Time for the FFA to turn potential into results

as -there are 2 obvious ways to extend the season with minimal costs to all concerned. The first is the most difficult to attain under your demands as listed. That would be to find 2 or 4 more individuals, or consortiums, prepared to come up with &10,000,000 per year to invest in an idea not of their making.I think you will agree not so easy in today's financial "climate". The second is also a bit of a gamble and has been "tickled" by the FFA without too much success but it could do as you suggest and expand the present operation. If every team in the present HAL were to play each other 3 times the season could be expanded by another 9 weeks but already we will hear "complaints" about boredom,familiarity etc etc ,but what if every "third" game were to be taken to areas where there was no "resident" team. Roar went to Cairns this year and only drew 5000 people,obviously a bad decision for it was too far for any of the regular Roar fans to attend,however a game in Ipswich,Toowoomba Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast could fly the flag for the league and it's quality while still satisfying the avid fan who could make the trip if the timing was right (weekends preferably).. If this logic were applied around the country the idea could work though it would be highly unlikely that the "big" clubs would maintain their normal "home" attendances,thus creating a "loss" situation, but surely some sort of compensation could be arranged out of the TV millions the FFA receives. There are other success stories to be seen in the "history" of our comp. Wellington have enjoyed "above average" crowds when taking the game to other centres, and CCM enjoyed one of their best "home" gates when playing Victory in Geelong ,a "loaded" solution I know, but nevertheless a successful experiment. The Grand Final series has shown there are a number of fans at each club now willing to travel to "away" games (usually hundreds of k,s apart) and that raises the question would their numbers increase if their favouriite team had to play a "home"game within a 100k's radius. Thought provoking ,is it not?. Cheers jb.

Mid - Do you really think area population has got anything to do with attendances.??? Let's look at the seasons year by year. This year Adelaide pulled 50,000 plus to a grand final but only averaged 11,800 to their 13 home games. Do these figures not indicate there are lot of people out there with a basic knowledge and love of the game who do not attend the HAL.? Using the same logic we can go to season 13/14 when Roar drew 51,000 to the grand final but only managed an average of 15,000 to their 14 home games. Season 12/13 saw CCM draw 42,000 to a grand final while only averaging 10,000 to their home games. I could go on but I think you will get my point, and it surely comes back to how can clubs "tap in" to an apparent already "interested market" Cheers jb

Waz- You do go on .Let me try and put my statement into layman's terms .Let us assume (note that word) that the 4 players mentioned were on contracts ranging between $75,000 to $125,000 per year. By getting them off the wage bill the club has "deleted" around $200,000 from next year's budgeted expenditure. Yes - No???? Are the "sackings" finished? We don't know.but whether they were "expected" or not adds absolutel;y nothing to the point of discussion,the close season and next season's expenditure has been decreased at this point in time,end of story. We have to assume the 2 signings made would not cost that sort of money though as you say one has to consider the Tommy Oar expenditure which was actually part of last year's expenditure. Now can you please explain to me what is "silly " about those observations. I think you are missing the point about "transfer activity". During the season closed you kept telling us that JA had to be given the opportunity to build his own squad,and if that is true ,can you tell me why such class players. like Victory's pair and Wilkinson just as examples, are changing clubs without any apparent interest from Roar. Now that would be good info.! Perhaps they ARE eyeing up new stars for the centre back,full back,midfield and forward line replacements but as time passes one can but speculate. By the way my "source" also forecast the difficulties at ,Ballymore,Perry Park,the laundry, and the move to Logan long before these things became public knowledge so I have no qualms about questioning his/her info at any time. Cheers jb Ps I have no real opinion on Simon Hill's opinion either as a broadcaster or journalist. From a Queensland point of view I would like to see Roar the top football club in the country OK? jb

"but in my eyes,the quick release of four players simply relieves the pressure on contract costs" is the silly part in your analysis - none of the departures are unexpected nor will they save contract costs as all the players were paid out until the end of May as per their contracts. This connection is distracting from your argument! With these departures Roar are now operating beneath the salary cap flaw of 90% - so do you think they're active in the transfer market? They have to be or they cop a fine from the FFA (let's be honest that's the only reason MacLaren and corona were signed). The truth is out there mate but it's not in the transfer activity

