Whisper it quietly around a code that has lurched from crisis to crisis in recent years, but there’s suddenly an air of optimism as the new A-League season dawns.
So Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory are out of the FFA Cup?
Where once that might have sent Football Federation Australia into paroxysms of displeasure, there’s a sense it’s no longer the end of the world.
And it’s amazing just how beneficial a change in attitude can be.
Brisbane Roar are a case in point. Having in the past treated the FFA Cup as nothing more than a pre-season nuisance, new coach Robbie Fowler has made it clear that phoning it in is no longer an option.
I trundled out to Leichhardt Oval on Wednesday night and I wasn’t surprised to see Fowler’s new-look Brisbane side down Sydney FC with relative ease.
Not because I’m some sort of clairvoyant – my form in The Roar’s tipping comp last season is testament to that – but mainly because I’d already seen a couple of Brisbane’s games this season.
Unlike some of the online critics who seem to base their most strident criticisms on little more than a gut feel and a few out-dated stereotypes, I had actually watched Fowler’s team go around before they saw off the Sky Blues.
So I already knew Tom Aldred would skipper the side on the night, that Jay O’Shea looks a handful and that bringing Brad Inman back to Australia could prove a masterstroke.
And I also knew how desperate Stefan Mauk was to crack the starting side.
James O’Shea of Brisbane celebrates (AAP Image/Joel Carrett)
That much was obvious when Mauk came on as a substitute and was crunched by two late tackles in a recent friendly against NPL side Brisbane City, prompting the midfielder to respond with his most raging angry ant impression.
Such was Mauk’s outrage at twice being poleaxed that he looked in real danger of being sent off in an otherwise nondescript friendly.
Yet I watched Fowler’s reaction on the touchline and he was cool as a cucumber.
And that calmness is translating to his players on the pitch judging by Brisbane’s methodical take-down of a Sydney FC side that likewise wanted to win the tie.
Brisbane Roar will be tough to beat this season – but of course the story everyone’s really excited about is the release of the fixture list.
Was it worth the wait? You bet.
More so for the fact that it finally signals the countdown to the start of the new campaign than anything, although there are of course some obvious attractions.
Western United’s first-up trip to Wellington Phoenix is a marketing masterclass, while Western Sydney Wanderers welcome the Central Coast Mariners as their first opponent to Bankwest Stadium.
There are more afternoon kick-offs and what seems to be a renewed focus on no longer making it as difficult as possible for fans to actually attend games.
Who’d have thought making some smarter decisions might actually lead to an injection of confidence around the game?
Cliché or not, there’s no denying this is a make or break season for the A-League.
Not only do officials need to arrest the dramatic decline in interest in the league, they somehow need to win back some of the fans who seem to have disappeared off the face of the earth.
A sensible, well-thought-out fixture list is the first step towards doing that.
And allowing an independent A-League to make decisions that benefit the fans as much as the game’s broadcasters also plays a role.
The next step will be to build a bridge with active supporters and try and rekindle some interest on the terraces.
But first things first. Wednesday night’s FFA Cup action was absorbing once again and we’ve now finally got an A-League fixture list.
Let’s try not to jinx it, but things are looking up for Australian football.
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
"of aristocratic descent" = stopped reading
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
I think Mike was one of the more balanced ‘negative’ writers last season in, by any metric, a bad year for the LEAGUE. I too agree that there is a good feeling comming into the next LEAGUE and take no umbridge at Mike warming a little to it. What I do want to point out is that the LEAGUE is not FOOTBALL. I think the following two views I currently hold are seperate but related points (1) The LEAGUE is in a good place and there is a bit to become optimistic about (2) FOOTBALL is in some very significant, strategic trouble in light of the new board’s terms of release with the APFCA. The whole of FOOTBALL will be negatively impacted in strategic and financial terms, with one exception – I suspect the LEAGUE will be better for it. I’ll discuss that in the correct thread at a future time.
Jo Bob
Guest
You mean you watching Brisbane Roar play a 1 off match vs a select team of kids and they won something like 12 nil you have to be joking, that you KNEW this would happen, against a Sydney team thats bossed it for years and made some great signings in the off season. You're blowing your trumpet after a single FFA cup match.... lol
chris
Guest
Sam you sound like the last person on the Titanic. Coming on here telling us how good AFL is lol. From what I see on the news sports reports, crowds look to be in 4 figure territory at best. Yes yes I know the AFL rubbery figures dept will tell us otherwise, but seeing is believing!
chris
Guest
Punter I have to agree it looked more like 1,600 than 16,000. The 30k GWS members had better things to do possibly than to turn up to watch their derby.
chris
Guest
Waz give it up mate. You do go on and on at times
Waz
Roar Rookie
Kanga putting the jinx on Jets there, out next round. Plus, is it “little ol’ Newcastle” or “the heartland of soccer in this country”, I’m confused ;)
Waz
Roar Rookie
It depends whether you believe everything you read? And what was the definition of “doomed”? Did they mean the game would fall apart and no one would be playing in 20 years or doomed to struggle in junior AFC competitions??
Waz
Roar Rookie
Plus their home stadium in Geelong is unavailable for Round 1 (due to motocross?).
jbinnei
Guest
Buddy - Football history gets chewed to bits on this site. Dutch football is no different from European football in general and the myth that has been built up around the term "Dutch Football" is one of the great mysteries in our game. Professional football started in Holland around 1956/57 and only 18 years later were playing in the World Cup Final,a remarkable feat indeed. They continued into 1978 ,again being losing finalists but after those 5 or 6 years of ascendancy, nature took over,or should I say money took over and Michels,Cruyff,and others took their talents to Spain and Italy. When the Germans finally opened their doors to foreign players, the glory days were gone and "Dutch Football" took up what could be better described as ' their place" in European football. What they have done better than anyone else is setting up another myth that their coaching is better than every one else and there is little doubt their coaches have made a business out of that perception, taking up high positions at clubs all over Europe with varied results. We too in Australia fell for this concept , Hiddink, Verbeek and others having come ,been reasonably successful, and moved on to bigger and better deals. Football is a long lived game which is constantly in a state of flux and close examination will surely point out that Dutch Football is no better than football played in a host of other countries. Cheers jb
jbinnie
Guest
Fadida - Careful my friend ,last year's average attendance figure for WSW settled at 9,300 per game but had it not been for their 2 "home game derby matches" that figure would have dropped to 7,530 per match ,a long way short of the 10,000 you advocate. There is little doubt that their "gypsy "movement between grounds did not help but again that is a factor that could have be foreseen and acted upon. jb
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
What he said.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Western poached the 'Nix's coach and several of their best players. There is a lot of interest in the almost immediate return of these individuals to Wellington albeit in different colours. It is a drama that has caught the attention of both the media and fans as no-one really knows how Wellington will react; not even Wellington.
Dart
Guest
Hi Mike, Why is Western United, the new team, playing the first round in another country a ‘marketing masterclass’? I would have thought that a home game in round one to welcome the new team would have been the best option. Or a game against one of the big clubs.
RF
Roar Rookie
The relevant question is where the money would come from.
Sam
Guest
Ah......distant memories. Brisbane Lions have replaced the Roar, which is now a meow.
Winnie the Pooh (Emperor of China)
Guest
Yesterday there was a piece in the news that had a story of Australian under age coaches saying how unless a lot more is put into juniors soccer in Australia is doomed. So, which is it? On the up or on the way down?
Sam
Guest
Ah .......Nah
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
This "Australianisms" word is getting to me,
Whiskeymac
Guest
Nice article