If Perth Glory owner Tony Sage is on the money and A-League franchises are on the verge of acquiring somewhere near an extra $80 million, a significant change is looming in Australian football.
Should the clubs financially benefit to the full extent of the numbers that Sage predicts, when an independent A-League finally moves beyond returning a mere 30 per cent of generated revenue back to them, the allocation of those funds will require some careful and strategic thinking.
Prioritising the allocation will be paramount and also difficult, considering the differing viewpoints and needs within the game.
The first order of business when increased finances are available should be to vastly improve the way the A-League is marketed and promoted in Australia.
Generating a professional and extensive promotional campaign that puts more sets of eyes than ever before on the A-League should be the No.1 item on the agenda when the clubs eventually meet to discuss their spending options.
Frankly, promotions of the past have been weak, limited and failed to engage new fans. Thus, the league’s growth has stagnated.
A successful campaign starts with a catchy song and visually showcases the best local and international talent from across the league.
Tina Turner’s Simply the Best nailed it for rugby league in the ’80s and ’90s and the Hoodoo Gurus’ What’s my Scene did wonders for the game soon after. Hunters and Collectors’ Holy Grail proved equally successful for the AFL.
From time to time, the NRL has attempted more subtle and obscure approaches, discovering that they don’t work. The Tom Keneally-inspired ‘Blow the whistle, ref’ campaign was laughable and lacked the throw-your-hands-in-the-air emotion that promotions need to inspire in fans.
Jimmy Barnes’ No Second Prize might work in the A-League, as could Boom Crash Opera’s Talk About It – a song that might just deliver a perfect message about drawing attention to the league and talking up its prospects.
There are undoubtedly many other possibilities and I would love to hear your suggestions, yet whatever the future of A-League fan engagement looks like, it must be better than previous attempts such as a young boy wandering the nation searching for a club to support.
Should Sage’s estimated $80-million figure prove to be accurate, a consensual agreement between the soon to be 12 A-League clubs to allocate $2 million each towards marquee talent would also be a prudent move.
Along with a significant increase in or an abandonment of the salary cap, permitting the recruitment of a third international marquee player and/or an additional overseas visa player could well prove pivotal.
A decent portion of the players who visit our shores on long or short-term deals entertain us commendably on the pitch and do much for Australia’s young players off it. Increasing the number of quality foreigners and luring even more notable talent should be a high priority when it comes to any decisions about where to allocate additional money in the A-League coffers.
The A-League needs more big-name foreign recruits like Keisuke Honda. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
In turn, the Y-League cannot be ignored, with considerable investment required to keep pace with our Asian Confederation opposition, many of whom appear to be light years ahead.
With greater numbers of experienced international players in the A-League and a potential improvement in quality thanks to an enhanced carrot with which to lure them, Australia’s Y-League talent pool needs to be ready to graduate.
Investing in the competition and fast tracking the development of local players via improved instruction and enhanced experiences will make their transition to fully-fledged top-tier professional football more fluid when it does occur.
Ignoring or under funding the Y-League now is tantamount to damaging the next generation of A-League stars and leaving them under-prepared for the rigours of the competition.
With women’s football also surging ahead with no apparent ceiling on its international popularity, a re-branded W-League must also be a part of the broader strategy, when the larger piece of the pie is indeed fed back into the clubs.
Investing in stadium facilities to allow for more double-headers and offering attractive joint club memberships to both the men’s and women’s teams will mesh the three leagues neatly.
With much criticism made around the lack of care many Australians have for A-League teams and the obvious disconnect between them and the NPL competitions around the country, investing financially, establishing a sense of community within and building connections between the three competitions will attract new fans.
Sage is looking at the injection of funds as a red-letter day for the leagues, envisioning eventual expansion into Asia within a decade.
He cites a potential figure of $1 billion in television revenue should a portion of that Asian audience become emotionally attached to the A-League.
That is debatable and still some time off, yet would see the competition become a truly burgeoning league.
As for now, there is the small matter of the decisions to be made by the clubs in terms of the additional profits they will receive in the shorter term.
Let’s hope some sage advice sees them spend it in the right way.
