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Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart ruled out of Mirabella Cup AAP Image / Martin Philbey.
On a day when the Victorian government sent relations with Australia’s indigenous communities backwards, Football Federation Australia’s latest example of political interference was always going to drift along in Ted Ballieu’s shadow.
Nonetheless, by preventing A-League clubs Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart from playing in the Mirabella Cup, a new Victorian-only knockout cup competition, the peak body has risked damaging relations with its own forbearers.
While the move is intended to ensure as little shine as possible is taken off of FFA’s own cup competition, to be launched next year, it in fact goes against the very reason for introducing such a tournament – to unite grassroots football with the A-League.
By involving Melbourne’s two A-League sides, Football Federation Victoria (FFV) added an extra dimension to the Mirabella Cup that would inspire local and state league clubs as well potential commercial investors.
Now with the competition already underway, FFV and Victoria’s football fans have had the rug pulled out from beneath them and it reflects poorly on FFA that they waited until now to make this decision
Furthermore I simply don’t buy in to the argument that Victory and Heart’s involvement would have destabilised the FFA cup, a tournament that is still almost a year away.
Instead, an opportunity for competitive football and significant potential media coverage, during a disastrously long off-season, has been missed.
While FFV’s response has been polite and measured, I imagine privately they’re spitting chips at having a competition, with much needed guaranteed sponsorship and prizemoney damaged in such a way.
Credit should be given to Melbourne Heart who responded quickly by announcing on Twitter the club would offer to play the winner of the Mirabella Cup at their ground with all proceeds staying with the home club.
Unlike FFA, Heart CEO Scott Munn and his team clearly appreciate the significance of opportunity that has now been passed on.
I see this decision as another sign that FFA needs to allow A-League clubs to have complete autonomy in deciding their future.
Until this happens, Australian football fans will continue to be let down by a peak body that seems to confuse its own interests with what is best for the game’s fans.
Ben Buckley listen very carefully – Melbourne’s two A-League sides do not belong to you but the people of Victoria.
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