Australian Danny Allsopp, left, fight for the ball with Indonesian Hariono, right, during AFC Asian Cup 2011 qualifiers Group B at Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Jan 28, 2009. AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim
I thought I was persona non grata with Football Federation Australia but at least someone appears to be reading my work, judging from the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed late last week by the FFA and its Indonesian counterpart, the Football Association of Indonesia or PSSI.
While it stops short of a joint World Cup bid, this is welcome news, one of the best things to happen to football in this country since joining Asia.
Back in 2007, I urged the FFA to start “thinking dangerously” in regard the football relationship with our huge northern neighbours and just over a click of two years on it’s finally happened.
The benefits of the five-year agreement are both tangible – coach and player exchanges, more friendlies, a leg-up for Australia into the ASEAN zone of the Asian Football Confederation – and highly symbolic.
FFA chairman Frank Lowy called it a “landmark agreement” and believes the two federations “can be important vehicles to assist in the development of relations between our two countries and their governments”.
That they can. It’s his “football diplomacy” mantra brought to life and he and FFA chief executive Ben Buckley can be justifiably proud.
Of course it’s easy to be cynical about it – would such an arrangement have been brokered if we weren’t bidding for a World Cup? – but it would also be churlish. The reasons for the deal coming to bear are really immaterial.
What’s more important is we as two very different nations – one predominantly Christian made up of a few islands, one predominantly Muslim made up of tens of thousands – embrace the opportunity football gives us to have a better relationship as people.
Why we have such a poor understanding of a country just 500 miles to our north is one of those odd quirks of our history we should be moving heaven and earth to rectify.
That has taken football, not politics, trade or tourism, to be an agent of change in that relationship is really not surprising.
Sport, especially the world game, has a habit of breaking down barriers.
So let’s savour this small but significant moment in our history and show our appreciation by turning up (and tuning in) in droves when the Merah Putih play the Socceroos in Brisbane on March 3.
There’ll be much more than football to cheer.
jimbo
Guest
Jesse Fink: “in Malaysia in November, Jason Dasey and Scott Ollerenshaw told me they religiously watched the A-League.” Midfielder: "… as my mate put it to me, the A-League highlights is shown in over 100 countries" BigAl, redb, Michael C, Kurt, Bever Fever, ForgetMe, Mister Football and other AFL non-believers did you read that and digest that? I want a written apology immediately, for all your sneering remarks - when I told you the A-League was shown around the world to tens of millions of people making it the most watched Australian football competition.
Midfielder
Guest
Maybe in a quid pro coe ... allow the Nix to stay as they are...
Cpaaa 2018
Guest
i like the idea 2 Jimbo. I also want to point out that i was at the Asian cup in 2007. Strangely enough i never had any desire to visit Thailand but thanks to football i had one of the best times of my life. the Green and old army were brilliant, the people of Thailand were wonderful and the country exotic. Football is a portal for travel and offers life experience for journos, politicians, business men, players and fans alike. This deal has opened the doors on so many different aspects and its not just about sport. Like Jess said, Indonesia and Australia are opposites in beliefs, culture, language and terrain. yet the one thing that brings our indifference together as nations is through Football. My tourist dollars will be spent in Indonesia, the question now is when?
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
interesting idea, Jimbo
Dogz R Barkn
Roar Guru
A Townsville vs Kediri rugby league game could get ugly!!
jimbo
Guest
No and wouldn't be as much fun as a Townsville v Persik Kediri Rugby League game or Townsville v Persik Kediri AFL game. :)
jimbo
Guest
Further to boosting our relationship with Asian football, I'd like to see the Asian imports only count 50% towards A-League clubs salary caps. It would give a bit of leeway to the clubs that want to spend a bit more on players and make Asian footballers more attractive to A-League clubs. The A-League penetration in Asia for the FFA and Foxtel would increase significantly as well and there may be other reciprocal arrangements/benefits given to Australian football.
whiskeymac
Guest
doesnt need everyone just some to be interested as you can't please all the people all the time but for those that are interested or who are curious it might hold some value.
