This morning, at the Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay in Sydney, FFA CEO David Gallop will address the media on the current state of football.
The setting, in many ways, paints an interesting connection to football in Australia given the use of the words “contemporary” and “art”. Yet, dive deeper into the various offerings at the museum and you will find a few more metaphors on the state to the game.
One of the current offerings is “emotion/motion” from French artist Annette Messager, described as “at once playful and disturbing”. No doubt it will evoke memories of the “90 minutes, 90 emotions” ad used in season three of the A-League.
Indeed, the words “emotion” and “motion” are very apt given the ups and downs of the A-League’s opening nine seasons, and the fact it finally appears to moving in the right direction. Gallop has previously spoken of the game being in an “execution phase”, and there’s no doubt he will address this forward trajectory this morning.
The museum’s links don’t stop there. Starting next week is the annual Primavera, an exhibition for Australia’s brightest young artists. It’s symbolic in many ways of the general direction football Down Under is headed, giving more and more opportunities to young Australian football practitioners.
While the game has a long and storied history, it is still seen by many Australians as a sport in its infancy as far as mainstream appeal is concerned. The fact it’s a sport converting so many youngsters into passionate and knowledgable fans paints a very bright future.
The other symbolic aspect to the Primeravera is that, in Italian, it means spring, and given the A-League kicks off in middle of spring, and had its biggest push when a certain Italian turned up in the spring of 2012, it’s another apt descriptor.
I’m not sure the FFA thought of all this when they were choosing the location for Gallop’s address, but the symbols are everywhere. Showcasing overseas quality, mixed with the best of the local kids, trying to get noticed, is very much the selling point for our various domestic competitions, the A-League and W-League.
Whether Alessandro Del Piero even gets a mention today remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt his arrival was the big game-changer for the A-League.
After some staggering growth in the first couple of years, there’s no doubt the competition stagnated before the turn of the decade, as interest plummeted on the back of some average football being dished up by managers, and poor decisions from both head office and most of those involved.
On the field the standard was very average, and off it the leaders and those driving them got too far ahead of themselves. Australia, on a whole, showed it wasn’t yet ready to fully embrace a sport it had always struggled to be fully accepted.
Nowhere were these dynamics more evident than when the FFA put its hands up to host the 2022 World Cup.
But step by step things started to turn for the league with the return of Socceroos likes Jason Culina, Brett Emerton and Harry Kewell, some better foreign recruitment and better choices in the dugout.
Then came Del Piero, the Western Sydney Wanderers, Emile Heskey and Shinji Ono, all at the same time, and things changed in a big, big way in season eight. Suddenly the game had the credibility and media attention it had long craved, both domestically and overseas.
The perception of a troubled past was being replaced by the feeling this was a sport on the move in Australia. The headlines and depth of coverage in the newspapers and mainstream media that season where quite phenomenal, and rarely let up.
While last season was a little bit of a comedown as the cricket Big Bash League made an imprint over summer, the feel is that football continues its rise on so many fronts.
Gallop will address all this, talking about the number of members across the A-League, the growth in crowds and media “penetration”, and the number of kids and girls playing and watching.
He will talk of a Socceroos that have started to turn the corner under an Australian coach, how we can look forward to hosting the Asian Cup in January and how football now spreads itself across the calendar, touching us at every juncture.
Little doubt Gallop will reflect on the diversity and multicultural aspect of the game that can continue to help build bridges in a world trying to bring them down.
He will highlight the structural work the FFA have done by connecting to the top with its history and grassroots through the FFA Cup and the National Premier Leagues, and how the governing body is looking to be more “strategic” about where it expands the national competition after the mistakes up north.
Gallop will reflect on the state of the “technical revolution” designed to change the way we develop players and coaches, and update on the progress of the national curriculum and high performance units.
Overall he will paint a rosy picture, and given how many boxes have been ticked in “execution”, it would be a fair assessment. This is particularly relevant when you consider the financing of football, which doesn’t yet have access to the multi-millions that the NRL, AFL and cricket access through their TV deals.
Considering this, football is punching well above its weight.
There’s no doubt the FFA, over the past couple of years, has certainly evolved from the mood of distrust and disfunction that blighted Ben Buckley’s time in charge, but it is by no means yet the flavour of the month. Many fans remain cautious and skeptical about the control head office continues to exude, particularly over its management of active A-League fans.
Only last season the atmosphere generated by these fans was used as a selling point, yet active supporters around the country continue to protest about what they see as restrictive and draconian measures meant to stifle the scene they set. Working with these fans still remains the best way forward given that the atmosphere at A-League games still remains a prize asset.
But there remains other significant work for Gallop over the coming years.
