A-League crowds are a concern, even if the football is fine

Australia is the hardest place in the world to run a national competition because: 1) long distances for a relatively small population. 2) Intense competition from other codes and other sports. Let's not be defeatist but let's understand the local difficulties and compare not us to other friendlier environments without qualifications.

@nemiss Most of those people would go to every match as one who caught the train to Sydney games we filled at least three carriages each game and then those that drove and hired mini buses .there was definitely a buzz the man created just compare the crowds with Del Piero and after he left .I know graham arnold isn't interested in big name players .he is a no frills coach .we want our own team the wolves back in the A league .

Nemesis: the thing you don't seem to understand is that this is an open blog, not a private chat room. You can't just put up nonsensical comments about other codes and expect them to slip past unnoticed. It's the modern world: deal with it. By all means, point out to the AFL numpty that some/some of the AFL teams are artificial creations (but yet again, I remind you that the AFL's Port Adelaide has been in existence for almost 150 years - longer than Man United, I believe). But don't try to argue that the Aussie Rules culture in WA and SA is a recent marketing concoction. As for my family member, he is very real and he does still follow Brisbane. I don't know why you seem to find that nonsensical. Perhaps it's because you don't have much understanding of sports fans and why they choose the teams they do. Lots of people follow teams in communities other than their own, you know. There are plenty of A League supporters on this tab who also follow EPL or La Liga teams, maybe because they spent a year in England or their dad was Spanish. So what? Choosing a team, sticking with it, isn't necessarily a rational exercise. If there are old Fitzroy or South Melbourne fans that follow the Lions or the Swans instead of transferring allegiance to a traditional enemy team, who are you to say it's silly?

If any Aleague fan were to invade an AFL discussion & suggest AFL clubs are plastic, then you have every right to retort " You can’t dismiss the West Coast Eagles or the Adelaide Crows for “not having a history”" But, the thing is . no ALeague fan does that. Rather, an AFL numpty has come to this discussion sneering at the contrived creation of ALeague clubs. And, I'm just pointing out that every AFL club outside Victoria is a contrived creation. And, I don't care what your mythical Fitzroy family thinks. No sensible person will consider a team that is now located in Brisbane, some 1800kms away, is the same community team that was formed in the inner city suburbs of Melbourne. That's beyond the silliest thing I've heard.

Perth Glory is one team which was not a marketing creation, with a long history going back about a quarter of a century.

As I said, Port Adelaide FC has been around since 1870. So far as I know, Port Adelaide is not in the state of Victoria. And I have family members who are Fitzroy tragics and who now follow the Lions. They seem to think there's still a connection, however tenuous. In the larger world of sports generally, teams do change location: the NFL's Rams have had at least three homes, and the MLB's World Series is about to be contested by the Dodgers, originally of Brooklyn, now of LA, but always the Dodgers. The football model is not the only professional sports model out there, after all. In any case, none of what you've said addresses the thrust of my argument: that it is both unfair and untrue to argue there was never a strong Aussie Rules culture in either WA or SA, or that the emergence of expansion teams in those states was in any way, shape or form different from the creation of A League teams. You can't dismiss the West Coast Eagles or the Adelaide Crows for "not having a history" when supporting an A League team that didn't exist 15 years ago. The same standards apply to both. And that's my point.

so melbourne victory is a plastic artifically created entity ..... clarity is good by the by ... you wrote "... most of the clubs have been created by marketing teams" .... which of the a-league clubs werent created by marketing teams?

To be fair, the only thing plastic at Port Adelaide are the tarps. Interstate clubs shouldn't be judged because they're not Collingwood or Richmond. They now have permanent footholds in these states and will never be evicted, that's the main game these days. Maintaining relevance and presence Regarding your last bit, ega-rich powerful clubs like Chelsea and Man U don't relocate Fuss, that's a false example. Poorly performing and dud sides get relegated and often move to great success Just ask the Baltimore Orioles

