As is customary this time of year, my mind invariably turns at some point to the story of Christmas.
This year I was wondering about the part played by the three wise men. As all of us who have taken part in, or watched a nativity play know, the three wise men brought Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh to the infant Jesus.
This got me thinking, If the CEOs of the major football codes in Australian sport (AFL, football, NRL and rugby union) could request three ‘gifts’ in 2015, what would they ask for?
David Gallop (association football)
1. I suspect that one of Mr Gallop’s requests would undoubtably be a first piece of major silverware for the Socceroos. By that I mean for Mile Jedinak to be holding the Asian Cup aloft at the end of January 2015 in front of a packed out stadium in Homebush.
How likely this is remains to be seen but surely playing at home against a relatively weak selection of teams by global standards, one would think that the socceroos are joint favourites with Asian heavyweights Japan and South Korea.
2. The next gift that would not have Mr Gallop searching for a receipt so he could return it would be for the code to continue to grow as it has over the last decade.
Ten years ago, few could have predicted that the A-League would capture the attention as it has with sell out derby games in Sydney and Melbourne now commonplace.
The challenge for the FFA and Mr Gallop is surely to try and get the other parts of the country to share the interest that the nation’s two biggest cities now do in association football.
3. A successful strategy to the vexed issue of expansion would surely be the third gift David would seek. The expansion experience so far has been a mixed bag to say the least. The Western Sydney Wanderers have been successful in ‘engaging’ the western suburbs of this country’s most populous city. In all honesty it is bizarre that the FFA took so long to get a team there in the first place.
Conversely the Gold Coast, Townsville and Auckland franchises were a disaster and were quickly terminated – or relocated in the case of the New Zealand based franchise.
The team formerly known as the Melbourne Heart appear to have been saved by the owners of Manchester City, but the new owner of the Central Coast Mariners has put a fair few noses out of joint by trying to move an increasing number of their home fixtures to north Sydney.
Expansion – a contentious issue to be sure.
Dave Smith (rugby league)
1. The first gift Dave would like from the three wise men would be an NRL season where most of the media coverage is reserved for on-the-field issues, rather than off-field scandals by players.
Mr Smith must be sick of having to deal with numerous examples of players bringing the code into the media for the wrong reasons. While no one expects NRL players to behave like a bunch of angels, a bit of common sense wouldn’t go amiss.
2. Gift número dos? Replacing three of the top five players in the sport. Sam Burgess, Jarryd Hayne and SBW have all exited stage left, leaving a huge hole in the superstar stocks. Ben ‘Benji’ Barba, Daly Cherry-Evans and Shaun Johnson need to try and fill the void as the NRL like any sport needs its star players.
The NRL can only rely on the Storm’s big three and Greg Inglis for star power for so long.
3. Third and final gift for Mr Smith then? I suggest that more fans attending regular season games.
Crowds, particularly in Sydney, are simply not good enough compared to the good viewing figures the code gets on TV and at Origin time.
Although crowds have not fallen in the last decade, they have plateaued. Given the huge increase in the nation’s population in the last decade, the numbers are effectively going backwards.
Gillon McLachlan (Aussie rules)
1. First gift for the new CEO of the AFL would be a successful year of consolidation for the league’s two newest clubs: the GWS Giants and the Gold Coast Suns.
Both clubs improved last season, with the Suns finishing 12th and the Giants finishing a respectable 16th.
While both clubs have taken steps in the right direction in this last 12 months, there is still a lot of work to do – especially in Western Sydney where the AFL competes with not only the NRL but the A-League for the attention of fans.
If this coming year the Suns could clinch a finals spot for the first time and the Giants finish in the top 12, I suspect Mr McLachlan would be very satisfied.
2. I presume that a second gift might be a quick resolution to the ongoing ASADA saga. This has doubtless been a stressful time for many of the players and staff at Essendon and I imagine that they would all like this issue to be history sooner rather than later.
3. The third gift I imagine would be that this coming year’s fixture be welcomed by the fans, especially in Melbourne where some clubs suffered lower crowds than usual last season. Fans voiced their dissatisfaction at the staging of Monday night games.
To their credit the AFL listened to the fans and this season’s fixture has no games on a Monday.
Bill Pulver (rugby union)
1. Last but by no means least we have Mr Pulver, the current CEO of rugby union in this country.
I feel fairly certain that Mr Pulver would nominate winning the Rugby World Cup being staged in late 2015 as one of his gifts. Although having an average year this year, the World Cup is always full of surprises and if the Wallabies forwards can raise their game then just maybe they will fancy their chances.
That being said, the Wallabies are in the so called ‘group of death’ in the World Cup with hosts and fellow heavyweights England and a resurgent Wales – so even getting out of that group will be no mean feat.