One of the more pressing relates to player and coaching education costs. FFA should never take their participation levels for granted. Other codes continue to make themselves attractive through affordability, and football must also move with the times.
As well, there remains a need to educate more coaches in order to push the technical revolution through, and making these courses more affordable would help. Another key initiative it to continue to push for better standard football pitches and infrastructure. There has been some excellent work over the past five years on this front.
Local councils, one senses and sees, are starting to make decisions to the benefit of football, enabling amenities, pitches and granting better access. Slowly but surely football appears to be seeping into the thoughts of state and federal government too, and this remains important structural work for it lays the foundations for future use.
Other things in need of attention includes spreading coaching education as far down the pyramid as possible, and ensuring player development in the formative years is of a consistently good standard.
What the bedding down of technical player and coaching pathways will do is create a broader depth of knowledge, and this is still required at every level, right up to A-League player retention and recruitment.
This cuts across the coverage of the game too.
Right now the standard of coaching and development remains scattered, with pockets of brilliance, but far too much being done without the benefit of education. As great as the addition of the FFA Cup has been, it’s also served to highlight the issues that run deep down into the state tiers, from poor coaching to under-financing.
But highlighting these remains very important. It’s no good having a glitzy and glamorous top tier, and a huge gulf beneath it. This needs to be bridged.
With better club structures down the divisions and the next couple of TV deals likely to grow the football pie, head office can start to get its head around the creation of a national second division.
Once structures are embedded and there is a depth of sustainable clubs, the idea of promotion and relegation might get a run, giving clubs down the chain something to strive for, and those already there some heat from below.
Having the appropriate governance and oversight, dangling the carrot and keeping stakeholders engaged all remain big areas of focus over the coming years.
So much good foundation work has been achieved, but as Gallop reflects on this and looks around at the artwork today, he ought to be inspired by the creative opportunities that lie ahead.
Squizz
Guest
The FFA wanted a commitment of capital investment of $4.5m over 3 years and extended the time for NQ Fury to find it. The local businesses promised $300,000. Local business support was in the form of increased sponsorship - their was very little in the way of investment. Rabieh Krayem mounted a very effective media campaign that painted the increased sponsorship as de-facto investment when in fact they had provided less than 7% of what was required and what NQ said they would supply.. The simple fact was that no-one in North Queensland wanted to own the Fury and the FFA weren't going to commit to $2m-3m losses per season for another 3 seasons.
Lionheart
Guest
Interesting that you mention 'mistakes up north' in the A league's history. This has become a common inclusion in articles like this. My question is why did the FFA choose to help out several clubs financially, and not others? I understand that Newcastle and Adelaide, maybe others, have been propped up by the FFA, but they dumped the NQ Fury despite a reasonable proposal from local business'. The greatest opportunity offered by a team in the far north is a doorway for indigenous players, now lost to the FFA. I enjoy your articles Tony, but I think it's wrong to class the NQ Fury venture as a mistake. I think it was a mistake, but for not keeping them.
Alvin Purple
Guest
He is right to an extent as the difference in physical attributes of a professional RL player against an lowly club palyer would be significant. Secondly the injuries would be higher. More importantly it is typically harder to score in football than the other codes in Australia. A scoreline of 6-0 although bad is not the same as 80-0 that would probably occur in a RL with two of the same standard sides.
Realfootball
Guest
A fast inswinger that one, pitching on off, taking leg stump. Gallop sure shows little fondness for his former empire. He makes Buckley look very ordinary in retrospect. What a shame Frank Lowy didn't succeed in his first attempt to hire Gallop.
Realfootball
Guest
The best place for him to be in Aus would be Sydney FC under Arnold.
Socrates
Guest
Gallop said FFA would lead a major consultation process with all the game's stakeholders. And...................... The National Plan will be completed by the conclusion of the AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015 in January next year, with implementation set for July, 2015. I think the consultation process may have already be done. He meet Frank in his office last week.
Socrates
Guest
These clubs don't care about football. Its all about their (mono) culture. Let the game be run by people who's number one priority is to develop the game we love.
Socrates
Guest
Thats right. clubs, like NPL will charge what every they want. To pay senior hacks. That's why the FFA/ states and territory associations should get off their arses and ID talented juniors. Set up regional teams/clubs. Just like the AFL in Victoria with the TAC Cup. Regional base. Tell me, how can their be 4 NPLV clubs within 5kms of one another in Brimbank, yes these clubs were great in their day (ex NSL) and produce many players when the community was new, but Brimbank has an ageing population now. So were are these talented juniors coming from. Like Gallop said "Fish were the fish are".
