With calls for an A-League second division reaching fever pitch, I’d like to make some observations about expansion into regional markets.
If teams for a second division come from NPL teams in the major cities it just covers the same places that are already well catered for by the A-League and NPL competitions. I think that a second division should be based in regional centres to take the game to new markets.
The places I’m thinking of are the following.
Gold Coast – 625,000 (Largest regional city in Australia)
Would it help the Gold Coast to draw bigger crowds if they had a marquee like Wayne Rooney?
Tasmania (one team) – 500,000 people
It might be a good idea to start with a single team in Tasmania to see whether it works or whether the North-South divide is too intractable in which case there could be a Hobart-Launceston derby. An AFL team would be so expensive that Tasmania could support two A-League teams for less than half the cost of one AFL team so two Tasmanian teams might be possible.
Canberra – 425,000
Mid north coast (1 team) – Currently 330,000 and on the way to reach 424,600 by 2031
Like Tasmania the Mid North Coast could start with a single team but could also split to have a Port Macquarie-Coffs Harbour derby. The populations of these cities are currently 69,000 and 73,000 respectively but these places will soon increase to around the size of Ballarat over the next 10-15 years.
Sunshine Coast – 302,000
Wollongong/Illawarra – 300,000
Geelong – 222,000
Hobart – 221,000
Townsville – 180,000
Cairns – 148,000
Darwin – 142,000
Launceston – 87,000 + NW coast = 130,000
Toowoomba – 115,000
Ballarat – 100,000
Bendigo – 93,000
Albury-Wodonga – 89,000
Port Macquarie – 73,000
Coffs Harbour – 69,000
The NRL and AFL are concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne but 32 percent of Australians live in regional areas. Even though they have small populations individually the places I’ve listed have a combined population of three and a half million people.
Together they would be Australia’s third largest city. A whole of football plan must embrace the whole of Australia.
While they might not be ready for the A-League they could be well suited to a second division or perhaps their own separate Regional Australia Premier League so they can shake out any problems and get themselves established.
As a carrot the top one or two teams could receive a bonus fund and leave the second division to compete for a season in the A-League before returning back again to the second division. If it starts as a semi professional league the costs can be kept down to a reasonable level.
Then when it becomes fully professional you can bring in standard promotion and relegation.
But while a second division would spread the game to more people and set it apart from the NRL and AFL there’s also cricket to consider. It’s hard to see the NRL and AFL expanding into regional markets but the BBL has expressly stated this as its own strategy. It’s important to consider the expansion plans for the BBL when looking at where to base teams for an A-League second division.
Placing more cricket teams in capital cities won’t be considered. BBL boss Mike McKenna has indicated that the BBL will look at regional locations to take the game to new people saying – “There’s big regional centres who don’t get access to international cricket and the Big Bash is a way of taking the game at the elite level to those areas”. The frontrunners for the next BBL licence are Geelong, Gold Coast, Cairns and Canberra.
If the BBL can impact on the potential crowd figures of places like Hobart then what will it do in other places like Geelong, Gold Coast, Cairns and especially Canberra? As Canberra is one of the most viable prospects for A-League expansion a BBL team there could be a heavy blow.
There is still an opportunity for FFA to expand the game into untapped regional markets but if they want to make it happen then they should announce a new competition before the next BBL broadcast deal in 2018-2019.
Bringing a national league to regional centres will capture a market of 3.5 million people and in a small nation like Australia it could help in finding new talent in places that would normally be overlooked.
The fact that it will be a national league with wider media coverage than the state leagues will also make it easier for small teams to get funding and sponsorship.
If it is broadcast on regional television and webcast on channels like Wagga Wagga TV and Bendigo IPTV to target viewers in these areas, then I think it will be a great success.
Hammerhead
Guest
Gippsland Falcons would be perfect for a second division.
Johnno
Guest
You talking to me working class rugger
Squizz
Guest
Johnno When the capital city teams approach the engagement rates of the Mariners and Jets then you can say that regions don't work. Sydney and Melbourne are doing their job but the rest of the capitals are performing pretty poorly. Even in Melbourne, City are performing badly in terms of crowds and members.
