The A-League finals series should be scrapped and replaced with an end-of-season State of Origin-style tournament.
This tournament’s purpose would be threefold: to create heightened interest in football by galvanising fans along State lines, to generate profits for the FFA as a result of that interest and to give players a chance to stake their claims for Socceroos selection in a pressure-cooker environment.
Abandoning the current finals series format would only serve to strengthen the A-League by ensuring Australia’s domestic championship falls into line with the majority of football leagues around the world, and ends up with one clear, undisputed champion.
Who won the A-League this year? The majority of fans will hail the grand final winners, the Central Coast Mariners, as the champions of Australia, however many serious football types will tell you that the premier side in the country are the Western Sydney Wanderers.
You know, the guys who topped the ladder and qualified directly for the Asian Champions League.
Mariners coach Graham Arnold believes the Wanderers are the true champs.
“I look at the Premiership Plate with more value with more value than the trophy for winning the grand final. Finals games are lotteries,” Arnold said after bowing out of last year’s finals series to Perth Glory on penalties.
He reiterated those comments earlier this season as his side fought for top spot on the table with the Wanderers, saying the knockout format of the finals series was an unfair way to decide who wins the title.
Perhaps he has changed his point of view since his Central Coast team finished second in the league but went on to claim grand final glory by beating the Wanderers. Maybe he hasn’t – I don’t want to be the one to ask him.
The point is, the fact that there is even a debate about who the true champions are devalues the achievements of both the Wanderers and the Mariners. Let’s dump the finals series and end the uncertainty.
Meanwhile, a State-against-State competition would offer up something entirely different after 27 A-League rounds, but also keep the ‘no grand final is un-Australian’ crowd happy.
The mini-tournament, played over a four week period after the end of the A-League season, could take a number of forms.
One possibility is a four-team round robin format comprised of sides from the three most populous states, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, plus a combination All Stars team from the rest of Australia.
Each side plays each other home and away before the top two teams contest a grand final.
Imagine this scenario.
Three days after the A-League has wrapped up in mid-April, as the winning club’s celebrations are just starting to die down and the media is about to turn its full attention to other codes, the four football State of Origin squads are announced.
The best local players in the domestic comp are delighted to be given the chance to represent their respective States on this prominent stage after busting their guts in the latter part of the season to gain the attentions of selectors.
The banter has been going on for weeks between club mates from different states, and now it’s finally time for scores to be settled.
Club fans around the country switch hats and keenly anticipate a dose of do-or-die, high-stakes football, while sports lovers who follow the A-League less closely are sucked in by the prospect of the old inter-State rivalries flaring up.
A month of intense, entertaining competition follows, highlighting all the best aspects of Australian football.
Journeymen players who rarely make the back pages during the regular season suddenly become cult heroes in their home states on the back of gutsy performances.
Bigger names falter under the pressure, or demonstrate that they are unable to adapt to a different style of football.
The national team coach watches on with great interest, grateful for the opportunity to see all the best locally-based footballers matched up against each other.
Who knows, if overseas-based players in less visible leagues see it as their best shot at earning a Socceroos call-up, they may put their hand up for State selection as well, further bolstering the standard of the competition.
And it all culminates with a grand final that nicely wraps up the football season on a celebratory note.
What are your thoughts? Would you prefer a State of Origin-style tournament to the current A-League finals series? Would you perhaps do it differently to the example model above?
Which State would have the strongest team if such a competition did take place?
bryan
Guest
SOO in Australian Rules football worked in the pre-AFL days,as the other States had become sick of having the Vics come over & belt them with a squad largely made up of WA ,SA,& Tassie players. The big,bad,VFL always had more resources & "glommed " onto our best players. SOO gave us more of an even playing field. With the rise of the AFL,SA & WA were playing basically State based teams,anyway,& the Imbalance of recruiting powers were redressed,so ,for those States,SOO became pretty much incidental. In NRL,NSW & Qld are fairly equal in recruiting power,so maybe that is why SOO works so well in those States. I honestly can't see much of a need for it in the "A" League.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@fishes Once you embrace football culture, you will understand there are many "champions" in each country. E.g In England there are the EPL champions, the FA Cup champions, the League Cup champions. In A-League I think of it as: a) WSW are the A-League winners (called "premiers") b) CCM are the A-League cup winners (called "champions") Two trophies for two different achievements. Which is more important? That's up to each person. The AFC says the A-League winners are more important. Some A-League coaches feel the same. MVFC's coach thinks the A-League cup is the more important trophy. I don't agree with him.
fishes
Guest
I just wish the A-League would make up their minds instead of having it both ways. It is an obstacle for new fans not knowing who won the comp, the 'premiers' or the 'champions'. the A-League should just choose a system and stick with it. You shouldn't have 2 winners every year, it sucks.
micka
Guest
I'd suggest even a bit of basic research would have saved you looking like a dill from that blatantly innacurate stab in the dark.
