Nikola Mileusnic scored one of the best goals seen anywhere in world football this weekend, but whether that was a good thing or not probably depends on your personality type.
Mileusnic’s dipping, swerving strike at Coopers Stadium on Sunday afternoon was one of the goals of this or any other A-League season.
It was a textbook left-foot volley scored from a perfectly executed throw-in by one of the most exciting young talents in the league.
Did many people see it? Depends who you ask.
For some A-League observers, the seemingly limitless potential of online streaming – with its cheaper price point and as yet unpublished viewer numbers – outweighs what we actually know.
But one thing we do know is that for all the talk of A-League fans having to sit through games in sweltering summer heat, they certainly don’t turn up in any great numbers when it’s cold.
Just 4,187 fans turned out at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong to witness Sydney FC’s 2-0 win over Western United on Sunday, while only 6,207 fans filed through the gates at Coopers Stadium.
Mention these numbers to a certain type of A-League fan and they’ll insist that they’re irrelevant, with the actual football on display supposedly the only topic worth discussing.
But the problem for every A-League club is that these numbers are down across the board and show no signs of trending upwards anytime soon.
(AAP Image/James Elsby)
Who’s to blame for this? That’s probably a broad philosophical question that could be answered any number of ways.
But it’s quicker just to point out it was Football Federation Australia who waged war on active supporter groups a few seasons ago, and not much has been done to entice new fans through the gates ever since.
No surprise, then, to see Sydney FC fans complain of heavy-handed security tactics on their trip to Geelong, with several fans allegedly removed from the bay for standing to watch the game.
There were photos of stadium security surrounding the away bay, the usual tut-tutting on Twitter with A-League boss Greg O’Rourke tagged in for good measure, and a promise from the FFA to look into the security arrangements.
And what will happen as a result of this investigation?
Nothing.
If the A-League has perfected one thing, it’s doing the grand sum of zero anytime some action is required.
So Western Sydney Wanderers fans will terrify stadium staff at Eden Park in Auckland next weekend. And Melbourne Victory fans can expect a hot reception from security in Geelong.
Because the only way that wouldn’t be the case is if the FFA stepped in and defended supporters, and history suggests that’s unlikely to happen.
Saying as much isn’t being negative, it’s simply acknowledging reality.
Yet as unhelpful as the FFA have historically been, they’re not solely to blame for the dwindling attendances and shrinking TV audiences.
At the end of the day, the responsibility for filling A-League venues has to fall on fans.
With that in mind, it’s nice to see fans of a club like Brisbane Roar trying to rebuild their active supporter base, after The Den effectively ceased to exist at the end of last season.
Anyone who wants to get involved with Brisbane Roar’s active support can get along to the XXXX Alehouse on Thursday night to have their say on the future of the club’s home end.
And the Roar need it, given that clubs like Victory and the Wanderers blow them out of the water in terms of atmosphere.
So was Mileusnic’s volley one of the goals of the season? Depends on whether you’re a glass half-full or half-empty kind of person.
If an exciting young player scores a screamer and hardly anyone was there to see it, did he really score a screamer at all?
Of course he did! But perhaps the more relevant question is: what are we going to do to rebuild active support?
The Ball Bobbled
Roar Rookie
Ridiculous as the game is it is administered by people who know what they are doing - thats the difference
The Ball Bobbled
Roar Rookie
They would have put a team in Tibboburra for a price
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
We need boutique stadiums. If you get the chance to go to the UK go to Craven Cottage. Wooden stands etc the way pommy football used to be it's awesome. Look at the Bris-Vegas game at Dolphin stadium. The place was rocking. Once Western get their boutique jobby built bring it on.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Gold so I’m not Robinson Crusoe
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Yep they need to harden up and learn what support means
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
That's exactly what I think we are trying to achieve but the media and the other codes can take great responsibility for painting a false picture that resonates with a large majority of Baby Boomers and Gen X'ers ie football doesn't belong here it's a foreign game. Take and hold faith in the generational transition.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
We don't have enough money for the Avgas jet fuel let alone the pilot
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
As a Jets fan, Mike this season is a long way from over. Come on you Jets!!!!
