Postecoglou’s success proves there is room for redemption in football, and the former Australian youth coach fully deserves the plaudits for transforming Brisbane Roar from a squabbling bunch of has-beens into one of the most dominant teams in Australian sport.
Teenager Ryan’s success was somewhat more unpredictable, but after his superb performance against Gold Coast United on Saturday night, it’s not hard to see why the 18-year-old shot-stopper is so highly rated.
The youngster has stepped in seamlessly for the injured Jess Vanstratten, who looks like he’ll struggle to get a run anywhere next season following a disastrous return to the A-League.
Ryan almost single-handedly kept Central Coast in the Preliminary Final as he withstood a barrage of Gold Coast attacks, allowing Adam Kwasnik to slot home a late winner to send the Mariners through to the decider.
The first-versus-second scenario provides a fairytale finish to an often forgettable campaign, and with tens of thousands of tickets snapped up in the first two days of sales, it’s further proof the Australian sporting public loves to embrace a championship finale.
Every season since the competition kicked off, a number of vocal fans have called for the A-League to scrap the finals series and instead use a first-past-the-post system to decide the champions.
But with the Grand Final set to smash this season’s attendance record and the commercial TV networks belatedly getting on board to provide some coverage in the build-up to the match, it seems folly to suggest the A-League should do away with the finals.
Brisbane players may say the premiership is the title that matters most, but deep down we all know they’re burning to make their status as Australia’s champion team official, and they won’t do that unless they beat the Mariners on Sunday afternoon.
European leagues might employ a different system to decide their champions, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the A-League should go fundamentally against the grain of Australian sporting culture and do away with the finals.
That’s particularly the case when it’s clear many casual fans treat the Grand Final as their one-off football event for the year.
Converting these kinds of fans into regular attendees must be the goal for Football Federation Australia, and it doesn’t help that they’ve jacked up the ticket prices for Sunday’s match.
Nevertheless, with the mainstream press finally showing some positive interest at a time when a couple of other codes are kicking off, there’s no reason the A-League season shouldn’t end on a high.
It’s fantastic to see the two best teams in this year’s competition reach the Grand Final, and anything can happen in a sudden-death decider.
That’s the beauty of finals football, and while circumstances may change in the future, right now a thrilling Grand Final is something the A-League desperately needs.
Rob Gremio
Roar Pro
Actually, you're right, TB. Brazil only changed to a first-past-the-post about 10 years ago (if that), and there was a lot of debate about it at the time, and afterwards (some even now hate it). That said, there is still the Brazilian Cup to compete for too, for those that need the sudden death rush. However, with promotion, relegation, and qualification for the Copa Libertadores and for the Copa Sul Americana up for grabs, first past the post has now become the preferred system over there too. I think leave it the way it is for now, build up the league, and then see how it goes in terms of establishing a first past the post prize, and have a cup competition too. Baby steps, I would say. But I would like to see us move beyond the finals series in the future, just not now.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Semi-final series has been great - the two CCM and Brisbane games and the CC v GC semi were fantastic games. I like how the semis are structured that the top two teams have a clear and distinct advantage to make the GF. Promotion and relegation is only valid to the bottom teams in the top div or the top teams in the lower division. Semi-final series could still exist at the top of the A-League. There are a lot of football comps around the world decided by a final series - World Cup, Champions League, Euro Champions, Asian Cahmpionship, etc. Perhaps not in context of a domestic league but it's not entirely foreign to soccer either.
Peter Zwaanswijk
Guest
Someone told me that the match starts there is a player receives a prize, does anyone know what price that is?
john
Guest
It is about Brisbane. 1,000,000 people in the City. Against say 80,000 in Townsville. Plus everyone not in NQ or on Gold Coast has stuck with 'Qld' Roar. From season 1 penny pinching by an under capitalised club lead to a massive missed opportuntity. Lucky in than Heart failed to see opportunity in Ange. Ange, with Arsenal and other experience, is the most expert coach in Australia. Wins the league without any of the possible marquees and less than a full squad. Brisbane was always FFA's untapped market.
john
Guest
max 30 with possible shower (its raining now)
Moonface
Roar Guru
As a recent soccer convert, I must confess I am enjoying the finals series and could not imagine the A-League without it. There are literally millions like me in Australia who have been brought up on finals football as the season climax. If you want to get more soccer converts like me, then don't even think about getting rid of your finals series.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
On the casual fans, maybe its a problem and maybe its not. It is only a problem if those fans would be more likely to go to regular games. These are, however, most likely the people who follow multiple sports and not having a reason to choose Association Football over others they may have a closer relationship with may be a danger in itself. If there was no foinal, these same people might go to no games; or two one or two games of particular interest as they presumably do now. As you say, though, a Cup may rectify that to some degree. It may even be that more casual fans will go to cup matches, with the instant knockout appeal, at all stages and not just the final.
