It used to be that cricket and tennis were the two big-ticket summer sports in town, but slowly football is making inroads as it seeps into the collective mainstream conscience.
The sight of a full house at AAMI Park for the grudge match between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC on Saturday could scarcely have been imagined some eight years ago.
Not only were the terraces awash with colour and noise, with Sydney FC notably selling out their allocation of away-bay tickets, but the match also coincided with the women’s Australian Open tennis final at nearby Melbourne Park.
Steep admission prices meant there was still a smattering of unsold tickets for the final between defending champion Victoria Azarenka and popular Chinese combatant Li Na on the morning of the match, though the drama of Azarenka’s controversial semi-final win over teenager Sloane Stephens ensured Rod Laver Arena was ultimately heaving by the time the two players took to the court.
Meanwhile at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Cricket Australia took its annual Twenty20 carnival to the smallish confines of what is barely a suitable cricket ground for a tip-and-run slugfest against Sri Lanka.
What was interesting to note was the fact that the A-League managed to muscle its way into the media headlines before and after both events.
What’s more, yesterday’s W-League final between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory – which attracted a respectable crowd of more than 4,000 fans to AAMI Park – also generated headlines.
That’s important because it proves that slowly but surely, football is becoming a popular sport of choice alongside the long-established summer heavyweights of tennis and cricket.
It helps when there’s an identifiable narrative, such as Alessandro Del Piero’s first trip to Melbourne in Sydney FC colours or Western Sydney’s battle with the league’s other fledgling club Melbourne Heart, because it’s these kinds of stories which help coax football supporters and general sports fans out of their living rooms and into A-League stadia.
It’s a self-perpetuating cycle, whereby big crowds and interesting media angles help fuel even bigger crowds and better coverage as the season goes on.
Which is why it Melbourne-based supporters can deliver a strong message next Saturday by turning out at Etihad Stadium in numbers for the derby between Victory and Heart.
In recent weeks there has been a lot of focus on what’s going on in Sydney and Melbourne, to the extent that league leaders Central Coast must wonder what they have to do to garner some positive media attention.
Losing playmaker Tom Rogic hasn’t helped but their thumping 3-1 win over Adelaide United has thrown down the gauntlet to in-form Melbourne Victory and the Wanderers in the race for the Premier’s Plate.
And with the Mariners set to play both challengers in successive weeks at Bluetongue Stadium, they should be able to boost their own attendances as the regular season races on to a thrilling conclusion.
What is most important though is the fact that in less than a decade, the A-League has transformed from a laudable concept into a league which attracts big crowds and plenty of media attention in a crowded summer sports schedule.
While the other three domestic football codes jostle for space in winter, the A-League is busily making inroads into the summer sports market.
Where once the sound of cicadas meant long nights watching the tennis and an Australian cricket team with players you’d actually heard of, now it signals the presence of another summer sport growing in popularity.
Football is comfortably establishing its own niche in the Australian sporting calendar, something all those involved in playing and marketing the game deserve credit for.
Androo
Guest
"A-League is making inroads in mainstream Australia" .... well, the audience for yesterday's ABC's 'Offsiders' program would have been left in no doubt that the A-League and FFA still have an awful lot of work to do. The A-League finally got a 2-minute mention barely 2 minutes before the end of program - sort of wedged in as a patronizing after-thought. Never mind the 100,000's who have attended or watched A-League over the summer. Of course, one does have to keep in mind that ABC market share is small, and like the ABC generally, 'Offsiders' does cater to the golden oldie/baby boomer sets that have minimal interest in the A-League anyway:- not much time for basketball, A-League, or extreme sports, 'Male, Pale and Stale' sports such as cricket are more the go.
PlanetFootball
Guest
Reynoldsinski said 'I’m sure you know what you are talking about, as you have probably been all over the world researching it.' Well, Reynoldsinski, I lived abroad in Thailand for three years recently. I played football every week. We played at an international school - great pitches, dressing rooms, facilities. Aussie Rules was also played there. We shared dressing rooms with the Aussie Rules players. All Australian expats, with the odd Irishman. They played 9-a-side, I believe. Had to mark out their pitches with cones, and erect there own (tiny) goalposts. We had permanently marked pitches, goalnets (which the school groundstaff put up), and referees and linesmen. My team played in the second division and consisted of Australians, Brits, an Austrian, a Belgian American, a Swiss, a Malaysian, a Norwegian, and local Thais. We played teams that represented the German, French, Turkish, Japanese, South American and Scottish expat communities. All of these teams also had local Thai players. The Aussie Rulers were all expat Australians, with the odd Irishman. The other interesting aside was listening the post-match discussions of the Aussie Rulers. 'They couldn't match our commitment', 'Great hip and shoulder, Bazza!', 'We wanted it more than them', 'Our tackling was fantastic'.... . All they were interested in was the physical side of the game. Nothing about great goals, great passes, great team-play, organised attacking and defensive shape/structure, individual skills or brilliance. Very illuminating......
PlanetFootball
Guest
Why no football match in Phnom Pehn on Australia Day, BoPP? You will have to organise one next year! Get all the other expat communities there involved. For example, have a Commonwealth XI play a World XI. Something the Aussie Rules mob could never achieve.....
mahonjt
Guest
I am a huge sports fan - but not remotely interested in AFL. Why would/should I be? Football is my first love, motor sport and rugby league behind that. I dont know who her brother is - why should I? While AFL news is all over the place it doesnt mean I pay attention - indeed the minute it apears on the screen I tune out and forward wind to the adds!
