The stage is set for this weekend’s final round of the A-League. Four teams can win the premiership, the ultimate in final day drama, in weekend capable of producing Australia’s own home-grown Sergio Aguero moment.
So with everything on the line and four teams in play, why do we need a finals series afterwards?
Three points separate Brisbane Roar (47), Adelaide United (46), Western Sydney Wanderers (45) and Melbourne City (44).
It’s simple enough, but the full drama will play out with pivotal games on Friday (City versus Adelaide), Saturday (Melbourne Victory versus Roar) and Sunday (Wellington Phoenix versus Wanderers).
It’s great in theory, high drama and all that. But these games should be played at the same time – and the finals system should be scrapped, because some moments just can’t be beaten.
The beauty of Aguero’s title-winning goal for Manchester City in 2012 was that it came only seconds after Manchester United’s corresponding game at Sunderland had finished.
“I swear, you’ll never see anything like it again!” the voice of football Martin Tyler cried – and he is right.
A-League chief Damien de Bohun wrote recently that the “Australian tradition” has led to this final-round drama.
It isn’t the tradition that has led us here, it is four very evenly matched football teams who have earned the right to be in the mix with only 90 minutes of the season remaining.
Why shouldn’t these games be played simultaneously, ramping up the drama and ensuring the ultimate fairness in what is as close to do-or-die as it gets?
That way we could finally scrap this artificial finals series. If it so worked out that a late Bruno Fornaroli winner for City won them the premiership with only seconds to go, there would be no topping that, grand final or not.
The ‘traditional’ Australian ending to a season had merit when there was no knockout competition to speak of (as is the case in other codes), but the FFA Cup has rendered it null and void.
The FFA Cup should be allowed room to breathe as the premier knockout cup competition, which would allow the A-League to align with European football, where consistent excellence is rewarded by the ultimate prize.
Scrapping the finals series would add character to the FFA Cup as well, with a discernible difference between tactics and approach in league and cup games, while also stripping the current reward for mediocrity.
With respect to Perth Glory, who have finished marvellously, and Melbourne Victory, who have had to juggle a punishing schedule, there should be no reward for finishing fifth or sixth. As hard as it is to win the grand final from there, it remains a possibility, when none should remain.
The only reward should be for those who finish first and this weekend will prove that once and for all.
apaway
Roar Guru
We're not like the AFL, Lester. Finals have been part of football in this country since the 1940s.
apaway
Roar Guru
Hi Lester I played professionally here for 21 seasons and have coached for an additional 12. Yep, been around a while. I'm a football guy down to my moulded studs. I have sweated and bled for the game, often for little financial reward. I have spent countless hours playing, training, travelling, coaching and learning all about the game. I love it unconditionally. You could say I have a hell of an investment in the game. I love finals football, loved it as a player and a coach. I've played in teams that finished first in the regular season and didn't win the grand final. I never felt cheated or ripped off because we all knew the deal going into the season, and if we were good enough to win enough games to finish first, we should have been good enough to navigate through a finals series. I've also played and coached in teams that have won the GF and been crowned champions without finishing first. At no point did I feel like we'd been lucky or fluked our way to the title - we played better in the pressure stretch. I guess my point is that I personally love the finals series that ALL football leagues in this country play; A-League, NPL, State League and local league. The idea that you know the exact date where the champions will be crowned is a nice one - you circle that date in your calendar when the season begins. I don't think it's a "bogan" concept, but I do believe it is a genuine contest between the best teams in the league. Interestingly, other countries have begun to adopt finals series formats - arguably the most financially rewarding game in England is the Championship play-off final to determine the final promotion place to the Premier League. I know it isn't crowning a champion per se but it certainly is the culmination of a finals format.
clayts
Guest
Correct. If we must have finals to make the league financially viable than so be it, but it should be top 4 in a 10 team league, and even then it's probably too big a percentage of the league's teams. I think the media just need some education, that the league is way more important and prestigious to win than the finals. At present, it's the other way around unfortunately. We need to separate the two somehow, so everyone wins (TV stations, FFA coffers, punters etc). Maybe call it something different. Like League Cup or something.
JR Salazar
Guest
In that respect, the NRL with its vile golden point rule is also an afterthought.
BtoPower3
Roar Rookie
I know that the Grand Finale's gate revenue belongs to FFA. However, how about the other 4 grand final matches? Are the gate revenue of these matches the income of FFA?
Pauly
Guest
If anything this exciting season finish feeds into the finals. Who will meet whom? A slip up, a thunderous strike, could make the difference between a week's rest or a long trip to an away elimination final. I'M EXCITED!!!!!