Marcel
Guest
No excuse Finkster...and while your at it, sort out that business with the disappearing glaciers as well.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
hah, it may well take time. Perhaps in Townsville it will take off, especially if it is Persipura Jayapura or Persiwa Wamena turning up for a game (both West Papuan sides), though the rest of the country may be less interested. Persik Kedri v Sydney FC would be fun indeed.
Dogz R Barkn
Roar Guru
But will Towsville vs Kediri really capture the Australian sporting imagination?
Ben of Phnom Penh
Guest
This is a great initiative from both the PSSI and the FFA. It may well open the way for the Cup competition that we have been clamouring for in order to extend the A-League season without relying upon rushing in new clubs too early. Entry into the AFF will be another matter though, particularly as the AFF runs independently of the FIFA calendar. That said there needs to be first steps and this is an exceptionally good start.
Mick
Guest
I was in Bali in 2008 for AFL grand final weekend & on the Sunday night I was walking along & saw a heap of Balinese watching tv so I had a closer look & they were watching the Italian league.. They had access to epl as well
Midfielder
Guest
Spent three weeks there every Holidays ... ARRRRrrr ... the surf the diving ... sweeps and rips ... and the women as you said .... each morning about 9 or 10 ... we (wife & I) wander over to the Ocean Beach Pub have a coffee & ice water... read a paper talk to folk ... life is made for these times..
Punter
Guest
Ocean beach pub in Byron Bay, is there a better place on earth to discuss the A-League. I had the best Ceasars Salad there, the beer, the women, the beach & Football, sounds like heaven.
whiskeymac
Guest
with increased interaction (and hopefully games) between Aussie teams and its neighbours will the "football" season be extended by the FFA to accomodate potential new fixtures? Is their scope for a tournament between clubs in the current "off season" - a sort of HAl all stars team versus an Oceania team versus and Asean team?
Australian Football
Guest
Well done Jess, and I attribute this to you and you alone... Indeed the FFA have been reading your blogs as I have---good to see common sense has prevailed with this monumental agreement... Now for your next blog how about this issue that no one has been able to resolve... http://blogs.crikey.com.au/rooted/2010/01/13/dr-seuss-meets-copenhagen/ Time is running out... ;) btw I do love your work---keep it up.... ~~~~~~~ AF formerly KB (Koala Bear)
Midfielder
Guest
On the Bali thing they also show Basketball, baseball etc... in the tourist motels home cods are played ... But the high penetration is not necessary for the dollars ... as my mate put it to me the A-League highlights is shown in over 100 countries ... say it sells for $ 5, 000.00 per match with unlimited replay rights... Over 30 rounds that is $ 150, 000.00 ... Take $ 150, 000.00 times by 100 countries and ha there is 15 million... Now take say a hand full of countries that take the A-League live... again with unlimited replays ... say 1 million dollars ... five countries ... another 5 million... As Fox own the rights to Australian matches replays of Socceroos matches by countries we play bring in heaps especially from the bigger Asian nations Japan, China etc... Start to add this all up ... again this is a mate telling me all this ... BTW all selling figures made up the $ 5, 000 per game etc...But we sat in the Ocean Beach pub at Byron Bay for a good couple of hours in the heat of the day and it all sounded good and reasonable to me...
Phutbol
Guest
If the A-league is achieving that level of penetration into Asia, that would go a long way to explaining the rumored TV rights increase that is supposedly pending.... Having said that, the only place I saw any A-league when we were in Bali last year was on the 'Australia Channel' in our hotel. Lots of cricket and Aussie Rules elsewhere though. Hopefully that is changing.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
I was about to chip in and suggest changing the A league visa rules perhaps to 3 plus 2 and one of the two from a South East Asian nation…. but then is signing their players for A league clubs a good idea? Was their the same sense of dread that came out about Allsop and Griffiths being lured to West Asia from Thailand about MV signing up Sukha? I know people in Singapore are worried about their players being courted by wealthier Indonesian teams, hopefully we can avoid looking like we are exploiting them if it genuinely improves their national team. Edit: I had allready bought my tix for the Brisbane game but regardless their is no way i would cheer for Indonesia against Australia. When they play other teams I guess I have a reason to support them now though.