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Your absolutely right Franko, this has to be the best season in a long time. Yhe progress and quality of football from all teams is starting to show hopefully this is the beginning of the next level of the A-League. We just need some teams to start giving it to the Smurfs.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Nonr of those at Arthur Edden Oval. Come on you Jaffas
Jimmy
Roar Guru
I agree that filling it will be hard, but it’s such a great stadium in Brisbane City, there should be a long term plan to try and fill it, not some abstract wish for another, smaller stadium in Brisbane. It’s the world game in a city of 2 million with one top class team with a legendary manager, there is no reason crowds should be falling.
rolly
Guest
what a huge mistake it was to add a third Melbourne team every one was saying that melbourne has the population to sustain three teams thats why FFA and Foxtel demanded three teams for melbourne and three for sydney at the expense of new markets like wollongong and canberra . well now we can all see that melbournes third team is not wanted has no fan base no home ground not now and not in the foreseeable future and that melbourne cannot sustain three teams their crowds have been woeful atrocious football is tribal this team is homeless and fabricated would have been better off with south melbourne in the league than this team and sydney third team will prove the same . the league should have expanded to new markets that includes wollongong with a proven fan base and its own home ground and junior set up and a region that is behind its team and same with Canberra proven football regions all set up and ready to go but for the corruption that exists at FFA HQ. money is all ffa cared just cause western melbourne could pay 15 million for their licence so now we see money cannot buy a fan base or supporters their crowds are shite and have been every home game .watch the rot continue next season with the campbeltown team like the western suburbs of sydney can sustain two teams well it cannot not .
Punter
Roar Rookie
Thanks mate, couldn't have said it better.
Patrick
Roar Rookie
What a strange list. The richest 2.5 billion people in the world probably could not even afford cricket bats, have no idea where they got that number from. There is only a bit more than a billion people on the subcontinent. Do not know how they got to 2.5 billion.
Joe from Perth
Guest
The AFL does not lose potency outside of Victoria. WA, Tas and SA are, and have always been, AFL states, while, NSW and Qld are rugby states albeit now with a smattering of AFL (4 clubs). Football has always been number 3 or 4, everywhere.
chris
Guest
Just kick the ball in the general vicinity at the end of the ground and we will give you some points for doing that. I remember once talking to an AFL supporter about overhead kicks. She showed me a Swans player doing that and it was like...uhm - not quite what I was referring to. Falling backwards with one foot planted is not an overhead/bicycle kick. I proceeded to show them a Ronaldo overhead and it was like chalk and cheese in degree of difficulty. Even the vid on this page (scored by Hoffman - "Fischer" style) leaves the AFL version for dead.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
And to be fair - that's how CEOs work. They report to a Board. So if you've got a beef with how an organisation is being run strategically, complain about the Board, not the CEO.
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
What struck me when I was first introduced to Aussie Rules, were those silly four giant tooth picks at both ends of the arena. And the ridiculous score board showing six sets of numbers not knowing what number indicated the correct score line of who was actually in front.
At work
Roar Rookie
Why, does Gallop have access to a few billion $ that we’re not aware of that he can gift to the league each season?? Larry Kestleman should be commended for outlaying his own money for the sport he loves, but he can’t and won’t do it forever, he would expect the NBL to start paying its own way in the short to medium future. If it can’t then I’d be concerned as a basketball fan in Aus.
At work
Roar Rookie
Depends who you follow, but Sydney’s squad has been very consistent for a number of years now. The only reason other clubs have high turnover is because they’re chasing. Although if the A League brought in transfer fees than clubs would likely offer longer contracts. Regarding your demand for more (true) marquee, of that’s what’s required to get you to attend matches than I’d argue you’re not much of a fan. There’s plenty of quality going around if you’re willing to look.