Bfc
Guest
Jeez...can any of the QLD NPL cope with the financial imposts of running a HAL squad? Many appear to be struggling financially with staying in the NPL...a local NPL club charges $2000 for a U12 player, an obscene amount to impose on families for Junior footy...
apaway
Roar Guru
Is that the same Mariners who have made 4 Grand Finals and draw a pretty hefty per capita crowd, and are one of only two clubs in the league who don't share their home ground with a franchise from another code? Not a failure in my eyes.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Huge step up in Aleague promotion today. Billboards all over Sydney. Lots of social media posts. Hype around the derby growing as well
j binnie
Guest
Lionheart - This is a very sensible comment. If the NPL was run simply for the benefit of supplying a ladder for young promising players to come through the system it would be doing a great job. The blunt truth of the matter is that at this time we have still at least 3 or 4 franchises that are struggling to maintain their status and I doubt if there are 3 or 4 potential entrants fiscally ready to take their place. Can the NPL standard be improved,of course it can ,but it is not going to happen overnight so if the FFA can ensure a continued improvement in NPL teams, both in fiscal performance and playing standard, that would be a huge step in improving football in Australia.Cheers jb
Josef Stalin
Guest
There should be about 4 clubs out of Sydney and Melbourne. A million people per club. Those two cities are growing the most. We only need a couple more clubs to get the league to the perfect size. 12. We have tried all those other joints, won't work, forget about it. Your justing putting flags on a map and not using business sense. And while we are at it, there are certain journos out there jumping up and down about bringing in a second division and allowing the old brigade back. As the old saying about insanity goes, try the same thing again and expect it to work. The NSL was cactus from the inception, it was the wrong model. Frank Lowy even wrote about that in his book before he returned to soccer at the behest of Howard the Liberal.
Lionheart
Guest
Townsville and Gold Coast have already failed in the A League, sadly, but have strong teams in the NPL Qld. I doubt they could raise the funding to be professional and national, but both these regions (label T'ville as North Qld or North Aust) have many potential great players and the game needs more promotion in both places, lest our game lose out to the other codes.
Sydneysider
Guest
Johnno I've offered my opinion on rugby unions struggles in Australia on the rugby tab so it's interesting to see you on here making such statements. The Mariners and Jets are now entrenched in their areas and are viable. (The Jets were always entrenched as football has a long history in the Hunter region). The Mariners own their academy and office buildings and training facilities on the coast. They aren't going anywhere.
Working Class Rugger
Guest
Don't you hate it when some prat comes onto a thread and does nothing to at least try to add to the conversation?
Sydneysider
Guest
"No probs there, every sport will find its natural level." For once I agree with you. That means football will sit 4th behind AFL, cricket and NRL. Is that a fair assumption MF? That's how I see it panning out over the next 10 years. The A-League has some bad points (just like any other competition in Australia including the AFL) but one thing that is very good is that it has the 2 biggest cities in Australia with good support for their 4 football clubs (Melbourne City not so much at the moment) and have potential for growth, sponsorship and bigger ratings. When you add in the Socceroos who can play in all 5 mainland capital cities and get good crowds, essentially I see football being in the top 4 sports in Australia from a commercial perspective. Not at the AFL, cricket or NRL level but definitely growing and deserving of it's place in that top 4. Obviously there is a section of football fans who want football to be number 1 in Australia but I am happy with the progress of the game here with the exception of the top league having only 10 teams. We need to get to 14 teams sooner rather than later, just from a football development perspective rather than a commercial perspective. 14 teams = 26 rounds of football. 16 teams would be better as it would make it a 30 round season.
El cuchillo
Guest
Should be "¿Dónde está Fuss?" but let's not split hairs.
Gurudoright
Guest
Spot on RBB! If starting up a div 2, FFA could call upon bids from regionals like Wollongong, Canberra, Geelong, Gold Coast and Townsville or Cairns. They could even look at revisiting Auckland again. They could then look at having additional teams from the capitals. A second Brisbane & Adelaide club, a third or fourth Sydney to add to FC and the Wanderers ( possibly the Shire, MacArthur or Northern beaches/shore) and Melbourne. That is a 10-12 team league there if done properly. People scream that Canberra, GC, Townsville and Auckland have failed in the past either in the NSL or AL, but in fairness, the tv money wasn't available back then as it is now/soon to be coming. That is the big difference, even if a div 2 could get televised (even on the abc) sponsors would be more likely to jump on board.
paul
Guest
We need expansion first before any 2nd division. i reckon NEW franchises are required that meet the standard for an A-League club. Current NPL clubs cannot meet a-league standards.
j binnie
Guest
Johnno- Would you care to expand on your thoughts and explain why, in your opinion, "Mariners are failing", In a playing sense it is only a few short years since this franchise was challenging for every prize on offer in the HAL,while, at the same time, using, in the main, local players many of whom have gone on to bigger and better things. Perhaps if we knew the answer as to "why" we could build a bigger and better HAL and surely that is what we all desire. Cheers jb
Donde es Fuss
Guest
nice sample size
Working Class Rugger
Guest
I was more just going with the suggestions in the article but yes, larger 'regions' within cities could also be an option. Take the Macarthur for instance. Current plans has its population more than doubling in the next 15-20 years. Possibly sooner and potential more considering there are still a number of large developments awaiting assessment. It like the Sutherland Shire is its own distinct region in Sydney. Has a stadium that's barely used etc.
Johnno
Guest
Mariners/Jets are failing regional football is dead.
Johnno
Guest
Canberra-Deakin.