There were 24 goals scored in an astonishing final A-League round – and we’d have missed seeing most of them if all games kicked off simultaneously.
How good will the finals be? It’s worth asking after a weekend of high drama that saw Brisbane snatch the last top six spot in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
When Adam Taggart gave Glory an early lead with a predatory lob, it looked like it was going to be another long night for the Roar.
But substitute Henrique vindicated coach John Aloisi’s decision to re-sign him with two superb goals, before Jamie Young took centre stage.
Young is one of the A-League’s most interesting characters, but he was having one of his semi-regular shockers even before he gave away an inexplicable penalty for pushing Andy Keogh at a corner.
It looked like it would cost Aloisi’s team their season, only for the Roar’s cult hero to parry Diego Castro’s subsequent spot-kick in an enthralling 3-2 win.
And the weekend became a tale of two penalties when Oriol Riera’s miss in Western Sydney’s demoralising 3-2 loss to Adelaide United on Sunday ended up costing the Wanderers dearly.
He wasn’t helped by Keanu Baccus, who looked at first glance to have been harshly sent off following intervention from the VAR.
But a second angle showed what we originally missed – Baccus kicked Johan Absalonsen, with the Dane eventually going off injured – and Wanderers fans wondering where it all went wrong need look no further than that mindless dismissal.
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Where to now for Josep Gombau? The Wanderers were unbeaten under interim coach Hayden Foxe, however the Spaniard rarely convinced after taking over from Foxe early in the campaign.
Do the Wanderers stick or twist now that they’ve missed the finals? Gombau may feel he deserves the chance to perform a major overhaul of his squad, but it remains to be seen whether Western Sydney gives him one.
The same could be said for Perth Glory. Kenny Lowe might be the most likeable coach in the A-League, but it hasn’t always helped him get the best out of his maddeningly inconsistent side.
And the Glory’s inability to transform themselves into a Western Australian juggernaut warrants further scrutiny.
Just as Perth’s season was coming to a shuddering halt, Crystal Palace were kicking off against their bitter rivals Brighton and Hove Albion in front of an absolutely rocking Selhurst Park.
Palace’s ramshackle, Archibald Leitch-designed stadium is perhaps the most idiosyncratic in the English Premier League, and in its current guise it holds just under 26,000 fans.
So it’s similar to nib Stadium. And Palace’s rivalry with Albion – borne of several controversial past meetings – is akin to the rivalry between Glory and the Roar.
What, then, is the difference between the two fixtures? Maybe the fact that fans in South London chose to turn up at Selhurst Park and watch in person, at the same time many fans in Perth flicked on their television to watch the same game, rather than head out to the venue?
And until a few more football fans start caring about the A-League, we can look forward to the metrics looking as bad next season as they did this one.
Which is why the decision not to play all five Round 27 fixtures at the same time makes sense.
If you were Fox Sports and you’d recently shelled out $346 million to show the A-League for six seasons, why would you want to dilute your broadcast metrics by showing five of those games at the same time in one of the season’s key rounds?
You’re not adding new fans – you’re simply forcing existing ones to miss four games Fox Sports have already paid to broadcast.
It’s a bit like fans who continue to complain about the finals.
What they do overseas is irrelevant – simply because this is Australia, and we already have our own unique football culture.
So maybe it’s time to celebrate the A-League for what it is, instead of endlessly worrying about everything it isn’t.
stu
Guest
Ok....so lets assume there will no longer be the need to critisise othe leagues with the claim that the a-league is better.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
Great to hear. The Lowys could do with some love on most Australian football boards. You could be just the man to provide it. Trying to argue in favour of nepotism representing good governance might be a bridge to far, however.
bryan
Guest
The reason the "A League" has negligible FTA audiences is that there is negligible FTA coverage. The FTA broadcasters involved get the "leftovers" after Foxtel has taken the rest. Back in the 1960s the WANFL in WA & the FA in the UK believed that TV coverage adversely affected attendance at the games. The ABC was only allowed to show the last half of the Aussie Rules games in the Metro area. Instead, we got to watch the FA "Match of the day" ( the day was usually about a week before). I particularly noticed the miserly number & positioning of the cameras-- apparently to make the Televised game less attractive. Since that time, it has become evident that TV coverage actually increases the likelihood of viewers attending games in person. Foxtel tried to bluff the AFL & Seven Network into not having all Dockers & Eagles games shown in Perth. Those two organisations, along with the WA fans, had enough "grunt" to make that a "non-starter". The FFA, Ten, & the fan base don't have that sort of pull, & probably never will, so those of us who are not in the "first flush of youth" & have a bit of trouble getting to the NIB, need to get Foxtel to get our "Glory" hit!