Larry1950
Guest
Avicii's 'Wake me up when it's all over' is a more suitable theme.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Waz I had a little to do with how the Northern Spirit connected to the player base... essentially its was thu regional associations.... Its not hard in the sense that each club has a committee normally of volunteers of somewhere between say 5 & 10 with a chair person ... they run the local park team appoint coaches get the canteen opened, nets set up taken down etc. These committees where what was used by the Northern Spirit to connect to the player base, and the connection to these committees was via the regional association and the regional association encouraged their park teams to follow first the Northern Spirit and in turn the NSL
Nemesis
Guest
40% is more than I watch. If anyone who doesn't like the ALeague tries to tell me they're watching 40% of matches every week between October to May, I will tell them: I don't believe you. So, I don't believe posers like Jack Russell & the others who have not even 1 positive comment to make about ALeague, are watching 40% of matches. There are full season ticket holders at ALeague clubs who don't watch 40% of the matches. These football-hating posers are lying. They might get away with nonsense on other sports forums. Their rubbish will be exposed on this forum.
RF
Roar Rookie
The question that logically arises if one accepts this as possibility is whether any Australian club could compete with a club backed by the financial and population resources of KL or Jakarta, if those cities were fully committed to the enterprise. Logically, the answer is no. And that, more than any other factor, will prevent anything like this idea ever being seriously discussed.
RF
Roar Rookie
Very pertinent notes on the geopolitical aspect of the relationship to China and Japan. As with Islam, people too often think of East Asia as a kind of de facto cultural bloc, when this could not be further from the truth. Also agree on the need to finally perform and the AFC. The salary cap has to go before this can possibly happen.
Nemesis
Guest
I'll be pleased when ALeague has engaged 50-75% of everyone who plays, volunteers, watches, administers community football across Australia. They don't need to pick a team & attend matches. They just need to switch on 1 match every week between October & May. Just like I switch on 1 NPL (Vic) match every week between March-September. Once the ALeague expands & we embrace the full football community with Pro/Rel, A-League to be the clear #2 watched team sport competition in every city of Australia for 8-9 months of the year.
chris
Guest
You wonder why these non football fans take such an interest. I mean its not the occasional response or one liner...its these full blown pages of meaningless guff that generally has no relevance to A-League/football. They would never ever go to a game but here they are day after day rolling out their usual "A-League is bad because....".
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Nemesis You make me concerned that you'll be feeding my personal preferences to the Russians..... ...btw - supporting Denmark (because I know more people/family who care) is akin to my supporting the All Blacks in Rugby (again, family ties). It's go nothing to do with my attitude toward either or any sport. It's got everything to do with my attitude to friends/family. Btw - my observations are based on living through it. I remember all too well the advertising that the FFA came out with - - and I at one point in time thought they had to succeed. That they would become the regular Friday night sports option of Aussies during the mid Dec through mid Feb extended 'holiday' season. Hasn't happened. Fadida is asserting they didn't try. I'm asserting - that to my observations - they did; and I'm still scratching my head somewhat that they seemed to muck it up. And I'm guessing that in the personal world of yourself (#Nemesis) that you're pleased because the theatre goers aren't qualified to have opinions or follow your game.
Nemesis
Guest
Fadida is offering his observations & market analysis based on actively engaging with A-League. Mike Munro is offering his observations & market analysis based on his Google searches & not watching A-League. He despises football so much he's an Aussie who proudly supported Denmark when Australia played that fixture at WC2018. Up to each of us to judge which person's market analysis of ALeague is rational & educated. And which person's analysis is utter garbage.