2. Israel Folau signing a long-term deal to stay in rugby union would probably do as a gift for Bill. Since he moved to union early last year, he has been a revelation for the Wallabies.
However there is chatter that he may be considering a return to the NRL post the Rugby World Cup in 2015, with the Parramatta Eels often mentioned as a possible club as Folau’s brother has had close links to the Eels.
3. The final gift that would have Pulver smiling would be some cold hard cash, not even a voucher for a major department store would do!
It is fair to say that Aussie rugby has over the last decade been usurped by association football as the nation’s third most-popular football code. The ARU’s bank balance is in dire straits. Players have had to take a pay cut and staff at the ARU St Leonard’s headquarters have been laid off.
The new NRC competition is not losing money, which is a positive considering the NRC debacle.
How many of these ‘gifts’ will be given remains to be seen, but one things for sure – 2015 is shaping up to be a fascinating year for the nation’s four football codes!
Birdy
Guest
Sports Fan GC , sorry , I'm not really interested weather the AFL(VFL) developed a more professional attitude either in the late eighties or after the crash of the Swans. The point I'm trying to make is simple . With either AFL help or influence , democratically elected members of council or government who's vast majority of voters supported codes that required rectangular fields managed to build round stadiums .this is not a dig at AFL the game or it's supporters, simply pointing out something very unfair. Living in SE Qld it is so much better to have purpose built stadiums , suncorp and C bus to watch the footy. Seems fairness and common sense had their way.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Birdy says: "So in your words the AFL has stakeholders in local council and all the way to the federal level. Nothing like a counter lunch to get your own way!" No that is not what I am saying. What I said, if you bothered to read the post, was that the AFL have had numerous people in their organisation with business acumen over the past 30 years that have been able to engage stakeholders from the local council all the way through to the Federal Government to form functional working partnerships and deliver excellent stadium infrastructure. Having an idea and getting it delivered is not simply "paying for a few counter lunches" it takes drive, determination and business expertise. Another one of your pearls: "only a fool would argue that AFL didn’t get there at least 50 years ago". Only fools try and argue points of history without doing any research. With regard to the AFL and its professionalism maybe try and get yourself a copy of the book written by Ross Oakley (former CEO of the AFL from 1986-1996) titled "The Phoenix Rises". The then VFL was essentially broke and a complete mess. In the ensuing 29 years the AFL has become what it is due to decisions made in the late 80's. As I said I am lucky in the sense that I enjoy watching my footy live and living on the Gold Coast I have access to 4 excellent stadiums within a 1 hour drive in which to do so.
fiver
Guest
I don't think WSW has taken much attention away from RL, considering both competitions are on at different times of the year. I think what WSW did was highlight what a complete failure GWS has been thus far.
RobC
Roar Guru
Cheers Birdy. Haha, just noticed the typo. Ive been out in the yard too. And Im dyslexic Yes, some decent matches next few weeks+
Birdy
Guest
Rob hope you realised I meant happy new year. I was suffering heat stress from mowing all day. Lol.
Birdy
Guest
Happy new tear to you also Rob, now let's bring on the footy
RobC
Roar Guru
Hope so, Birdy. In any case, Happy new year!
Storm Boy
Guest
Both AFL and NRL have about the same level of off field bad stuff every year but you wouldn't know it. I think the blame for the NRL bad boy image is with the NRL media and NRL fans who get sucked in by it all. There's no equivalent to many of the outspoken NRL media people in AFL media. Even media who write on both codes go harder on NRL than AFL. AFL fans just don't get into it so its AFL media just don't do much on it. There's no clicks and revenue in it. NRL media spin and spin to keep a drama going. Gallop was good at giving quotes which fueld it all as well. Smith and current NRL barely talk at all.
Birdy
Guest
Whoever said build it and they will come? A great advantage for the AFL. Or even better , Admiral Yamamoto's famous quote , "I fear we have awoken a giant" . So I'll just leave you with this, underestimate the RL at your peril.
greg trilby
Guest
Have to agree SportsfanGC - it really is up to the NRL / ARU and FFA to put in some money if they want to develop stadiums - the AFL has been skillfull in this regard, but has backed it up by substantially increasing crowds in Adelaide and the Swans being the most attended team in Sydney, whereas the NRL has gone backward in real teams crowd wise and has not been proactive with initiatives. They may now feel they don't want to co-operate with Soccer in Sydney, as they have lost so much ground to them recently, with WSW taking a lot of attention away. At least Rugby League is still reasonably strong in NSW and QLD compared to the woes in England, which is sort of the opposite of Rugby Union.