Blue
Guest
13. LIVE: AFL WEST COAST V GOLD COAST FOX SPORTS 503: 64,000 So what's your point? That a match involving an expansion team on the one hand, and broadcast on FTA in WA on the other, only rated 50% MORE than the competing football game? You're making Grobbelaar's point for him. Now don't forget to question my right to point on a public chat site instead of engaging with the question....
Marco
Guest
Thanks for reinforcing my point, feeling vindicated.
Justin Mahon
Guest
I haven’t changed my mind - thanks for taking an interest whoever you are now or used to be. I’m Justin Mahon - you can call me Justin however.
Nemesis
Guest
"I occasionally visit this tab including all other sports on Roar" I've had a quick check of the Rugby tab, RL, US Sports, eSports, Racing, Motor Sports, Tennis ... nothing from you. You're the typical AFL pest who just comes to the football discussion to annoy & disrupt = aka a social media troll.
marco
Guest
@ Post Hac I'm here because I occasionally visit this tab including all other sports on Roar, to try enlighten my views on sports. I actually seek alternative opinion and views, its educational. But I hate vitriolic and derogatory remarks from keyboard warriors. I can see I've irritated you but you are just a Patsy - look it up! You actually think this is constructive posting? ................"By default they come to ALeague discussions every day, even though there are so many discussions in the Coward Punch Sports – should the shorts be tighter? Are my arms looking buff in this singlet? Go pledge allegiance .................. to the Simulator
Nemesis
Guest
@chris You're wasting your time liaising with one of the really cerebrally deficient Crash & Bash posers on this board. Probably too much powder & jabs, or too many punches to the head leaves them ill-equipped to follow even the simplest discussion.
chris
Guest
What are you going on about? You asked me what AFL oval was I referring to in regards to where I was on Sunday. I responded by saying that it was literally across the road from Blacktown Sports Centre where there are football fields. Thats where I was at. Across the road down Eastern Rd there was a huge wide AFL oval that was empty. Does that make sense or do I have to break it down in point form for you? Maybe a power point presentation?
Casper
Guest
They play st Blacktown Sports Centre, so why would they play at some oval opposite it? You really are a feeble person.
chris
Guest
Oh here we go. The Spanish Inquisition. It was literally across the road from Blacktown Sports centre. Empty all day except for a few seagulls and magpies.
Casper
Guest
What AFL match was that on Sunday and what oval did you drive past?
chris
Guest
oh yes Casper here you are. So after the Swans what exactly do you have? 17k watching on 7maaaate and empty AFL ovals.
Casper
Guest
Chris, you really do tell the lamest stories. The Swans are easily the most popular team to watch live in Sydney. Their average attendance is probably around 20k more than the next most popular. I'm sure the AFL would be happy with that damp squid.
Nemesis
Guest
Indeed. It's called commerce. When you rent a house, you provide all the funding for the owner to pay the mortgage. In return, you get a place to live. Each party to a commercial transaction should emerge from the transaction feeling positive. If they do not, then they're irrational for entering that commercial transaction. ALeague gets a paltry amount of money from TV Rights. We know ALeague can survive without FoxSports money. The competition would have to tighten its belts but we started with $0 TV income in the 1st season. How about the other competitions? I wonder how they'd survive without TV money?
chris
Guest
Over the past weekend I was coaching my team in Sydney's west. Every football ground i drove passed had football games going. This was early Sunday morning. After finishing coaching I drove to Sydney's north west (AFL "heartland" in Sydney) to play a game. My game started at 5 pm and finished under lights as did the game on the field next to me. In all my travels I passed one AFL ground. And it was empty when I drove passed in the morning and still empty in the afternoon. The AFL needs to commit more money and ask for more giant ovals as clearly this is the issue why no one plays or watches it up here.
chris
Guest
Haha spot on. We keep hearing about the behemoth and juggernaut that the AFL is. Here in Sydney its more like a damp squib rolling down a slight decline. Mr AFL doesnt like to share those figures though. They make the A-League look good : )
Nemesis
Guest
In Syd & Bri, AFL is as anonymous as ALeague. All those tens of millions of marketing dollars every year & media that includes the AFL brand positively into every aspect of conversation... But, they can't get any more interest than our crap, low quality, poorly administered ALeague.
chris
Guest
Seven's Afternoon of Football - Sunday April 15 - 17,000 Where would AFL be without Melbourne?