. Because to communicate freely is to invite scrutiny, which potentially imperils your job.
So the game stagnates… and we watch on in amazement as virtually every country around us makes noticeable progress.
It's time the APL came clean on the state of the game in the A-Leagues