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Central Coast Mariners players (L to R) Tom Pendeljak, Matthew Simon and John Hutchinson sit dejected after loosing 0-1 to the Newcastle Jets in the A-League Grand Final in Sydney on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2008. AAP Image/Paul Miller
Those AFL and NRL executives who seem hell-bent on insisting that football seeks to dominate the Australian sporting landscape are barking up the wrong tree. All Australian football fans have ever wanted is a domestic league that sits side-by-side with our more established codes.
Now that we’ve got it, Season Five is shaping up as somewhat of a make or break year for the A-League.
It may still be young, but there are some critical battles that need to be won if the A-League is to remain a viable domestic competition.
One of them is the key Sydney market.
Sydney FC have been criticised for the dwindling numbers on the terraces, but in my view we should applaud those fans that have stood by the club through thick and thin despite some obvious mismanagement.
What Sydney FC supporters crave is some leadership off the pitch and some decent football on it, and hopefully Czech tactician Vitezslav Lavicka is the man to transform the fortunes of the Harbour City side.
While FFA officials are no doubt hopeful that Sydney FC can recapture the hearts of the broader football community, the issue of Wellington Phoenix is another thorny one for the A-League.
Personally, I’ve never understood those who claim there should be no New Zealand representation in the A-League.
Welsh clubs have been a part of the English league pyramid for decades, while Pierre Littbarski’s latest coaching sojourn has taken him to Liechtenstein club FC Vaduz – who play in the Swiss league.
If Wellington remain competitive on the pitch and offer a broader TV market off it, why shouldn’t they be involved?
The challenge for coach Ricky Herbert is moulding a competitive unit on the pitch, and in that respect the loss of Kiwi internationals Glen Moss and Shane Smeltz isn’t a good sign.
Phoenix fans will hope the arrival of Barbados international Paul Ifill offsets the loss of Smeltz, with Ifill having played alongside Tim Cahill in the 2004 FA Cup final.
However, despite also signing former Adelaide United midfielder Diego Walsh and ex-Tranmere Rovers striker Chris Greenacre, Wellington’s stocks look thin on the ground, and Herbert faces an uphill task to steer his side into the top six.
The same goes for Central Coast Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna, while Newcastle Jets fans will hope their side makes some headlines for their football – with the Jets looking more like a soap opera than a football club of late.
Perhaps the greatest concern for FFA officials is the fate of North Queensland Fury.
On-loan striker Dave Williams has lifted the Townsville side since his arrival from Danish club Brondby, but there’s no telling how much of an impact the tropical heat will have on strike partner Robbie Fowler – whose injury-plagued pre-season is surely a concern for club officials.
So too is the possibility that fans simply won’t turn out in the Rugby League-loving north, although the 5,000-strong crowd that showed up for the Fury’s inaugural home game in a pre-season friendly against Brisbane Roar suggests that might not be a problem.
Even the blockbuster opening round derby between Brisbane Roar and Gold Coast United is being overshadowed by Gold Coast’s stubborn refusal to promote the game, with United irate at the FFA’s late decision to switch the fixture to Suncorp Stadium.
There’s a growing perception that an autocratic FFA is stifling the game’s potential, and the governing body would do well to mend relations with key stakeholders – including the disgruntled Con Constantine and Clive Palmer.
Plenty to think about as we head into Season Five, and hopefully the football on display will overshadow many of these concerns as we head into the campaign.