Waz -A lot of hot air about nothing at all.!!!! Read my comment again,I simply said that the removal of the four players mentioned relieved a pressure on contract costs.Now you may have read something into that remark which is your prerogative but in my eyes,the quick release of four players simply relieves the pressure on contract costs, which I thought a man with your business experience would have recognised immediately. Now re. your "analysis" on transfer news I note you did not mention any of the other activity going on around the country where very experienced HAL players are moving from club to club and yet Roar appear to be very quiet on that front,perhaps you think their team does not need improved which is contrary to many of the poste you have made this season. I did mention CCM signing 2 players from Sydney and of course the promising striker from Denmark,Perth are going hell for leather signing up very experienced come- backs from overseas,not to mention Sydney who have bought Wilkinson from Melbourne City and of course Victory have lost 2 of their best players to Wellington. Roar have yet to be seen to be active in this area and that can be alliIed to some of the whispers going around .OK? Cheers jb

The question I'll put to you then is what happened to NS? Not even the Mariners reached the heights you're speaking of? But in 2007/08 I remember the Mariners marketed directly to the park teams. That was easily their best season off field for attendance but still didn't eclipse NS.

CK Nit picking mate Perth Glory showed us all that professional Football could work in Australia. Then the Northern Spirit confirmed iy. TNS had huge crowds very similar to SFC in its first three years and in its last two terrible.. However those huge crowds were because and this is the MAIN point because they approached the committees of the park teams ... For a Football club in the crowded Football market of the NSL never mind RL, AFL & Union TNS had huge crowds .. So please stop trying to nit pick and understand what is being talked about in a market that averaged about 4 K they averaged almost 15 K in their first year and its mainly because they marketed directly to the park teams.

jb: let's deal with Simon Hill, he's a very respected journalist and in merekg alluding to problems at Roar he does not help the situation or football itself - if he has something to say he really should come out and say it, he often takes the moral high ground in defending football but this was a cheap shot and harms Roar and football in a broader sence. Groundhog Day anyone? You allude to problems behind the scenes to which there are two angles: first and Jess credible analysis on your part to justify your "sources" you say several players were let go to "lighten the load" which is simply a load of bollocks; Steff's retirement was announced at the beginning of the season so that's out as a cost saving action, Solorzano and Hervas going are correct calls in most fans eyes and only Clut was contenscious but even has been replaced by another kid on the roster on equivalent salary so "lightening the load" doesn't stack up, not least when you add the unnecessary luxury of adding Oar to the roster. So your analysis is way off. However the other angle makes sence and is a simple one, it's highly unlikely that Roar became profitable this season - this time last year they were really unprofitable and just didn't know how bad it was, this year they will be unprofitable but will know how bad it is. There's been some cost savings (back office $400k maybe, leaving Perry Park $250k maybe, doing their own laundry lol saves $50k etc) but realistically the big expenses - salary, stadium, travel, W-league and NYL teams - remain the same. But all of these should have been predictable and budgeted for and if there are issues either the budget was wrong or our mate Nirwan isn't sending enough cash over. The whispers you're hearing may be true, and I trust Hill enough to believe he's also heard something he believes to be credible, but the player movements are a red-herring and you do your post no favours linking routine activity with rumours. That does not mean there aren't problems but if MacLaren were sold, McKay/Broich left unexpectedly that would be a signal but the release of these players, no, their contracts ended in 3 weeks anyway so no "lightening of the load" or cost savings there. I personally take the view that these rumours - hills and yours - are smoke indicating a fire, plus the communication out of the club has become increasingly vague since around December which is worrying. Nirwan Bakrie has proven to be a disinterested and unpredictable owner and this may mark the beginning of the end of his association with the club - if it is, let's hope it's a swift and decisive end and not the long, drawn out saga of last winter! I've never seen a groundhog, but I think I know what they feel like lol ;)

just took my 3yo and 1yo to the GF in Adelaide. They absolutely loved it. My 3yo's eyes were popping out the whole time, watching the game and the stands. All the fans around us were so accommodating given the nuisance a 3yo can be sitting for 90 minutes. Was a lovely family day out.

surely you'd be interested in watching games on TV, George? You are a football fan afterall.