Churchman72
Roar Rookie
The way to do this is to have strong teams that regularly reach the quarterfinals (at least) of the Asian Champions League, playing attractive football that draws eyeballs in these nations to the A League. If we can get our league to a level where our teams are significantly stronger than the other ASEAN leagues and we ensure there is live coverage into these markets backed up by marketing etc., there is real potential to gain significant followers in the ASEAN countries. People in these countries are often well-disposed to Australia and may find Australian teams more palatable to back than sides from Japan or China for example (for historical/geopolitical reasons). Watching football in sports bars (and betting on the outcome) is popular in many of these places as well. Having A League games on the tv where the coverage can segue into the broadcast of the EPL and other top Euro leagues can benefit the A League as well as it becomes part of their regular football watching experience. This is where the opportunity lies to build fan bases for A League clubs in other countries- live broadcasts in a favourable timezone.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Fadida Well......agree to disagree. First point is that they DID have the opportunity to take a free hit. And secondly - the whole advertising kick off with Ridley Scott's production company and "Football but not as you know it".......was a clear targeting of sports theatre goers to attract them to a game of (a different) 'football' - during the time of year when there was a massive lack of regular sports to attend (i.e. irregular international cricket matches and the odd week or 2 of a tennis tournament). Then came the "Presets" "My People" - - was very catchy. That was the 2008/09 season. "90 Minutes 90 Emotions" promotion. That was a hugely funky tune - all very modern and catchy (although the video montage was perhaps a bit dark and almost off putting). I'd suggest the FFA took that free swing but for whatever reasons - missed the mark and by the time the early state v state KFC Big Bash was just starting to bubble...... ......and then we saw the FFA A-League trying to convert the passive soccer folk by telling them they gotta follow a team. That's still struggling. So I look now and wonder just what difference a song will make?? Be it Tina Turner or Ed Sheeran or John Denver.....
Nemesis
Guest
"We all know the reality that sees the best footballs choof off to Europe the first opportunity they get." What are you on about? Every league on the planet, other than the Top 4 leagues, the best footballers move away the first opportunity they get. So what? The local leagues in every country must give local players the best opportunity to develop to the highest level possible. People who don't follow football will never understand this. The ALeague must continue to focus on getting to the level where it can be similar to JLeague, KLeague, all the Central & Sth American leagues, and all the European leagues outside the Big 4. We might never get there, but that should be our aim. Create the best structures to ensure we produce the best players, who then move to the best football playing jobs in the world. You don't get it. I'm not surprised. You choose to remain clueless.
Churchman72
Roar Rookie
Is hat per match/round? Is it an apples for apples comparison?
Churchman72
Roar Rookie
212 days is short for a top flight football season, most European seasons last 34-40 weeks (including cups and international windows) - 238 to 280 days. Getting more teams into the competition to get the number of games over 30 per season is necessary to get the players up to elite levels of match fitness where they can compete against the very top players in the knockout rounds of the Asian champions league and even the club World Cup. Shorter seasons do Australian players no favours- we have one of the longest off seasons in world football.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
"You people just don’t get it." Oh grow up Nemesis and get that chip off your shoulder! The A-League is a financial basket-case and is vastly under-supported considering the potential audience. As for your laughable claim that the A-League's purpose is to "create the best footballers" - what are you smoking, and can you share it with the rest of us please! We all know the reality that sees the best footballs choof off to Europe the first opportunity they get. And we're still waiting for your thoughts on how to improve crowd numbers at A-League games. I know you're busy trying to shoot down anyone who dares criticise football, but you seem remarkably bereft of ideas yourself.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
40% is about all i watch.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
I've seen that video of the RBB chanting at a WSW wheelchair match.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
I'm sure I've read that Vic State gov have given MV up to $20 mil for their Academy facilities. It's great the way Vic gov supports football (& other sports). Roar doesn't get that level of support in Qld sadly.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I just tracked down Tony Sage's quote: "But if we had one team in Jakarta, one in Manila, one in Kuala Lumpur and one in Singapore, that is expanding your potential audience by 400 million people. That would drive TV revenues up - then, maybe, we would be looking at AU $1 billion instead of $400 million. " TV revenue jumping from $400 million to $1 billion. Anything is possible. We need visionaries like Sage. It all presents as a perfectly logical plan.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Mid, I’ve mentioned this before when you’ve used the “connect to the playing base” position. It’s not an incorrect statement or desire. The problem is how it’s approached/achieved. Gallop took the approach that there was the HAL and then the rest of football - this is a devisive approach compounded by the fact the rest of football often felt abandoned by the FFA and received little back from an organisation deemed to be out of touch. That is the disconnect that must be addressed - the rest of football exist for their own reasons (junior football, futsall, City and NPL comps), they do not exist as a customer base for the HAL ... any suggestion they do (ala Gallop) is counter productive as it drives them away. Pro/Rel may help fix it but it will take more than that imo. The FFA need to serve all of football first, not ask all of football to support 10 clubs!