M1tch
Guest
Super League has a top 8 system, but uses what the AFL has.
Twatter
Guest
To follow the competition through those remaining regular rounds I.E. will Wellington F.C. make the final series and will Adelaide F.C catch Central Coast F.C their all good subplots. I've enjoyed the final series element to the game it's a unique Australian tradition, and now waiting for the final cresendo will the Brisbane F.C. finally be turned over in the big one ?. Just as im writing this i notice the general mainstreem media can't or don't want to embrace Football i think back at the season they've only hit two topics in the A League, the Brisbane Roar's amazing undefetaed streak and Kevin Muscat's tackle there point's in which they don't have to watch the league to form an opinion / assesement of the league ,programmes such as the Backpage and P.T.I. Australia they generally dont actually talk about a game or the game because it holds little interst to them. Dissapointing.
Australian Football
Roar Guru
I would like to agree, but if the players don't believe they are the rightful champions after being first past the post---then it will not come naturally. If CCM win the Grand Final on Sunday with the ACL spot they will rue that moment of not doing the lap of honour when they had their moment in the Sun...
Roon
Guest
Bomber just announced 37000 tix sold as of this morning at the GF week launch in the Queen St mall.
whiskeymac
Guest
curiously what does the superleague inthe UK do? or the euro rugby comps? are the aussie styled finals unique?
Griffo
Roar Guru
We are a long way off promotion-relegation. The A-League needs to consolidate, grow, consolidate, grow and consolidate for a time before we are even close to be ready for a tiered league. We need fans to grow during the season; the finals games to be packed to the brim for all games; for the Grand Final to become a vacuum for the sporting attention of the whole nation. The Cup competition will link the amateur state teams with the professional A-League teams, and it needs to be allowed to grow and take on it's own significance outside of replacing the Finals Series. We need a hell of a lot more teams to run a two-tiered A-League. Irrespective of whether they come from the famous or new amateur clubs or newly created franchise or community clubs, the clubs required for two tiers will need time to grow and consolidate in their communities and nationally before they could be guaranteed to survive an extended stay in a second tier A-League. The risk of the FFA jumping into the two tier league system too soon will be the extinction of a number of clubs and being back to where we are now. The evolution of the sport in Australia will allow for a finals series for some time I think while the game can grow. Pitting the best teams against each other from the professional league has produced some cracker games so far. Keep making a song and dance about it now and others will catch on later. Gaining new fans is not a bad thing, I would have thought.
Beelzebub
Guest
Cannot help but wonder how many A-League seasons are left after this one. Things are looking very dire. The next tv contract will either make or break the concept.
vin
Guest
oh gee lets blame the weather again, typical, its freezing cold, with rain in england, yet somehow their stadiums are always full. 7k for a major semi, that is just hopeless, i travelled to the coast from western sydney to see this one not as a supporter of either team but as a lover of football, my conclusion, theres no interest in the aleague
Stevo
Guest
Agree with the concept of a finals series. It brings the A-league to a conclusion in a way that increases media interest and that of the wider sporting public. The "purist" can argue till they're blue in the face but at the moment, in the sporting landscape we belong to, a finals series brings a lot of attention to the game. Try running the argument past the NRL and AFL that they should do away with a finals series and simply opt for a first past the post system! You'd be laughed out of the room.
RedOrDead
Roar Guru
Weather!?!
whiskeymac
Guest
great that the two best teams have invested so much in young players - with Ryan being a real find. CCM must be hoping a bundesliga club is watching... Good that the two left standing are the two "best" - hopefully the game is as good as their recent encounters (with CCM having nothing to lose they shld go for it).
whiskeymac
Guest
or market the finals as a different/ distinct cup in its own right.
Futbanous
Guest
Agree,but you cant force the issue,it has to come naturally. Stayed till the end though on the nigh,t still felt it was a special acheivement. But then again I regard claiming a spot in the ACL as being a very important component of being "Premiers".