Birdy
Guest
Hi RobC , very interesting. I'd love to have a crystal ball. Professional sport well and truly on the move. Might see something significant in our life time.
RobC
Roar Guru
Timing of this article is interesting: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/nrl-should-buy-a-stake-in-aru-to-increase-codes-marketability-20141228-12ejvl.html
Birdy
Guest
Sports fan GC thank you for your reply. I am very impressed with your mastery of the written word and your research into stadiums Australia and especially your description of me , upset , annoyed, angry, jealous, so for my reply how could I do anything but agree with you . Yes , please don't fall over , I totally agree with you! Well almost. I think we all know how short sighted and complaicent RL admin has always been , I'm not sure of the reasons of the ARU and FFA but league has always relied on tribalism poker machines and the hard work of volunteers. But since the super league war then David Gallop and now David Smith we have entered the new world of truly professional sport, only a fool would argue that AFL didn't get there at least 50 years ago. Certainly since the collapse of Sth Melbourne ! That is why in my rant the other day that I never commented on the lack of drive for a better deal on Sydney stadiums for the non AFL codes, it should have been understood! So good on the AFL where one of their main policies is the end always justifies the means!!! So in your words the AFL has stakeholders in local council and all the way to the federal level. Nothing like a counter lunch to get your own way! Oh sorry , they contributed their own money as well . So the AFLwith either their help or influence managed to convince democratically elected members of government that even though a vast majority of the voters in their areas supported codes that required rectangular shaped fields the AFL should get round stadiums because they paid for the counter lunches .
chis
Guest
Good point birdy as Rugby League is England seems to be struggling like Rugby Union in Australia yet both have great history and would hate to see both gone or played as a novelty sport.After Austin Healy's comment on the mess of the scrum I really think players and fans are getting sick of 16 man power cheat challenge and whats just as bad is the experts on scrums and trying to explain how to get it write it's like an long winded, boring essay.
Justin Mahon
Guest
Great article. Hard to argue with any of it.
Justin Mahon
Guest
Crowes falling over in the other three codes? Football is wayyyyyyyyy up from averages of about 3k in the dying NSL to 15k last year.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Birdy and Craigo - In summary you don't like the AFL and you are upset/annoyed/angry that the AFL have managed to engage stakeholders from local councils all the way through to the Federal Government in order to build and develop excellent infrastructure for its teams to train in and play in throughout the year. That's jealousy and deflects from the bigger issue. The issue as I see it is that the ARL, ARU and the FFA should be lobbying the same stakeholders in NSW to try and achieve the same thing for their respective sports and competitions. Why they haven't done this so far is anyone's guess and has ultimately contributed to the situation currently in Sydney. The AFL benefits from partnering with cricket and other organisations, putting up some of their own money every time a stadium is being built/redeveloped (the figure is not important it is the intent and commitment) and having people in positions of power that have business acumen and influence. The stadium situation in Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canberra and Adelaide is sorted for the number of teams and the sports that are played in those cities. Perth is "getting its build on" so to speak with the on-going re-development of NIB Stadium and the new Burswood Stadium due in 2018. WA haven't quite figured out what to do with the WACA as at the time of writing. The only city that has not got it sorted is Sydney. It is incumbent on the ARL, ARU and the FFA to collectively come up with a strategy to determine what stadiums they see as the most important moving into the future, bearing in mind that the NSW Government will not provide money for every stadium in Sydney currently being used by those competitions. Allianz is one that is locked in and there is a fantastic opportunity to reconfigure ANZ once the Swans no longer play games there after the end of 2016. One would also think that Parramatta Stadium is one of the key stadiums due to its location. These organisations may be able to squeeze $$ for one other stadium but which one is anyone's guess (you guys might be better placed to advise). The AFL and Cricket are sorted in Sydney with the SCG, Spotless Stadium and Black Town Sports Park - one could not see them getting any further money for stadium infrastructure in the foreseeable future. There is no reason other than a lack of cooperation and lack of willingness to contribute financially that the ARL, ARU and FFA cannot have 3 or 4 high quality rectangular stadiums in Sydney (at a level comparable to Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane or AAMI PArk in Melbourne). As a Gold Coast resident I am just glad that the 4 stadiums that I visit throughout each footy season (Metricon, CBus, Suncorp and the Gabba) are quality.
Birdy
Guest
Why would Sydney need 2 cricket stadiums at the expense of 3 footy codes only having 1 rectangular stadium. Ok I get it RL, RU and football should get back in their place and play 2nd fiddle to AFL and if you like cricket.
Mantis
Roar Guru
Our national sport is played on round ovals - cricket.
Mantis
Roar Guru
Classic league fans getting defensive. If you actually read it he does mention that AFL crowds are down in Melbourne as well.