If i was a big baddie I know what would be a more obvious target. Hint: it wouldn't be the one with high police presence, large security details, pat downs, banning processes, identity details taken down for evictions and private counter intelligence firms monitoring fans away from the ground during the week. It would be the one without any of those things.

Unless you've got close connections and sources, it's hard to really keep an eye on things. You have Simon Hill who makes a comment then yourself who make mention of "arrangements". This is not comforting to say the least.

Cameron,Waz and Evan.- This is not a new observation and should not be attributed to Simon Hill's active imagination for it is some weeks since I first heard,from a very reliable source, of 'arrangements" behind the scenes at Roar that have not been "cleared" or "denied" by Roar's upper management. My problem with the "arrangement' as I heard it, is that since it first came to my notice there has been some quite frantic occurrences on the personnel front that tend to "back up" what is behind the "arrangement". We have had Clut,Solarzano,Hervas,and Steffanuto all coming "off contract" and "disposed" of, no doubt to lighten the financial burden,and who is to say there won't be more to follow,while, in the meantime the club has signed 2 promising youngsters, one of whom plays in a position, aptly, at this time ,covered by at least 4 players.North,De Vere, Vowles and Donnachie.!!!!!! One for the future?. Meanwhile we see opposition clubs move in the transfer market,procuring seasoned professionals from other HAL clubs, even CCM are active, and there is no doubt the so called "Spanish influence" will be generating interest in club's not already under that spell. So to you 3 faithful followers,don't worry too much,but keep an eye on what is going on at Roar and make up your own minds. Cheers jb.

Jb, I'm not debating the issue of most successful NSL team. I was pointing out to mid that what he said was incorrect. That's all. I wouldn't debate who is the most successful for I don't know enough.

Cameron and Mid. You both get into "dangerous ground" when you debate the issue of the most successful team in the NSL and add to your views the numbers they attracted to games.Many NSL followers would tell you that the most successful team in the NSL,during that team's existence in the comp.was Hakoah/Eastern Suburbs/ Sydney City,call them what you will,,for in their time in the NSL they absolutely blitzed the opposition ON the field but ----------OFF the field they were lucky if they attracted 1500 to their games.This was despite signing the better players from all around the country, and overseas,and yet no one,without getting into the debate of "ethnics in sport", can explain why finally they were withdrawn from the country's eliite football competition. If we are seeking info re. "attraction to games" and go back to the HAL and the season just closed,we find that two teams,Adelaide and Perth, actually "grew" their attendances in the latter games of the league no doubt caused by their much improved performances as the weeks passed.From their 7th home game Adelaide played to 5 figure crowds and Perth did likewise from their 8th home game whilst the former "darlings' of the league,Victory and Sydney 's home crowds continued to "fall" or "mark time" in roughly the same period. Could it be that team performance is still a vital factor in attracting spectators???. Thought provoking is it not???? Cheers jb

Evan, there's been no rumours locally of problems and as far as local media were concerned the club was back on track, in fact with renegotiations over a new five year Suncorp contract underway there was optimism that the terms of stadium hire might improve significantly. Roar launch their membership renewal and 2017 membership drive in a few days and this comment will hinder that as it has been picked up and repeated on every social media platform a fan would see. Hill has been irresponsible here - by leaving a half-baked comment he's neither reported on a situation or informed fans who are left scratching their heads fearing the worst, nor has he done enough to raise FFA eyebrows or stimulate the club into some form of response. If there was something to say he should have come out and said it not made a comment likd this. Being Hill most fans are assuming it's a credible comment, there are a 100+ journo's in this country who could have made such a comment and no-one would have taken notice, Hills not one of them.

Mid, you said, "The Northern Spirit arguably the most successful club in Sydney in the last years of the NSL directly marketed to the local park teams and enjoyed averages not that different to SFC." I'll highlight "... arguably the most successful club in Sydney in the last years of the NSL..." perhaps you didn't word it correctly but that reads to me as if you're talking about the last few years in the NSL and drawing comparison to SFC. I don't need to deny the link you've provided.

There is nothing wrong with that at all George. As far as I am concerned your doing just as much to support football in Australia as is someone who supports an A league club, and for longer as well.

No problem, George. Enjoy the NPL & ignore the HAL. I don't see that being an issue at all. Just like I ignored NSL when I was involved with grassroots football every week for 7 months a year during the 1980s.