These are exciting times to be alive in Australia. First, there was an exclusive video message from Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in which the actor looked as bitter as a Central Coast Mariners season ticket holder.
And then there was the game. The Game. A 5-4 roller-coaster of a thriller in the semi-final of the playoff series is something special.
They say that you never remember a losing semi-finalist, but when it is like this, then both participants will never be forgotten.
To have such a special game play out at such a crucial stage does not happen often.
I saw quite a bit on social media about how this one game shows beyond doubt that the end-of-season final series is a better system than the single-stage season that is standard in Europe.
That makes as much sense as Melbourne Victory making the 11-hour flight to Shanghai just the day before a crucial Asian Champions League showdown.
What then would be the conclusion if the grand final produces a stand-off, where both teams prefer to stay in their own half for 120 minutes and wait for a penalty shootout?
A couple of weeks ago, people were telling me that it was a shame that there was a final series at all. The feeling was that the end to the regular season was the best ever and the team who ended up in first in that race deserved the championship.
Ultimately, it is a matter of preference. Having a final playoff series guarantees end-of-season drama. Even if the games are poor, the occasion ensures tension, attention and excitement, where one mistake or moment of genius defines a season. Throw in an exciting 90 minutes and it can be off the scale.
Every goal is a huge deal, every mistake has consequences that can be massive.
When there are 27 or 38 games a season, then there is not the same immediacy. A defeat does not mean the end. There is time to recover from any setback, time to tumble when things look to be going well.
Playoffs guarantee drama in a way that single-stage seasons do not, but having a playoff series also does diminish the meaning of the preceding regular league campaign.
You are not spending months to find out who is the best, second, third etc. but determining who gets home advantage in a playoff series. It’s not same.
Single stage seasons are more natural than the artificial playoffs. Take the top six of any European league and put them into a knockout situation and the games would be huge, but you will take something special away from everything else.
But when a season does come together it is special – a natural convergence of the footballing heavens, more delicious as you never know when it is going to happen. Sometimes it happens. Sometimes not. Just like life.
I prefer a single-stage season as the best ones are emotional journeys, stories that build slowly with twists and turns, ups and downs that can leave you exhausted at times. A playoff series interrupts that.
Perhaps it is my European background, but I also accept that one size does not fit all. I used to enjoy the playoffs in Korea before they changed the format.
Until there is promotion and relegation introduced in Australia, there has to be a finals series of some sort, as the prospect of one team running away with the title when there are no other issues to be settled is not a pleasant one.
But while it is possible to disagree as to which system is better or which is best-suited to Australia, no game – matter how thrilling – can be held up to prove that the other is obsolete.
Kareem
Guest
I don't the second tier should have a final series... But if so, then I agree with you that one spot should go to League Champions, and the other to GF champions... But if league champions win GF, I am pretty sure the second spot should go to 2nd place in the league. Isn't that what we used to do for the champions league spots back when there were only 2?
northerner
Guest
Well, I dunno, but I've certainly encountered eagles here, and they're not imports.
SVB
Guest
Get out of Malbourn, before it's too late..
anon
Guest
"Someone just told you that there is ‘United’ in the names of other sporting clubs and given you examples, and you have replied with something about ‘they ran out of ideas’. Do you actually think before you post?" It's a soccer thing. 99% of teams in the world called 'City' or 'United' are soccer teams. Don't act daft.
SVB
Guest
What you just no wrote makes no sense. Someone just told you that there is 'United' in the names of other sporting clubs and given you examples, and you have replied with something about 'they ran out of ideas'. Do you actually think before you post? Don't worry mate. One day you will learn that Malbourn isn't the centre of the universe, and you'll be thanking us for enlightening you.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Lol. I've got as many comebacks as there are letters in the alphabet for your aberrant kooky arguments and/or pathetic one liners. Happy to play this game all day mate.
anon
Guest
Putting United or City after the city/town the team represents is chiefly a soccer thing ie. Lakemba United, Bankstown City, etc. The MLS and A-League have adopted it to give a faux European names to their soccer teams. Melbourne United did that in basketball since the marketing gurus are out of ideas for basketball. They saw Melbourne Heart (okay maybe City is not a bad name lol) change to Melbourne City, so they thought what if we call ourselves Melbourne United the people will be able to identify with it.
Fussball IUL
Roar Rookie
"United Colors" is a globally recognised clothing brand for the Italian fashion company: Benetton Group.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Interestingly enough United is a rather common one. Perth United are a cycling club, Melbourne United a basketball side and who can forget United Paintball Darwin, just as examples.
SVB
Guest
Don't they use animal references like Tigers, Bulldogs and Eagles in their team names? How very 'Australian' of them..
SVB
Guest
You're not very bright anon, are you? Plenty of clubs named Wanderers all around the world, and it isn't only in association football. In fact there is a Wanderers Stadium in South Africa where they play test cricket. Get out of Melbourne quickly would be my advice to you. You are as insular as they come.