Kasey
Guest
Kossie will likely return to Croydon Kings(aka Polonia) in the FFSA Super League
Realfootbal
Guest
Nah. I'm from NSW. AFL forgets how limited its reach is north of Victoria. Ask me about NRL, cricket, no problems.
BA81
Guest
I guess the real question is: "Is the A-League/domestic Oz football significantly more mainstream in the Australian summer-sports consciousness in 2013 than it was in 2005(pre-Uruguay)?" Anyone who intends to argue that it isn't, is gonna have a heck of a time trying to do so...
c
Guest
Annoys me when professionally paid people make negative unsubstantiated comments against sokkah
Evan Askew
Guest
Harry Williams, St George and Australia. Charlie Perkins, Sydney Olympic.
Androo
Guest
True, Mike, the MV versus SFC was certainly the highlight of the latest A-League round, and any heightened media coverage it may have received was justified. BTW, did the media miss Djokovic's attendance at the Big Blue?? But, true to A-League form, other teams then go and stuff up the good work done by the Big Blue and post truly woeful numbers: Wellington v. Newcastle posted 6,429. Perth v. Brisbane was a truly awful 4,821. Numbers that cry 'peripheral sport' in every respect. Balancing this, the numbers for the 2 T20 fixtures were pretty poor for what is supposedly a mainstream sport and the 'in thing' for cricket nowadays: 40K for Sydney, and just under 40K for Melbourne. In case anybody missed that!! Sydney at long last beat Melbourne in the attendance stakes!! TG the Lankans turned out in force, otherwise the figures would have been a right dud. Like I've said before, the media operates on the paradigm of 'footy during the winter (fair enough too!) and cricket during the summer' - probably old-boy bias here, but also an awful lot of lazy journalism and unimaginative thinking too. Whereas, the paradigm today is probably more like this: The winter sports market is settled, with the AFL and NRL ruthlessly ruling their respective patches. Super XV gets a nibble - but that's about all, as this article tends to indicate: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rugby-union/afl-a-league-big-winners-in-football-report-after-viewers-switch-off-rugby/story-e6frg7o6-1226525246762 The summertime sports market is these days is more fractured, unsettled, competitive, and evolving. Consider these products sitting out there in the domestic marketplace (sports are vaguely ordered by prominence and market situation): Tennis: Australian Open, Hopman Cup, various Internationals; Cricket: Tests, ODIs, T20, BBL, Sheffield Shield, Ryobi Cup; Football: A-League; Basketball: NBL; Baseball: ABL. On top of this, add overseas products (EPL, NBA) Anyway, makes sense to me even if it doesn't to anybody else!
Brian Drian
Guest
in addition, these small bits and pieces here and there in fairfax/evilmurdoch press and commercial TV mean that bit by bit it will sink into the consciousness of mainstream australia. That means that people who have had no interest in football/the A League will, knowlingly or otherwise, gain knowledge about the domestic game here in oz. And even the slightest level of awareness means that, over time simply through information flow, when any article/tv story about football comes up, it registers in the mind. Over time, as this continues (and seemingly inevitably increases), it will become mainstream discourse, a basis of knowledge inevitably leads to a form (no matter how small) of interest.. Not to mention that as football increases its 'footprint' Australians will wish to have an opinion/team simply to be able to join in chats over the water cooler/at the pub.
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
While the next few years are about consolidation and growth, expansion is going to be a serious issue in five or six years time, and the FFA should seriously work to set up an A-League presence in potential A-League cities. Instead of last season's rather unsuccessful 'Regional Round', the FFA could play the five 'neutral' games each season (so that every team plays 13 home, 13 away, 1 neutral) in such cities. Maybe something like: Melbourne Victory game in either Geelong or Hobart Melbourne Heart game in either Hobart or Geelong Central Coast game in Canberra Western Sydney Wanderers game in Wollongong Wellington Phoenix game in Auckland
Atawhai Drive
Guest
Oxymoron is spelled thus, with no hyphen. An oxymoron is a contradiction in terms: military intelligence, political integrity _ that sort of (facetious) thing. 'Tip-and-run slugfest' is a tautology.
Melange
Guest
"a tip-and-run slugfest" is that an oxy-moron? and is that how you spell oxy-moron? :D
Redb
Roar Guru
Mid, Dont get too defensive, Check out the rubbish on AFL threads - see NZ article. There has been soccer posters trolling on other AFL threads in the past. I would add that rugby league fans get annoyed when union fans talk about the international game and union gets get sick of being told union is dying along with their Tweed jacket. Unlike you to lose it, keep ya head up. cheers
wisey_9
Roar Guru
I know The Roar is all about expressing you opinion, but stating outlandish stuff like "Wellington Phoenix is a team no one in australia ever wants to win the a-league" is just counter-productive. I'm from Australia and wouldn't mind seeing the Phoenix win the the HAL. In fact, as long as a team is run well, and isn't financially dependent on the FFA, I don't care where they base themselves. This is purely hypothetical, but if a PNG consortium made a play for an A-League franchise, I'd support it. (Ignoring, obviously, all the issues we'd have with the AFC). A potential viewing population of over 6 mil is cause enough.
Cameron
Roar Guru
That really a serious question?
Bondy
Guest
If AFL was played in summer and went up against the HAL which of the two sports would get a greater presence/veiwership on the eastern seaboard through summer ?..
Mikey Boy
Guest
I'm a NSW sports fan, but sorry, I've not heard of him until yesterday either...
NUFCMVFC
Guest
They've got Kardinia park too so there is a good size stadium there already. Would be good because it would ensure full year usage of too. Just a matter of having the interest, though i think there are a fair few people in Geelong who go for MVFC