Sometimes moving forward is all about letting go of the past. We got a reminder of that at Parramatta Stadium on Saturday afternoon when Western Sydney Wanderers downed Perth Glory in the wet.
Victory for the Wanderers was a remarkable seventh straight for the A-League’s newest side and it came courtesy of a goal from a 22-year-old who started his professional career in Europe.
Aaron Mooy began his professional life at English side Bolton Wanderers before moving to Scottish Premier League outfit St Mirren.
But when the Wanderers gave the Quakers Hill local a call, Mooy ditched the cold climes of Paisley for a career back home in the A-League.
Could any of us have imagined that scenario when Perth Glory ventured to a wet Parramatta Stadium back in April 2004?
That was the day Nik Mrdja’s extra-time winner settled the last-ever National Soccer League decider against the soon-to-be defunct Parramatta Power.
There were less fans inside the ground that day than turned up to see the Wanderers beat Perth in a regular season game played in atrocious conditions on Saturday.
For all its teething problems – and it’s safe to say the A-League has had plenty – could anyone truly envisage how far football would come in this country since that dismal April afternoon almost nine years ago?
Perhaps a better indicator is the fact the Sydney FC line-up against Melbourne Heart yesterday included Alessandro Del Piero, Brett Emerton, Lucas Neill and Joel Griffiths. And they lost.
Watching the Heart leapfrog the Sky Blues on the table in front of a raucous 13,700-strong crowd was another indicator that domestic football in Australia is continuing to move forward at an impressive pace.
The ‘Yarraside’ was in superb form and slowly but surely it’s becoming the norm rather than the exception to see large, boisterous crowds file into the stands.
The standard of football continues to improve as well and some of the performances on display this weekend were sublime, not least in the Central Coast Mariners’ 6-2 thrashing of a shellshocked Melbourne Victory in Gosford.
The Mariners made light of the tough conditions, or better said actually used them to their advantage, in what was an outrageously dominant attacking display.
And the win sets up what is surely the most anticipated match of the season to date as the table-topping Mariners get set to host second-placed Western Sydney at Bluetongue Stadium next Saturday night.
Years ago names like Del Piero and Mooy, Neill and Popovic were the type we only read about in the ‘overseas football’ section of the local newspaper.
Now they’re making their mark in our own backyard and it’s us as football fans who benefit.
The A-League was instigated precisely to unify the tribes, so to speak, and with absolutely no disrespect to the NSL, fans of domestic football in Australia have surely never had it better.
And while it’s important to acknowledge the role the likes of Marconi and South Melbourne, St George, Melbourne Croatia and all the other migrant-founded clubs played in helping football reach this point, it’s also important to accept that those days are gone and the code is now in a much better place than anyone could have possibly imagined during the dying days of the NSL.
It’s been a hard slog at times but surely if fans are willing to sit through the sort of weather which lashed Newcastle, Gosford and Parramatta this weekend just to watch a game of football, the future looks bright for the sport in this country.
Sometimes to move forward you’ve got to let go of the past, something newcomers Western Sydney have helped achieve by exorcising the ghosts of the last ever NSL grand final.
langou
Roar Guru
Kasey, why would the media exaggerate like that. Is it because a) the media like to sensationalize all news stories b) the mainstream media have a bias against rock concerts
bryan
Guest
I have no idea what strange little enclave you live in,but in an enlightened State like Western Australia,all those blokes would be regarded as Aussies. Am I an Englishman,or a Scot,or an Irishman because some of my ancestors were? No,I am an Australian,just like all these other people with funny names. After all,Anglos have funny names too,like Cholmondely Featherston-Haugh! :)
Minister for Information for the Democratic People's Republic of Football
Guest
HA,HA,HA......curiosity is killing me!
WSW77
Guest
Wow that is very depressing!
mahonjt
Guest
^ This
Matt F
Roar Guru
Thankfully the A-League has more than 20 fans Fuss. It may surprise you but what goes on in your social circle is not necessarily reflective of everyone else. Of my friends who support the A-League, almost all of them also support teams in other sports whether they be AFL, Rugby Union, or NRL. Of course, I won't be arrogant enough to claim that because me and my friends do this every A-League fan also does the same thing but it would cancel out your 20 friends.
Australian Rules
Guest
Yes I realise what you just said Fussball...but obviously, others disagree with you. langou, kellett and V bomber...who are all A-League devotees, enjoy a variety of sports, like most people do. I mean, the world would be a boring place if we were ALL rabid one-eyed zealots wouldn't it?