Fussball IUL
Roar Rookie
"What does United mean any way" @anon Serious question: Is English your primary language?
anon
Guest
"City, Wanderers, United and F.C are faux European names?" What does United mean any way? Putting City, United or F.C. after the city/town name is a European football thing chiefly from the EPL, Bundesliga for F.C.. How many teams called Wanderers in this world? It's copied from Bolton Wanderers. Not quite as pathetic as the MLS. They have Real Salt Lake and Sporting KC. LOL
AR
Guest
Exhibit B.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Very impressive post towser. You've done the key research into emerging football nations in Asia aswell. You've truly nailed it with the japan example: “The committee also reintroduced Associate Membership System in the 2006 season. This allowed the committee to identify interested non-league clubs and provide necessary resources to them" Like I've said...As we the football family become more educated so too do our expectations of our governing body. I'd really like to know FFAs view on when they think an "Associate Membership System committee" is possible here. (Where was that in the superficial color brochure that was the WOFP?). Anyone reading your posts on this thread would naturally begin to beg this question. "Bottom line to me is that the NPL is not set up to create potential A2 clubs." Yep give the aspirant clubs something to aim at. They're perpetually treading water. It's a travesty..,for our football development as a nation. All in all, said membership committee must take a very measured approach. Eventually allow p/r between A2 and the lower tiers (all through the hands of this membership committee) let that transpire successfully for x period of time before evaluating the next step of p/r between A1 & A2. Which tbh I don't care about so much at this stage, in comparison with simply getting an official A2 up and running eventually. Ticking every box mate. If you've got spare time, there's a HAL hobnob getting the chop, FFA (and the rest of us) could do with someone like you.
northerner
Guest
I, think, anon, that you just proved that Aussie culture can indeed be that embarassing. Oh, and I don't know that it's any more embarrassing for an Aussie football club to be called City or United, than for an AFL club to use a bowdlerized version of the US Marine Hymn, the Notre Dame Marching Song or La Marseillaise as it's team song.
SVB
Guest
City, Wanderers, United and F.C are faux European names? Then where did Sydney, Melbourne, Victoria etc come from? Serious question anon. How old are you? Because you come across as a young kid who is still learning about the world, but then I get the feeling that you just might be an adult who just isn't all that bright.
Towser
Guest
Mid Has to be National or semi-National from kick off, otherwise might as well keep the NPL. However needs funding, but if kept initially low key with no P/R its doable, as mentioned before the A-League sprang from a seed, no reason to believe an A2 cant. Now here's the rub regarding a second division in relation to makeup of clubs, they have to come as a general rule from areas with a sizeable population, that means cities/towns or several within large cities. Now this rule applies whether looking at established P/R in England/Europe( there are exceptions of course as in everything) or P/R in developing football leagues closer to home in Japan and Korea, or indeed even without P/R with expansion in the MLS. Looking at the club makeup in the NPL as of today its IMO an inadequate model to extract clubs from for an A2 league. Many are just district clubs or clubs representing an ethnic group,essentially what we had in the NSL and we know historically what level of support it garnered over 27 years. So NPL clubs in towns with reasonable populations, to be honest I can only find them in QLD-Northern Fury/Far North Queensland(merger),Gold Coast City,Western Pride. However a combined Tasmanian team a combined Canberra team would fit the population bill, plus Wollongong Wolves plus maybe a combined team(Rockdale,St George,Sutherland Sharks) representing Southern Sydney. These are the possibles in my mind and the list of potential clubs I've indicated so far is because I have greater knowledge of these areas than Victoria/SA/WA so I would bow to anybody with deeper insight into possible clubs from those areas that could represent sizeable populations. For instance can South Melbourne do that job or as Geelong is a sizeable population area is there a club such as North Geelong Warriors that can step up to represent the city or will it need a complete new entity. Once we get to Adelaide or WA I'm struggling due to lack of local knowledge to see any A2 clubs mergers or otherwise , but they could be there. Penrith also is a place that springs to mind, but I cant see an NPL club there so maybe like CCM it can be conjured up. North Sydney also should be represented,step up for Manly United?, or a conjuring trick. Its obvious that all clubs would have to meet certain financial criteria and play out of adequate stadiums, in that respect some clubs like Western pride(stadium) fall short currently. I also liked this idea from Japan regarding potential A2 clubs. "The committee also reintroduced Associate Membership System in the 2006 season. This allowed the committee to identify interested non-league clubs and provide necessary resources to them. The membership was exclusively given to non-league clubs that had intentions of joining the J.League, while meeting most of the criteria for J2 promotion. Several clubs in the Japan Football League and Regional Leagues have applied for and received membership. Associate members finishing in the top 4 of the JFL were promoted to J2. Following the promotion of Ehime F.C., six more clubs joined J2 League through this system." Bottom line to me is that the NPL is not set up to create potential A2 clubs. Overnight in the FFA cup a potential A2 club Western Pride was beaten 4-1 by a club that has had its day in proving it could garner support from a broad population base Queensland Lions. Reason IMO no real incentive to better themselves. Provided they have an adequate stadium in place, like Central Coast before them at A-League kick off, you find a way to compete, or you dont that is what P/R is about.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Typical England, European when it suits them. And to the nth degree at that.
Fussball IUL
Roar Rookie
@anon I wonder if AUFC & WSW can replicate the passion of Adel Crows fans? And I laughed & I laughed. :-D "Aussie culture can’t be that embarrassing ... errr yes, it can - attend an AFL match & observe the mullet haired bogans. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWQVW3oIXZE