In this past week, there have been stories that the A-League might have some difficulties in regards to venue availability for the A-League grand final.
Venue availability has been made complicated, not only because other codes are using the stadiums, but also some venues are booked for rock concerts.
The A-League grand final is to be held on Saturday April 20 at 6pm with the venue to be announced dependent on the finals series results. Possible venues could be Etihad Stadium, AAMI Park (Melbourne), Allianz Stadium and ANZ Stadium (Sydney),
However, where would a team like Adelaide United play if they host the GF? They are in the top four at this current stage with five rounds to go.
United’s home ground, Hindmarsh, is too small, while the Adelaide Oval’s capacity is reduced thanks to construction work.
The only option for Adelaide is AAMI Stadium, a ground that is synonymous with AFL. However, it does have a capacity of 51,000.
There is not such a problem for cities like Brisbane and Perth, as both seem unlikely to host the GF this year, considering they are eighth and ninth on the ladder respectively.
With the complexities of venue availability, it then got me thinking. As a radical thought, starting from next year, why doesn’t the FFA have the A-League grand final on ANZAC Day?
The pros are that it is an easy day for people to remember, and is a fixed date every year. Also, there is no Super Rugby on.
Finally, the only venues that would be unavailable are the MCG (Collingwood v Essendon),Westpac Stadium (St. Kilda v Sydney, NZ), the Sydney Football Stadium (Sydney Roosters v St.George-Illawarra Dragons) and AAMI Park (Melbourne Storm v New Zealand Warriors).
There are of course some cons. For example, there is serious competition with the other codes for media exposure and fan attention. This is because the A-League would be tackling the NRL and AFL head on.
Aside from some venue problems if the Phoenix hosted the grand final, some in the football community might not be in favour of playing on a day as special as ANZAC Day.
St. Kilda, who have an agreement with Wellington City Council, will be hosting five AFL matches at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium, NZ, beginning this year with an ANZAC game against the Sydney Swans, followed by two matches each in 2014 and 2015.
St.Kilda have also made it publicly that they want to play on ANZAC Day every year from NZ.
While it seems good in theory to host a showpiece game, like a grand final on ANZAC Day, would it somehow detract what April 25 is all about?
NRL and AFL are hosting club games on that day. However, there have been a few critics over the years to suggest that the NRL and AFL are slowly hijacking that special day in late April.
The AFL and NRL, for many years, only had one match on that day. This year, both leagues will have two matches.
So in effect, are the NRL and AFL using ANZAC Day for commercial gain, at the expense of our Diggers?
Also would it be wise for the A-League to follow suit? Roarers, what do you think?
If ANZAC Day is not the ideal day with due respect to our servicemen and women, then, with Plan B, how about staging the A-League GF a few days later on the weekend.
With matches been played on ANZAC Day from both the AFL and NRL, it does leave less games on the weekend from those two codes. Less games means less venues to be used, and therefore stadium availability does become reality.
The other thing is that the A-League needs to maximise it’s ratings potential.
In my opinion, the right timeslot should be 6pm AEST on a Sunday evening.
Take an example this year. If the A-League GF was held on April 28, it wouldn’t have much competition from either the AFL or NRL as far as venues or matches are concerned.
In the AFL on April 28, it has Brisbane v Melbourne (Gabba, 1:15pm) and Hawthorn v North Melbourne (MCG, 4.40pm) to compete with.
In the NRL, there is Gold Coast v Newcastle (Skilled Park, 2pm) and Cronulla v Canterbury (Bluetongue stadium, 3pm, 4pm delayed Ch 9).
So in essence, only those four venues (MCG, Gabba, Bluetongue and Skilled Park) would be unavailable, which means majority of the other bigger grounds like ANZ, Etihad, Allianz, Suncorp and Pattersons can be used for the A-League GF.
I’m sure many Mariners fans are thinking that Bluetongue should be used as a GF venue. But with a capacity of just over 20,000, it is too small for a showpiece game to promote the code around Australia and the world
While there will be ongoing debate as to whether the A-League should have a finals series or a first past the post, in my opinion, football in Australia needs as much revenue as it can accumulate, and have as many matches for our players to play. So I favour having a finals series in the A-League.
Ideally, in the long term, the FFA should try to one day have it’s own venue, similar to the AFL, who will own the rights to Etihad stadium by 2025. The FFA, along with the NRL and the ARU should try to work together by putting plans in place for a stadium like AAMI Park in Melbourne to expand to a much bigger venue towards a capacity of 40,000.
That would allow major events to be held there, such as Socceroos matches, the A-League GF, State of Origin, Wallabies tests and so on.
A grand final on a Sunday 6pm in late April after ANZAC Day is a perfect time. Then again having it on ANZAC Day does have it’s benefits as I discussed before.
To paraphrase the headline: Should the A-League grand final be in the same week as ANZAC Day?
Roarers, what do you think?
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
I don't personally have a problem with the A League Final being played on Anzac Day. But I do have doubts about the minutes silence being observed. I'm sure the FFA does too. I'd give it about 10 seconds before some idiot lights a flare, or something equally disrespectful happens.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Well put Micka.
gene_96
Roar Rookie
You mentioned that the grand final is saturday night 6pm. WHen was tha announced? I have been looking for a date everywhere and couldnt find it. I thought it was still in the TBA stage. Also, i quite liked the sunday grand final - why is this not going ahead this year?
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Take it easy on Oikee. He's 'special'. I'm sure you understand.
