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Football is entering the next phase in its development. Arguably the single most important goal moving forward is to break through the summer barrier, into winter – where the game is played naturally by nearly all grassroots players.
From the ashes of old soccer, new football emerged. Today we are football, brothers in arms hopefully moving together.
Football’s density to a large extent is in its own hands. Season eight of the A-League was played into April with no FIFA breaks.
Season 9 is being played into May with FIFA breaks.
The clear sign to emerge from the first few seasons of the A-League was that we needed to start the season after the AFL and NRL finals, not before or during them.
As with any product in the entertainment industry the amount of product you have and the variety of that product will determine your income. No other code can produce the amount of product football is capable of.
Blue sky growth projections are always dangerous. The tables below show the nature of the codes.
It shows football will be able to produce more product for the market. Today Table 1 shows the AFL is in front in the product stakes.
Table 1
| Sport | Rounds | Games per Rd | Games | Finals | Total | SOO / All Stars | Internationals | Asian CL | Aust Cup | Total |
| AFL |
26 |
9 |
234 |
14 |
248 |
212 |
||||
| RL |
26 |
8 |
176 |
14 |
190 |
3 |
5 |
198 |
||
| Football |
27 |
5 |
135 |
6 |
141 |
1 |
8 |
6 |
0 |
156 |
Table 2, assumes 10 years out, it shows an increase in teams to 20 teams for both the AFL & NRL and increasing the rounds played to 30. Football has grown to 14 teams. Football has also introduced an Australia Cup and better promoted international teams aside from the Socceroos, with more places in the ACL.
Table 2
| Sport | Rounds | Games per Rd | Games | Finals | Total | SOO & All Stars | Internationals | Asian Champ Lg | Aust Cup | Total |
| AFL |
30 |
10 |
300 |
14 |
314 |
314 |
||||
| RL |
30 |
10 |
300 |
14 |
314 |
3 |
5 |
322 |
||
| Football |
39 |
7 |
273 |
6 |
279 |
3 |
20 |
24 |
55 |
381 |
The very nature of the collision sports of league, union and AFL to a lesser extent, results in players being able to play a fewer number of weeks.
However the speed and increased atheticism required to play AFL also inhibits how many weeks a player can play.
Allowing for four preseason matches, Table 2 requires a rugby league and AFL player to play with finals maybe 39 weeks.
In league if you add SOO and some internationals maybe 44 matches.
This is at the outer limits of matches a player can play.
Football players can play in a season up to 50 games, spread across 10 to 11 months.
The more physical codes cannot.
Table 2, shows football increasing it’s matches from 156 to 381. The 381 will exceed anything the NRL and AFL can offer.
The issue today is football inability to play in the traditional AFL and NRL seasons. Further as the traditional media is dying on its feet the AFL is setting up its own media broadcasting network.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
The NRL is planning to follow suit and also set up it’s own network, something football can only dream of at this stage. Meaning football in a media presence will still be well behind the AFL and NRL.
Football has two advantages over AFL and to a lesser extent the NRL.
The global aspects of football and the lure of such is getting more appealing. Additionally Football can get high quality players from overseas to help build squads.
Whatever media influence the AFL and NRL may have they will be incapable of stopping the growth of football’s products, match the diversity of product, and have their players play the number of matches football players can play.
Can football establish itself enough over the next ten years to be in a position to go head to head with the AFL and the NRL from March to mid-August?
David Gallop and his team are in for a real fight as the sporting markets gets even more competitive.
Can Gallop establish football into the autumn and winter months? Time will tell and it should be if nothing else enjoyable watching.
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