Fussball IUL
Roar Rookie
@Melange I, too, love tournaments & knock out matches. That's why I like the FFA Cup & the ACL. But, I also like league football. That's why I like the Aleague Premiership played over 27 matches in different states, different countries, different climates: summer, spring, autumn. So, it's not that I don't like finals. I just don't want the League premiership to be undervalued.
Melange
Guest
Fussball/lester - can't reply to your replies so I'll put them here. Essentially my reply to Peter was to show that Football does have finals series. Something he is suggesting is a rip off from other codes. Fuss - I like the knockout finals format. One of the big benefits is the replication of the WC format where ultimately players are faced with the pressure of knockout games. Anything that can replicate that and prepare potential Socceroos to cope with that added pressure is a bonus. lester - I find people who read the comments others are responding to so they have an idea of the context of their replies are clever.
Realfootball
Guest
What an utterly pointless article. Does anyone seriously think that the finals concept will be ditched? Good grief.
Buddy
Guest
Interesting that you feel you hate WSW. I realise it is something of a tangent to start discussing that subject but it is one to dissect and brings about great passion. I grew up in a time where hatred of opposition was often stronger than the love of the team you support and with it came violence and mayhem on the streets and inside grounds. As i have got older I see the game very differently and appreciate that different teams contribute in different ways and they are all worthy causes. There are heroes and villains and players/coaches referees that get on your nerves but again, they all bring something to the game that is of benefit. Berisha is a fabulous example. I don't believe he is a good role model but contributes greatly to the A League and my enjoyment of football. CCM have made an enormous contribution to the A League and have developed and passed on some enormous talents and personally I would like to see the club find a strong financial backer and also grow more supporters on the central coast so that the stadium looks far more yellow on game days. Although We support rival clubs I believe that most of us ultimately want our neighbours to succeed which all helps grow the game. Let's hope that the struggles of the club are for one season only and that a rebuild brings about changes and improvements next season........also goes for Phoenix in many ways!
rasty
Guest
Learnt....
rasty
Guest
What Kaks you mean the nothing happened. Bloody AFL taking over again..... Duh
rasty
Guest
Mate, give up Lester is a knucklehead, good and proper.
CG2430
Guest
Sounds like a similar perspective to me, only far more conciliatory in how you get to it... I know how you feel, too - I'm still fuming we lost to you on that monsoonal night in Gosford in March 2013... or to then-stragglers Perth around the same time... or the insipid showing against Sydney FC that Saturday arvo... or any other match in which we dropped the extra three points we would have needed (we even had a pen in that game against you and the draw would have made the three-point swing). Speaks volumes for Popovic -and embarrasses just about everyone else - that he got you that prize in your very first season (extra visa player notwithstanding), and I say this as someone who really hates the Western Sydney Wanderers (I respect them, mind you). It was sweet, however, when we won the Premiership the season prior, and then GF winners Brisbane went and failed to qualify for the Champs League - not that I have it in for Brisbane, just the concept of finals.
CG2430
Guest
I value the Premiership for both reasons - it's the football way of doing things (in the proper football nations) AND it's the fairest way of doing things. Clever final par from marron too.
Declan
Guest
Disagree. The combined league/cup formula is an Aussie one whic works well for the A-League, the AFL and the NRL. I certianly found it interesting when I first came to Australia as a combination of league consistencuy and high-pressure knock-out games.
CG2430
Guest
For me, accounting for all comps (I can't do it neatly if I separate them): 1) ACL Champions 2) A-League Premiers 3) FFA Cup winners 4) ACL knockout phase 5) Beat Newcastle and Sydney in each meeting. 6) Qualify for ACL Finals are N/A.
CG2430
Guest
KJ, Brisbane Roar averaged 14,957 attendance at non-finals matches in 2013/14, and pulled 51,153 for the mickey mouse cup final - are you seriously suggesting that a relative handful of supporters in Mackay or Townsville would account for that sort of bump? If that influence even accounted for four figures I'd be staggered. Ref: http://www.ultimatealeague.com/records.php?type=att&season=2013-14&finals=exclude If they only go to watch their team in 'big games' then bandwagon by definition.
CG2430
Guest
If another club was to win the league then they would have genuinely earned it - rather than waiting for a salary cap to tear down the recent winners. Besides, if you pay attention the the Europa League you soon realise that La Liga has quality all the way down - it's just that they have to compete with arguably three of the four best teams in the world. Champions League results show that the English Premier League, on the other hand, is an overrated league pumped up by the reach of English-speaking media.
Fadida
Guest
Argentina has a 3 year averaging system for relegation plus a 30 team top tier, split into 2 groups. Brazil has a complex network of leagues. Not "traditional" but they seem happy to be "different"