The A-League has been gifted its dream grand finale after Sydney FC powered past Adelaide United in unstoppable fashion. Sydney will join Melbourne Victory for arguably the A-League’s biggest grand final in its ten-year history.
The league’s two most prevalent teams in that time, who share the game’s strongest rivalry, are set for a showdown like never before. Both teams have been riding a wave of momentum and are the deserving finalists after finishing the regular season in the top two spots.
The only thing stopping the day becoming one of the most memorable in Australian sport’s history is the capacity of the host stadium, AAMI Park, of 30,500.
To put it simply, the game must be moved.
Shifting the game to the MCG would not only allow all the Victory and FC fans to watch their teams, but open the event up for the everyday sports fan and leisure seekers of Melbourne. The move could potentially result in upwards of 100,000 people in attendance.
A spectacle of that size would cement the A-League alongside the biggest sporting codes in the country. Over the last ten years the A-League has been building to this moment.
The international marquee signings, the All Star games against European clubs, the moments only football can provide, the battles between the clubs and the impact of the Western Sydney Wanderers have all contributed to the sport now being on the verge of sitting alongside the NRL and AFL in terms of popularity.
Only one man has the power to change football history in this country forever, and that’s FFA CEO David Gallop. Since Gallop joined the FFA in 2012, he has been lauded by many in the game for finally pushing the sport in Australia to match that of its world status. While the accolades may well deserve a pat on the back, surely this is the golden opportunity for the CEO to put a stamp on his sport like no other could.
The real question to be asked is whether Gallop has learnt from his mistakes? You see, back in 2009 when Gallop was the CEO of the NRL, he encountered a similar situation involving finals-matches stadium allocations.
The Parramatta Eels had rode a wave of momentum from second last place on the competition ladder mid-year, to scraping into eighth place and earning a spot in the finals. At the time, the Eels were drawing supporters out of the closet like never before, the Dragons too had just won the minor premiership and fans were flocking to their games.
Set to play each other in the first week of the finals, the game was set down to be hosted at the 23,000-capacity Kogarah Oval. The location would effectively lock-out thousands of supporters from both teams, and rugby league would be robbed of an incredible match-up that would have filled the 45,000-seat Allianz Stadium.
Despite an outpouring of complaints from fans and a fierce media campaign, the Gallop-ran NRL decided not to switch to a bigger stadium. That match would be the start of a driving force that eventually led to the changing of the NRL finals’ stadium policy. Two years later it was changed; three years later Gallop was thrown out of his chair.
The MCG has a capacity of 100,000. Isn’t the idea to grow, year on year?
While many will argue that it’s too late to change such a big game, and that the idea was already looked at and deemed unfeasible, what do good leaders do? They make things happen. They get things done. The AFL will argue they have a game scheduled at the MCG, but who owns the MCG? Surely the Victorian government can be lobbied to force a change. Imagine the economic benefit from a 100,000-plus crowd, many from interstate. If the AFL needs compensating to switch their game, then pay it.
The FFA last week unveiled a 20-year master plan for the sport, a strategic vision for the future. Well you won’t get to the future without actions in the present. Having a sold-out MCG for a match that has been building for the last ten years would be like pouring petrol onto the already well alight fire that is the sport of football.
With more than 80,000 expected to fill ANZ Stadium next month to watch A-League teams play EPL giants Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC, a 30,500-crowd for the country’s domestic competition grand final could be considered laughable and embarrassing.
Make the move, Gallop.
clipper
Guest
Having the FA Cup final at Wembley doesn't detract from it being national
maximus182
Roar Guru
Stoked for the amount of discussion this article prompted, a wide range of comments but most people seem to agree the FFA stuffed up, a bigger stadium would be ideal but not possible, members will be rewarded this year and the A-League has an interesting GF scenario as it can be played anywhere around the country!
Kane Cassidy
Roar Guru
I've been a Sydney FC fan since day dot and I rarely ever hear the term from other fans and never once from club officials. It's always been "The Sky Blues"
Vic Tory
Guest
You don't know me . Do I have an ego.I am a proud MV member.The most professional club in the Aleague.Thru the good times and bad times we will turn up to games.We are not like Roar supporters who have deserted their club this season.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Haha this coming from the guy who's incapable of objectively discussing a point without flying into rabid personal insults. (See the previous MV article).. So here's a couple for you. Biggest illiterate, hypocrite, loony on the roar. This will be the last time I'll address you Ian as you always want to drag it into the gutter for a street brawl.. (Which god knows would be the best way to deal with someone like you) There's really no point, whatever you say always basically translates to: "Me ian, me like bananas and roar FC me hate horto and MV". I get less and less intelligent everytime I interact with you. Enjoy watching what a real football club looks like this weekend.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
No punter, SVB has called Melbourne a "provincial town masquerading as big city full of god fearing people" (I slightly paraphrase but it's pretty spot on the money, you can check his quote yourself., you should remember you were in that particular thread) ., this is a conversation between him and I, don't speak without knowing all the facts.
Ian
Guest
Thank you TAFKAP. That's been explained to Horto before. Then he yells at the computer.
Justin Mahon
Guest
Actually, stadium size for rectangular sports aside (an embarrassment I agree - but because of the AFL specifically - not Melbourne per se), the 'sporting capital' tag is well earned (and funded). Any reasonable person who looks at the sheer scale and variety of top tier sporting events can see Melbourne has a legitimate claim to the tag. In my view the only place that has a decent argument against this in London.
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
Boom Boom!!!
Dean
Guest
London
The artist formerly known as Punter
Guest
Horto, it's not MV, its the ego of their fans.
Justin Mahon
Guest
As the only national code of football, a ;floating' grand final is critical to football remaining faithful to its supporters. This is not an issue for other codes.
Justin Mahon
Guest
Pepsi grew is what happened :-)
Justin Mahon
Guest
"However that aside" - nah mate, passive aggression doesn't cut it. What claims, specifically, do you take exception to?
Justin Mahon
Guest
Ummmmm - the MCG Trust is government regulated.
Justin Mahon
Guest
No - its a fantastic venue for football and rugby. AFL and tennis would no work at all.
Justin Mahon
Guest
Spot on. Rugby football (including the 'league' variation that come later) and football have a long history of cooperation. These two rectangular games are effectively unified by the historic, nationalistic posturing of the AFL which seeks to ignore its own foreign roots in order to dominate the Australian sporting consciousness and keep it's sister codes at bay. Football can benefit from cooperation with rugby in the Nth, while rugby can benefit from the truly national footprint of football which taken in it's growth potential. Their interests are bound together, not by history, but rather by the future. The AFL ensured this long ago in it's rush to xenophobic fuelled growth in the south.
Justin Mahon
Guest
Exactly. He is still a cowering child in his heart.
Justin Mahon
Guest
It is the height of arrogance, not just to football clubs all over Australia - but all over the world. The term 'FC' should be respected, indeed revered for the way it unites a code - not used by Sydney FC and their press gallery to aggrandise themselves.
wanderingkooka
Guest
Yes I probably should have checked. My comment should have been more along the lines of how many would actually turn up if that was the case for NRL/AFL if that happened and they only started selling the tickets in the week leading up to it. I forgot that the NRL sells the tickets for the grand final well before it is known who is going to be in the final so plenty of people don't support either team, but turn up as they can't get rid of the ticket. I know plenty of Souths fans for those years they made the finals that bought tickets thinking they would make the grand final and then they didn't. How many actually wanted to be there for either of the two teams for Brisbane v Melbourne ? My guess less than 30K (and it is a guess).