Ange Postecoglou is right when he says the Prime Minister would care about the state of a Test wicket, so why don’t Australians feel the same way about football?
You get the sense Postecoglou is sick of sounding like a broken record when he talks about the poor quality of pitches the Socceroos are forced to play on in Australia.
He’s mentioned it practically every single home game since he took charge, yet his pleas continually fall on deaf ears.
It’s not so much that the powers that be don’t appear to care about the state of the surface the national team plays on – although that’s probably true – as much as they appear to have no idea what Postecoglou is even talking about.
Why would they, when to the average Aussie sports fan ‘soccer’ was and always will be a foreign sport played by uppity interlopers?
“I’d suggest if we created a Test wicket that suited the Indians here, that even the Prime Minister would have something to say about it,” Postecoglou said of the surface that awaits the Socceroos at the Sydney Football Stadium in twelve days’ time.
“But it seems our team, who are trying to get to a World Cup, aren’t as important.”
Winning an Asian Cup seems to have made little difference, for the simple reason our federal government appeared to have next-to-no understanding of what the tournament represented.
No wonder, as Postecoglou revealed in his biography, no one bothered to officially congratulate the national team upon winning it.
Little wonder, too, that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull continually lauds the AFL for taking a fixture to China.
It should be a no-brainer that the simplest way to enhance our international relations is through a sport that everybody plays – like football.
But then it should be equally obvious the Socceroos should play on the best possible surface at home – yet no one seems to care.
Speak out, though, and you risk being labelled ‘negative’ for conjuring an unpopular opinion.
That’s what happened to former Melbourne Victory media manager and one-time FFV board nominee Tony Ising earlier this week, who absolutely teed off on the newly-formed Association of Australian Football Clubs.
Calling the formation of the AAFC nothing more than a cynical power grab, Ising didn’t hold back when he labelled the decision by dozens of state league clubs to band together a “farce”.
“The base of power in Australian football used to rest with the top tier clubs in the NSL,” Ising raged on the ‘For Vuck’s Sake’ podcast.
“We all know that is now no longer the case and there are certain former NSL clubs who can’t handle that fact.”
Ising is entitled to his opinion – and it’s a sentiment he’s broached several times before – even if he ends up stepping on plenty of toes.
But how does it look to outsiders with perhaps only a passing interest in the game, when some of the sport’s key protagonists are forever at each other’s throats?
Is there a chance that organisations football is beholden to – like state governments and stadium managers – simply shrug their shoulders and see the sport as being more trouble than it’s worth?
There was a story that did the rounds this week about the legendary (Brisbane) Norths winger, Fonda Metassa, written by Sydney Morning Herald sports reporter Phil Lutton.
It was a ripping yarn that embodied the very best of Australian sports writing, and predictably it drew widespread acclaim.
It would be nice to read some similar stories about the round-ball game – but we can’t even get the pitch right for a vital World Cup qualifier.
And it begs the question: after four World Cups and an Asian Cup triumph, is football any closer to being accepted as a bona fide part of Australian sporting culture?
Because for all the bombast and rhetoric, sometimes it feels like the loudest sound we can hear is our game tilting against windmills.
punter
Guest
It's Stephen Smith & like Mile Jedinak, a quality man. Difference being Smith is the best batsman in the world & Jedinak nowhere near the best. However, Smith plays in a sport with only 9 Test playing countries, while Jedinak plays a sport with 220 international teams.
Nemesis
Guest
Pretty sure the cricket captain is Ian Chappell - saw him in the news just recently.
mattq
Guest
I have no idea who our circket test captain is, Perry.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
Paul, the line refers to the state of the playing surface. It seems no one cares about comprehension these days either.
Paul
Guest
I never suggested that "people don't care". Indeed YOU suggested as much with the following claim: "But then it should be equally obvious the Socceroos should play on the best possible surface at home – yet no one seems to care." Did you mean that, or shall we not take you too seriously when you're sulking? At any rate, appealing to grand conspiracies to explain soccer's failure to achieve some kind of Euro ideal in Australia: THAT's detached from reality.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
So for their Asian Cup campaign, the Socceroos drew crowds of 25,231 (AAMI Park); 50,276 (ANZ Stadium); 48,513 (Suncorp Stadium); 46,067 (Suncorp Stadium); 21,079 (Hunter Stadium); 76,385 (ANZ Stadium). But according to the likes of Mickyo and Paul, "people just don't care". I'd say one of the biggest obstacles for football to overcome is the fact that so many Australians are completely detached from reality when it comes to their attitudes towards the game.
Nemesis
Guest
" Test captains tend to get between 4-8 years in the job – it is their to lose. Alan Border had it for 10 years." Goodness. Sounds like an amateurish way to pick the nation's best players for a sport. Can't think of any sport where anyone is guaranteed a spot. You play well. You're selected. But, then again, I'm only looking at sports that have decent competitive tension.