Kasey
Guest
Bryan old chum, pull up a chair its well time you boffed up on Aussie history a bit. Australia's Independence Day is this Sunday the 3rd of March. It might surprise you to know we've only been officially independent as a country since 03 March 1986. Yes, Christiano Ronaldo & Wayne Rooney are both older than our beautiful nation;) 26 Jan is the birth of the NSW Colony(1788) and often referred to as Invasion Day by members of our indigenous population. Prior to the Centenary Celebrations in 1988; 26Jan was a very NSW-centric celebration with each of the States celebrating their foundation days, SA- Proclaimation Day 28 Dec (1836) for example. 01 Jan is Federation Day(1901). However all the way up until 03 March 1986, being born in Australia in a convoluted manner entitled you to a British Passport as a 'British Subject' and up until 1967 Australian Warships flew the very same Battle Ensign as the Royal Navy so when Vietnam kicked off our ships were flying the British White Ensign a Nation not involved in the Vietnam conflict. The diggers that returned home from Europe in WW2 did so on British Passports(we finally replaced British passports with Australian Passports in 1949.) So did we win an important battle as the Americans did at Yorktown? It might not surprise you that in keeping with our laid back demeanour...on 2 March 1986 HM the Queen signed a proclamation that the Australia Act (Cth) would come into force at 5 am Greenwich Mean Time on the following day. The Australia Act (1986) finally severed all legal ties between Australia and GB. And not a single angry shot was fired just ceremonial ones in Canberra and London, we simply passed the same act in our Parliament too. We could remind the Australian people of this important day and most importantly claim another Public Holiday;) by using Football as the tool to educate our Nation. A HALGF in March would require the season to 'shift left' by a fortnight or 3 weeks though, meaning a kickoff during AFL/NRL Finals...This didn't seem to bother football fans in seasons 2005-06 through 2008-09n and as the other sports get bigger, our mutual growth patterns will sooner or later involve clashing schedules. We might as well choose the time and place before it is chosen for us.
bryan
Guest
What "Independence Day"? The nearest thing we have is "Federation Day",which coincides with new Years Day. The rest of the posting doesn't seem to relate to the beginning at all.
Kasey
Guest
What about if we played the HAL GF on Australia’s Independence Day? It would require moving the HAL season-start left about a week. In the USA, July 4th is usually celebrated by many major and minor League baseball games, but unlike Australia which has many popular sports but no nationwide ‘national sport’ being played in March, it is obvious that Baseball is the true ‘National Sport’ of the USA just as Ice Hockey is in Canada, although by act of Parliament I believe the official National Sport of Canada is now shared between Hockey and Lacrosse.
philk
Guest
Why do we need a Grand Final at all. Despite what de Bohun at FFA says on their website that the GF is the 'glittering prize', we do not need to follow the traditional path of the AFL and NRL. I suggest those highly paid individuals at FFA get off their collective arses and map out football's futiure with our own "glittering prize(s)'. Like an all encompassing cup competition and a celebration of the A-League winner's achievement. Too easy to copy others, football should be aiming to stand alone on it's strengths.
jamesb
Guest
"the weekend after however may be a good opportunity." That was the point I was trying to make in my article.
jamesb
Guest
"There’s more skill in a 3rd division English league match compared to the A-League." I doubt it!
MV Dave
Guest
Yep Mid..a Socceroos vs Turkey game on ANZAC Day would be a good idea. Whilst the FFA have every right to play the GF on ANZAC Day l personally don't think it's a good idea...the weekend after however may be a good opportunity.
micka
Guest
I've seen photos of the diggers in egypt having a game of kick to kick. Entire footy teams dissappeared because they lost too many players in the war to continue (University in the VFL for example) I've known a few diggers who loved watching the ANZAC Day clash at the RSL over a few pots. If the game was good enough for the them, it's good enough for us. The AFL have every right to host a game on ANZAC day. I think League and Football have the same right. Keep in mind the diggers didn't go to war to reserve a special day for self flaggelation and melancholy one upmanship.
Redb
Roar Guru
It doesn't. The AFL's ANZAC day commemorates fallen soliders who played VFL in the World Wars. Not every ANZAC day service in Australia features Aust and NZ participants.
Midfielder
Guest
Just as an aside I ways tho a Socceroo V Turkey match with NZers as the officials would be a great match... but alas FIFA don't have their international windows around ANAZC day...
me, I like football
Guest
I've never understood why anything associated with ANZAC also has to have a separate NZ component, Collingwood and Essendon fall within the ANZAC jurisdiction as much as Auckland and Melbourne. The ANZACs fought at Gallipoli against the Turks not against each other.
Redb
Roar Guru
Thats right Oikee the Vistorian Government needs to be held to account.
oikee
Guest
Yes, yes yes, On Anzac day at the G. Make it a tradition. Who is going to stop you. ? afl, the vistorian government, the RSL clubs. ? The afl have ruined Anzac day by playing a simple club game with no hint of a Newzealander anywhere, and treated it like a backyard derby. I say why not, why not exploit a tradition, the AFL have. At least Rugby league has Kiwis in the teams on Anzac day. Plus we have a Anzac test where we show true respect to this day. Our history transends all others, i would be happy to see FFA hold a Anzac day final as they have a Kiwi team in the Comp. Play it at night, game on.
Wicked Ninja
Guest
Said like a man who has not watched much League One action recently. To be fair, players in that division are great at playing long balls and running a lot.
Evan Askew
Guest
Guys don't reply to this, ir somehow reminds me of three billy goats.
Titus
Guest
Absolutely Andrew, now that the Wanderers of 1880 are back in the top flight, other pioneering clubs like Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum and Balgownie Rangers should come back in, we should not forget our history.