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
My point was that the league was heading in that direction, seems to be based on the NBA concept but really it is an A-League select XI with a glorified name. Is still an improvement on the Socceroos versus Man Utd from over 10 years ago For my part rather than a State of Origin or even an All-star concept the big alternative competition as an alternative to the regular league is of course the FFA Cup, so looking forward to movement on that
Squizz
Guest
At he beginning of the season Arnold set 3 goals. In order they were:- 1) Premiership 2) Round of 16 ACL 3) Championship After he missed on the premiership I believe he reset the targets as 1) Championship 2) Round of 16 ACL He has never said anything other than he believes that the Premiers are the true winners. That said - as a Mariners supporter - getting the monkey off the back with a Grand Final win was important. As for SOO I used to love it but I haven't watched it for 15 years. Might have something to do with not being able to stand any of Ray Warren, Fatty Vautin or Gus Gould. The current ads featuring Waren and Gould make me cringe. Just not the same without big Darrell Eastlake.
Logica
Guest
The first two teams who finish in the english championship are automatically promoted, the champions are Cardiff City, team 3-6 go to the play off.
Sneaky Backheel
Guest
Thanks for giving us your warm hearted opinion
Devils Advocate
Guest
"State of origin is at best a circus event devoid of genuine interest IMO" But since the A League has no State of Origin this comment can only be in relation to two things, the now defunct AFL SOO or the Rugby League SOO. So if the comment was in relation to the AFL it just makes look stupid because it was never that big anyway, and if it was about the NRL SOO, then you're just speaking utter BS. So please, don't act all innocent And here's a bit of truth for you. The A League is the third ranked (maybe even forth) football comp in Australia that is to scared to run its competition in the winter because it knows it would cop a flogging from the more established and larger codes. Any up and comer with talent soon leaves the A League for bigger and, lets face it, better Leagues overseas and any world class player that is in the A League is usually close to retirement and is just looking for the easy cash. And unlike your comments, this is actually true.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
It's all Doomed!! Doomed I tell ya!! Now, what is it exactly?
Stevo
Guest
'Soccer' gave us the first national club football home/away competition in Australia. Now it is poised to give us the first nationwide FA Cup style competition - light years ahead of NRL and AFL. The FFA Cup is what we wait for - state of origin is what we don't need.
Stevo
Guest
Quite interesting that the moment I mentioned 'state of origin' I got flogged for making a derogatory remark about NRL - of which I made no mention of !!!!! LOL, state of origin for football I can do without thank you. If it works for NRL between two strong states then well and good. Yes Melbourne can draw large crowds for NRL state of origin but regular Storm matches get next to NO airplay in Melbourne. That's just the truth.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Some rubbish comments today along with a rubbish idea. State of Origin rivalry for football wouldn't even stack up against state of origin, rugby league.
AZ_RBB
Guest
was going to jump on here and slam the idea. but legit feel bad for the writer with the massive backlash above. nothing against the State of Origin idea. wouldn't be bad in the pre-season. but yeah no more "Scrap the finals" articles please.
Cameron
Roar Guru
Sky Blue, That's the pot calling the kettle black mate.
Ballymore
Guest
Mickey mouse suggestion. I'd prefer 9 x 4 = 36 HAL Season + Top 6 Finals.
liquor box
Guest
We have worked hard to not have a league based on where you are born and you want a state of origin?
Australian Rules
Guest
Ian - you're clearly talking about things which you know nothing about. Western Australia smashed Victoria in the first modern State of Origin game in 1977. Sth Australia also dealt out plenty of drubbings to the Vics over the years. The first International Rules game was in 1967 when the Australian Team toured Ireland and the US.
Wat Le Fark
Roar Rookie
What about an A-League "Country of Origin" or "Country of Ancestry" World Cup.
Brian
Guest
You are simply ignorant and calling me such does not prove your point. By your definition unless all teams play each other twice and have an even table its not a league. Therefore - Argentina is not a league (two comps with a final) - Scotland is not a league (teams split into two comps) - Israel is not a league (same as Scotland) - USA is not a league - Uruguay is not a league - Mexico is not a league How is it that all these supporters are happy to watch their non-leagues or could it be that you are the Wikipedia user who has never seen or heard of matches outside Australia or the big European leagues!