Perry Bridge
Guest
#Chris We still have a Cricket PMs XI, some of the great Prime Ministerial moments include John Howards failed attempt at bowling and Bob Hawkes failed hook shot (shattered glasses). The question was asked by Mr Tuckerman - - I'm suggesting to that there is a fair gap with respect to the 'national sporting culture'. That you know the current Australian captain of the socceroos is fine - however - the appointment tends to be less of a 'tenure' based position than is the Australian Test cricket captain. Test captains tend to get between 4-8 years in the job - it is their to lose. Alan Border had it for 10 years. The role call of test captains is - I'd suggest - far more ingrained into all of Australia's sporting culture/psyche than that of Socceroos captains. With respect to a 'national team' to be recognised across the globe - I'm not so sure about that. Perhaps Australian individuals are less obvious doing well in the world of soccer - and perhaps many soccer people are only worldly as far as that game goes - - however, Australia is very well represented by teams/individuals both in Olympic and non-Olympic sports. Thankfully all our eggs aren't in the one 'team' basket. It's not a case of 'a national team' - but, 'a number of national teams' at a variety of sports in a variety locations/events at any given time. For whatever benefit that provide - perhaps it's good for trade when the Socceroos are hosted by the Kazaks however I'm not sure how much serious trade is talked when the Socceroos are eliminated early days at a FIFA WC finals tournament? Perhaps less shop talk there than a state minister on an official invite at a Springsteen concert??
punter
Guest
Perry, if you camping out, why Melbourne, it's fairly bleak, as a matter of fact they call it the Bleak City.
Perry Bridge
Guest
#harry houdini The cost of housing in Melb and Syd sees many people just 'camping out'!!!
Perry Bridge
Guest
#Mike Interesting you said this - I was often curious about the apparent head to head nature of the A-League vs the NRL in NSW/QLD - especially the first phase of expansion when for a time there was a 3 QLD, 3 NSW and only 3 from the rest of Australia (plus 1 in NZ) league. Toe to toe with NRL in Nth Qld, Gld Cst, Newcastle re regional markets and pinching Gosford. I always saw that as combative. Regional markets struggle to support 1 let alone 2 national franchise teams. But I was assured the rectangle codes would work together. I haven't seen much evidence of that (working together) - and you comments reinforce that for me now. It also reinforces the need for a level of self determination - a decent bargaining tool. Not saying either code needs to own an Etihad equivalent (as per the AFL) - but it wouldn't hurt!!
Chris
Guest
Nemesis can you send this info to the dimwits we have in Sydney who "look after" our grounds? Is it that hard for them to comprehend that they prepare god-awful surfaces and they need to be educated in greenkeeping 101.
hogdriller
Roar Rookie
@ SOL........"So the answer is no. The A-League do NOTHING to embrace the indigenous community. WRONG The A-League actually held Indigenous Football Week last season, almost a year ago as a major fundraising initiative for John Moriarty Football and also the Inaugural National Indigenous Football Championships were held in Nowra some 5 months ago where Illawarra Bungarra won the Open Women's Division 4-0. Also fair to point out that we have had the honour of having a great Indigenous role model, a guy by the name of Jade North captain his National side in Football, captained the Socceroos some years ago......when did you last hear of an Indigenous player captain the AFL's National side? Oops! there is no National side, my bad. "The booing of Goodes related more to his diving and sliding into players legs, not race" WRONG AGAIN The young lady called him an 'ape'. That was the defining incident leading to the AFL fan base's systematic racist taunts aimed at a great Australian athlete. And lets not forget the abuse from one of their own teams Presidents......didn't Eddie McGuire suggest that Goodes be used to promote the musical 'King Kong' ?
northerner
Guest
Son of Lordy - no, the booing of Adam Goodes did not have anything to do with his alleged "staging." There were and are far worse than him out there and they don't get booed. It had everything to do with an uppity black man daring to speak out. Some folks are okay with them playing the game, but no way they should stand up for themselves and their people. It was racism, pure and simple. Fortunately, there were a lot of crowds that didn't boo him and that does say something about a maturing society. But Australia and the AFL both still have a long way to go.
Nemesis
Guest
AAMI Park, Melbourne Melbourne Storm played there on Thursday. Melbourne Rebels played there on Friday. Playing surface looked perfect when Melbourne City played on Saturday. Why? It has nothing to do with the stadium's capacity. It has nothing to do with allowing the turf time to regenerate between events. It's all about having a hard-wearing turf that is suitable for high utilisation. https://goo.gl/photos/psbLeqQn6bzxD1Da8
northerner
Guest
To be honest, Mike, I don't think it much matters that the federal government has zero understanding of football or its place in the world. I'm a lot more concerned that the government, and its alternatives, have zero understanding of economics, international geopolitics or effective domestic governance. I'd prefer they all concentrate on their core business of running the country, and let football sort itself out.
uncle boo-boo
Guest
How come there's no mods? Or if there are, can we get some new ones that AREN'T AFL/NRL stooges please?!?
uncle boo-boo
Guest
"I don't know what any of that means..." By all rights you wouldn't be owning up to that, but kudos - it's the first step that's the hardest!
uncle boo-boo
Guest
And the fact you've totally misinterpreted the meaning of the term 'Eurosnob' all but proves you've never been involved with domestic football(or 'soccer' if you insist) in Australia..
Paul
Guest
A "national disgrace"? Seriously? Fmd, no one is obligated to pay attention to a sporting team. I'm rather fond of the Socceroos, but them not being 'recognised' in the way that you'd like is simply a function of a good number of Australians having a greater interest in other sports. Horrible, I know. What is it that you think that the federal government should be doing, but isn't? Should they intervene whenever the FFA looks like scheduling an international at venue with a crap surface? Or perhaps you're more of a 'purpose built stadium' kind of a guy. Australia's Wembley: a soccer only venue for WCQs, and to accommodate the 13,000 fans that attend an average Sydney fc home game. Because, you know, ties with Asia and that.