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
I think a lot of people don't need to decide because they don't support the A league or the AFL per se. Rather they support Collingwood and Melbourne Victory and may or may not care about the big games in either code not involving their teams. I know I used to support Rugby league but I wouldn't say I'm a Rugby league supporter any more. Now I would say I am a Parramatta Supporter because unless they are involved I am probably not going to watch it. I
Dillan
Guest
“And Graham Arnold can barely stand it as his worst nightmare came true” Yes Good old Arnie was feelin the pressure alright, but then he gets on TV and says the finals series means nothing to him.
Kasey
Guest
WSW77 I am Adelaide United through and through, the AUFC logo tattooed on my left chest ought to dispel any notions that solid ties between teas and their fans haven’t already been built in our young league, I can say though that if I ever moved to Canberra or Wollongong(for example), I could see myself buying a Canberra FC or Wolves season ticket to support the game and get my fix of live football. Would I sing for them? No, but I might clap politely as they run out onto the field:)
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
There were probably alot more disfigured people emerging from Slayers moshpit.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"…many if not most A-League fans are also AFL/NRL fans" Huh?? I just said: a) 17 out of 20 A-League fans have ZERO interest in AFL b) 20 out of 20 A-League fans have ZERO interest in NRL.
Kasey
Guest
The 2nd tier Aussie Rules competition that I attend(the SANFL) is one of the few 2nd tier Aussie Rules Leagues to still publish crowd figures I believe. My team, Norwood, regularly attracts crowds of 5-8,000 to its old-fashioned little stadium. I think they throw open the gates at Sheffield Shield games for the final session do they not? Families and froiends only for Shield cricket, pale, male and stale those few that do go.
Kasey
Guest
reports are surfacing that there WAS NO "horribly disfigured" girl!! Hospital Burns units admitted nobody on the night fitting the vague description: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/nsw-paramedics-cast-doubt-on-flare-claims-20130225-2f0iu.html
Kasey
Guest
striker: As the Melbournians(AFL) have been trying to teach the Sydney-siders (NRL) it proves the value of a membership then for future years..."Don't want to miss out on the Sydney Derby?" Then you need to buy a membership, Sky Blue or Red&Black, it is all good for football:)
Australian Rules
Guest
So from these responses it's pretty clear...many if not most A-League fans are also AFL/NRL fans...which obviously makes complete sense.
Kasey
Guest
+1million father is Dutch, mum from NSW. I was born here and bleed green & gold. Prefer the local comp to the O/S leagues, because Adelaide is my hometown and the HAL is much less predictable than the big4 Euroleagues.
Kasey
Guest
A full Parramatta Stadium will mean yet another great advertisment for the local competiion coming up. I wonder if the press will bother covering the game and mentioning the score this time;) or have they pre-written their OMG Flares = riotzz smear-pieces? Still in speaking online with my MLS following friends, they would rather the negative coverage that we get than being completely ignored as they mostly are - even in Seattle...this from poster 'Yoshou' --------- You know what they say, there is no such thing as bad press. :) Even if the press is bad, they at least have to acknowledge that it exists. In most MLS cities even getting the sportswriters to acknowledge the sport is difficult and when it is covered it is more often than not covered in the trolling manner you're complaining about. Another example from MLS's largest market, Seattle. We are a week out from the start of the season and if it weren't for the paid bumps by the Sounders, they would 't be getting any mention on sports radio. Heck, even on the paid bumps the guy reading it often sounds like he is annoyed to have to read it and can't set it aside fast enough. That is in one of the only MLS markets where the MLS team is an actual competitor with the other sports in the city for sports dollars. In other cities, teams don't even get that. Go to the LA Times website and despite having two MLS teams in the market, soccer doesn't even have a section on the "front page" of The Sports section. You have to select a dropdown to view other sports before you see soccer. ------------------
WSW77
Guest
I can't support more than one team in the same competition. Unless I move to another city and support the local team as well as the team of my heart. But supporting various other teams from different championships or different codes, I don't see an issue.
Kasey
Guest
Anecdotally quite a few A-League following friends of mine feel that the AFL administration has adopted an overly aggressive stance towards football especially via it 'media partners' and thus on principle if they ’were’ cross-overs that followed HAL football in Summer& AFL Footy in Winter, now often they feel that it is their 'duty to football' to ignore the AFL and actively ensure they are not putting any money into the already vast AFL war chest. Is the AFL doing anything illegal or immoral? I don't know but I do know that the old saying is that you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. Perhaps if the AFL were serious about generating more fans it would have a quiet word in the ear of the Mainstream media to lay off the "you're not a true-blue Australian if you follow and enjoy Soccer" inferences.