Paul Nicholls
Roar Guru
Thanks Griffo for the info. PS I really enjoyed the Tuggers or Tuggies going around the other night. It was great to see a hard man with a gut getting amongst it and a builder called Toole catching some Pain down the flank. It really whets the appetite for the A-League. I can't wait for the season to start & FC to put 6 past Melbourne City & 4 or 5 past WSW the week after. Cheers, Frustrated fan...
Leonardo
Roar Guru
They are private clubs and they have to get revenue to pay their expenses. They charge too much for watered down beer too, but that's not the FFA's fault, is it. If you think your club is charging too much then have a talk to them, or shop around. You may find something cheaper or more to your liking. Or get your kids to play some other sport and stop whinging about Soccer and the FFA.
Leonardo
Roar Guru
If a player is good enough he tries out for the team and gets in. You don't have to pay thousands to the Marconi Player Academy to get into the Marconi squad. You just attend the trials, which are free, and if you are good enough, they are more than happy for you to play for them, they'll even pay you to play for them. This myth about poor kids never get to the NPL or A-League is way off the mark. There are kids who used to be in detention centres playing in A-League youth teams and their parents didn't have a cent between them. The "Elite Football Academies" are there to relieve rich parents of excess cash.
Griffo
Roar Guru
Mo, expansion was mentioned during the Q&A post-State of the Game address rather than the address itself. Gallop re-iterated the 'fish where the fishes are' line (as mentioned above). He also indicated that recent revenue growth has a lot of clubs close to break even status. There are 'potholes' that still need to be filled. Again re-iterated 'consolidation' before expansion but that the A-League needs to grow beyond the 10-team comp, so once revenue is in the black, expansion can begin to realise growth potential. A question on some 'smaller' A-League clubs 'dragging the chain' and any messages to owners gave the response that each club has it's own unique environment and challenges, with FFA helping clubs grow business. For Asian Champions League allocations, the AFC is constantly tinkering with the criteria for spot allocation. Have read docs in the past stating the maximum allocation of four spots. It use to be restricted to only 10 nations now expanded to top 23 member associations (MA's). Wikipedia has a good summary of the current window 2014-2016 (this one specifically mentions 2016 ACL) and the broad breakdown of allocations, but still the line is: The maximum number of slots for each MA is one-third of the total number of clubs in the top division (e.g., Australia can only get a maximum of three total slots as there are only nine Australia-based clubs in the A-League). All MA's will be reviewed again in 2015 and need 600 points from certain criteria to gain automatic qualification slots; how many depends on their ranking in either the East or West Zone...
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Gallop really is a class act. Football is lucky to have a person like him at the helm at an important time. I like his comment about the FFA Cup: "Best of all, we have a countdown of dramatic mid-week matches still to come before we reach the inaugural FFA Cup final on Tuesday 16 December. I can tell you now, other sports would love to have this sort of opportunity, but it can only happen in a game based primarily on skill, not those based on collisions." Ouch!
Leonardo
Roar Guru
You are wrong. The representative teams represent a football association like Nepean or Gladesville, that's why they are representative teams, nothing to do with the FFA. Prizes, fees, competitions are set by the Associations. The clubs charge whatever fee they like and if people are stupid or desperate enough to pay it, they get away with it, nothing to do with the FFA. These are elite schools, not representative schools anyway. The FFA can't force these clubs/academies/football schools to drop their prices - its called Restraint of Trade. They are a private enterprise and charge whatever they like. Its the same at football academies all around the world. 1 year at the Elite Football Academy in the UK costs 20,880 pounds = $38,000 . . . and there is a waiting list.
Socrates
Guest
So why do NPL clubs charge juniors $2000 plus. Its to pay senior hacks way too much....
Socrates
Guest
So true.
Socrates
Guest
You are wrong. The FFA created the structure. its called the NPL. These so called elite clubs charge under 12's $2000 plus for accredited coaching. The money doesn't go to developing juniors, it goes to paying senior players way to much.... If the FFA and the state and territory associations got of their arses and bothered to set up regional rep clubs/teams themselves, they could identified talented juniors and invite them to play. Instead NPL clubs tell parents their kids are good ( as long they paid the $2K), all they need is some specialised coaching ($50 per hours)
Leonardo
Roar Guru
Like all great plans, needs funding. Not sure where the millions will come from with the new TV deal still 3 years away and the WC over and not a great result for us. The real key is to get A-League clubs profitable and the rest will follow. Its not just up to the FFA handouts to make profits. Get off your rich backsides and do something for your club man.
Evan Askew
Guest
Plus I would willingly wager a large amount of money that Footballers can dance s(*) loads better than AFL or Rigby league players. Imagine Flores or Carrusca or Henrique on the dance floor. Won't see it though.
cookyjar
Guest
In any case Brereton is a reformed 'hater', as any regular SEN listeners in Melb would have gleaned over the past 4-5 years.