"you can scarcely label the newer teams in the AFL ... as marketing “confections” – unless you apply the same term to all the current A League teams" I'm an ALeague fan & I'm happy to admit most of the clubs have been created by marketing teams. I'm sure most ALeague fans are not delusional & would agree. The problem is the idiocy of hearing AFL fans talking about teams that are created artificially, when every AFL club, other than the 10 Victorian teams, are all plastic, artificially created entities. Relocating a team from Melbourne to Brisbane is similar to Chelsea moving from London to Belgrade. Would they still be Chelsea? Or, moving a team from Melbourne to Sydney, same as relocating Manchester United to Hamburg. Would anyone still think they're ManUtd? Utter nonsense

Punter - the problem with the code wars stuff is that people believe and follow what they think they know, which is not necessarily the truth. Anon doesn't know much about the long history of football in Aus or its relationship to local communities, but it would seem that you don't know much about the long history of Aussie rules either. The WAFL was founded in 1885 and the SANFL way back in 1877. In fact, the SANFL is one of the oldest leagues in the world. The Port Adelaide club has been around since 1870, and there are clubs at lower levels in both states that are over a century old as well. So the history of Aussie rules in those two states is as deep as the history of football in other areas of the country. And you can scarcely label the newer teams in the AFL - particularly the ones in WA and SA, but also the Lions and Swans, which were old teams that moved - as marketing "confections" - unless you apply the same term to all the current A League teams and expansion candidates as well. You yourself feel a strong affinity to SFC, because you live there, love the game, relate to the team. But why do you think someone living in Freo can't feel the same way about the Dockers, and for the same reason? What makes one team genuine and the other a "confection?" To me, they're both representations of the communities in which they exist.

Utter nonsense. There are no NRL teams in Perth or Adelaide to take crowds away from 4 AFL teams. There are no AFL teams in Canberra, Newcastle, Townsville to take crowds away from those NRL teams. And, you're delusional if you think AFL fans are attending Melb Storm games when their AFL team isn't playing. You're delusional if you think NRL fans are attending Swans, GWS, Lions, or Suns games when their teams aren't playing.

Just showing how soccer in Australia is not the mega sport that some think it is Get out of your lunch box

AFL takes NRL crowds directly during the winter. Who takes the A League crowds? Oh thats it, the horses.

Thanks PH. I would have thought the answer was pretty obvious so didnt bother to respond.

Spruce You are very wrong, Spotless is significantly harder to get to. 1) Train wise most people have to change at least once 2) Parking, plenty of free parking at Parramatta on game day, virtually zero at SOP, cost be an extra $25 per home game, plus further to drive (North West Sydney) 3) Eating, most people would eat before or after the game in Parramatta, walk up to the ground, food wise at SOP is pretty dire, and I know restaurants have taken a hit in Church Street with no Football or League. 4) Viewing is crap at Spotless it is simply terrible, there is no redeeming feature of watching a game there, I prefer ANZ but only marginally. And the most important no Harry's for after the game, like I said DIRE

That is a good get, a very good get

I'm really happy De Silva is doing well, obviously people see a lot in him, I really hope he fires, (just not against us anymore)

The same in every sport in every country. If not so, why would you get bigger crowds for some teams over others? Why are derbies a sell out? The opposition is important

FOX pick the kick off times not the FFA. FOX does not outlay money so someone else can run the show. Brisbane Roar have tried over the years to find new owners but never will due to, stupid kick off times, rip off food prices that go to the catering company, rip off cost to hire the stadium that the Govt gets, and a crap playing surface. The pristine surface mention in the article will last for about the next two home games and then the surface destroying concerts arrive and then we have a cow paddock for the rest of the season. Add to that a local paper owned by Newscorp (FOX) that treats football as a z-class citizen. So they want someone who will have no control over anything apart from paying all the bills to buy the Roar - no chance. Who can forget the Liverpool visit where priority for tickets was given to everyone except the Roar members, thanks FFA. Membership after the Liverpool debacle drop from 11k to 5k and the locals who got priority especially the local Liverpool fans have never been back to see the Roar. That Liverpool game was probably one of the biggest marketing disasters in history. What fools would sign a contract to bring Liverpool to town at the expense of the Roar members, FFA. So the problems up here in Bribane are just to many to get a good solid owner and support. People have to remember FOX has the big bucks invested in NRL and AFL and only bought football to keep it in it's place. The old business practice of buying up a competitor and shelving their product to safe guard yours.

Chris it's fun to play with their insecurities, especially as it's about a sport.