With eleven games remaining, the A-League’s top four is taking shape. There is little doubt that Central Coast, Adelaide United, Melbourne Victory and newcomers Western Sydney have been the four best teams to date.
Both the Mariners and Adelaide have won 10 games each and boast two of the best attacking records in the competition.
Melbourne Victory have hammered home the goals as well, while the Wanderers outstanding form is largely based on a stingy defence.
Tony Popovic’s impressive Western Sydney have won half of their league games to date, despite many pundits tipping them to finish bottom of the league.
It’s in positions five and six where the race for a finals spot gets convoluted.
Going into this weekend’s round of fixtures, Newcastle Jets occupy fifth place and last season’s grand finalists Perth Glory are sixth.
Perth have won just five games so far this season, the same amount as Melbourne Heart, Brisbane Roar and Sydney FC who are all within striking distance, so the question must be asked whether the Glory deserve to be rewarded with a place in the finals at the end of the season?
The answer, based on their inconsistent form, is a resounding ‘no’ and the same goes for the Jets.
In fact, along with bottom placed Wellington all four of the clubs currently outside the top six are still in with a legitimate chance of making the finals.
But given that the Phoenix have so far lost half their games this season, should that really be the case?
They’ve only won once on the road and go into Round 17 on the back of three straight defeats, so can Ricki Herbert’s team honestly say they deserve to qualify for the end-of-season playoffs?
If they go on an 11-match unbeaten run perhaps they can, but the obvious point is that instead of demanding outstanding results, the six-team finals system rewards mediocrity.
It’s about time that changed, not least because only two out of the previous seven grand finals have featured a team which finished outside the top two.
On both of those occasions – in the inaugural decider in 2006 and last year’s showdown at Suncorp Stadium – the losing finalist finished the regular season in third place on the ladder.
In other words, the teams finishing fourth, fifth and sixth have had little impact in the finals, which probably has something to do with where they finished in the table in relation to the top teams.
It’s time the A-League did away with the six-team finals series and reverted to a top-four format.
The playoff format was changed at the start of the season to eliminate the preliminary final but Football Federation Australia should have gone one step further and reduced the number of overall participants.
Not only would a two-legged semi-finals series represent a better reflection of the best teams in the league, it might also help stem some of the criticism from those who insist a first-past-the-post system is the only way to decide the champions.
A first-past-the-post system doesn’t interest enough supporters in Australia, particularly in a 10-team league, and increasingly leagues overseas are introducing playoff systems of their own.
But as it stands there are two teams too many in the current finals system, a point made all the more glaring by the fact Newcastle are already six points behind Western Sydney in the standings.
There’s enough time for the Jets to make up ground but then, it would still be a more exciting race if only the top four teams were involved.
In lieu of the fact there’s no relegation, perhaps the A-League could consider introducing salary cap or marquee concessions based on where teams finish in the league table.
At the very least they should consider overhauling the finals because as it currently stands, at least two sides in it don’t deserve to qualify.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"50k+ at the GF (and the ratings) suggests that most fans would rather win the Grand Final than the Premiers Plate (in this market anyway)" Nonsense. The FA Cup Final attracts a bigger crowd and, most likely, gets higher TV ratings than any EPL match. So what?Doesn't mean a thing.in relation to which trophy the fans think is most important. Event-watchers don't dictate the importance of a sporting competition.
Australian Rules
Guest
50k+ at the GF (and the ratings) suggests that most fans would rather win the Grand Final than the Premiers Plate (in this market anyway). But I don't seek to delve into that argument here.
Pauly
Guest
AFC demanded it apparently. Makes more sense for a nation like Qatar than Australia but who are we to argue?
Pauly
Guest
The 6 team finals series was introduced when it was anticipated to have a 12-team comp. Then Sydney Rovers didn't work out, NQ Fury folded (a shameful act by FFA IMO) and Gold Coast United mercifully got the boot. I also agree with reverting to 4-teams with the present reality.
Cugel
Roar Rookie
An A-League team in Canberra will struggle, we're not exactly famous for patronising sporting events, and being a Johnny-come-lately won't help either.
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
Mike, I don't think it cheapens the championship at all- it is part of the 'romance of the cup' that a fifth or sixth place team can go on to win the cup final. The Championship, and the main prize, is the regular season league.
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
This would make sense. While the earlier stages of the FFA Cup could be spread out across the season, the FFA should schedule the semi-finals and the FFA Cup Final on the two weeks after the conclusion of the regular season- to maintain a 'finals-like' atmosphere.
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
I see comments about a 12 club competition. That is no garentee as every year clubs go due to owners falling into financial holes
Titus
Guest
What's a soccer?
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
Should that read Australian soccer?
Qantas supports Australian Football
Guest
Barnacle Club ???? :D
langou
Roar Guru
It does cheapen things if the A-League winner came from 5th or 6th but I suppose that it the trade off we have at the moment. In an ideal world top 4 would be perfect
Ballymore
Guest
Not relevant to AC15 but I have read for the RWC they do it this way so as to have an "all roads lead to Sydney/Paris/Auckland". Brings all the stakeholders (fans, teams, sponsors, broadcasters) together in a concentrated area..
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
Probably Canberra, and then Tasmania and Wollongong would probably the second team.
Timmy
Guest
This may not be related to this particular article, but can someone please tell me why the FFA has awarded both semis, the 3rd place playoff and the final of the 2015 Asian cup to Sydney and thus leaving all other host cities without a showpiece game???
Ballymore
Guest
Good news. How would be the finals & FFA Cup be combined in a format sense? Will lower league team be invited?
pete4
Guest
Daniel - I would say the next 2 clubs in will be Canberra United and the Wollongong Wolves (South Coast FC) at this stage. It probably won't happen until the next TV deal. Gallop spoke about it last week: Canberra has the X-factor: Gallop http://www.canberratimes.com.au/sport/football/canberra-has-the-xfactor-gallop-20130112-2cmxi.html
Daniel
Guest
Hi All, Just a question to the forum. A few people have indicated that the league will go out to 12 teams i the next couple of years, Where does everyone see the 2 extra teams based? Or where do you want them to be based?
Cameron
Roar Guru
Does it cheapen the championship if a fifth or sixth-placed team wins it? No, it is a completely different story to the rigours of week in, week out football. Consistency and form afford a positional ranking in the finals which aids the top two. The other four are the qualifiers and a new system starts where it becomes pressure football, where the whole regular season counts for nothing because this is a different piece of silverwear. The problem is, is that it doesn't have the name FFA Cup or encompass other teams besides A-league sides. That should virtually answer both questions. As it is an different form of opportunity provided to those placings and gives 5 teams out of top 6 something else to play for. Same thing will apply when teams are seeded for FFA Cup.
TomC
Roar Guru
Mike's article is perfectly logical and makes a lot of sense but... I like my team being in the finals. I like the away trips for finals games. And I suspect it gives everyone a chance for a bit more engagement with the club, and the FFA a chance to make bit more money. Ultimately I think those things are probably the most important right now.