This crazy A-League season gets more interesting by the round, but only if we’re judging it by the action on the pitch and not by every other metric generated off it.
One sure-fire way to gauge the health of any A-League season is by monitoring how engaged Melbourne Victory fans are with the current campaign.
Andrew Nabbout’s stunning stoppage-time winner against Adelaide United on Saturday night means Victory fans can dream about finals football for at least another week.
And Victory’s improbable come-from-behind 2-1 win over the Reds was as gripping as any match we’ve seen this season.
Kristian Opseth seems like the last player you’d expect to open the scoring with such panache, but the big Norwegian busted the game wide open with a superb early goal for Adelaide.
It wasn’t until Marco Rojas equalised with a razor-sharp finish that Victory ever really looked capable of winning the game, and they might not have even done that had George Blackwood not smashed a swerving effort against the crossbar minutes earlier.
By the time a battered and bruised Nabbout cut inside to blast an unstoppable rising effort into the top corner of the goal in the 91st minute we’d witnessed one of the most enthralling games of the season.
(Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
And it was hardly the only high-quality action on what was an absorbing weekend of football.
Will Nikolai Topor-Stanley ever hit a strike more sweetly than his rocket in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Perth Glory?
Will Max Burgess start scoring for fun now that he’s broken his long goal drought with a hat-trick in Western United’s 6-2 win over the Central Coast Mariners?
And why did Mariners midfielder Gianni Stensness decide that particular thrashing in Geelong was the optimal time to pull out one of the most acrobatic goals of the season?
If we judged the A-League solely by what happened on the pitch, there’d be no reason to believe it was any less entertaining than any of the other leagues around the world.
But we don’t just judge by what happens on the pitch. We analyse attendances and debate broadcast ratings and look at all the other facets that make up the whole picture.
Often the football itself gets pushed to the side amid the clamour to base our opinions on every other metric that casts the A-League in a bad light.
Sometimes those sort of complaints are perfectly understandable.
It defies belief why Melbourne Victory continue to play games out of Marvel Stadium when it’s clear their fan-base can’t stand the venue.
Both Melbourne clubs charge ridiculous ticket prices that bear no resemblance whatsoever to the current economic climate, with ever-dwindling attendances being the natural result.
But while the A-League has its problems – and it’s high time the clubs themselves realised there’s nothing stopping them thinking about some new and novel ways to attract fans through the gates – there’s nothing inherently wrong with the standard of football.
Coincidentally, the 25th season of Major League Soccer kicked off over the weekend and I watched bits and pieces of a few games on beIN Sports.
The crowds were huge, the pitches were a contrast in quality and the standard was the same as it’s always been in the MLS: good enough without ever threatening to be great.
But what makes the MLS entertaining is something we lost sight of long ago in the A-League. North Americans know their league isn’t the best in the world, but they shrug their shoulders and still turn out in decent numbers to watch it anyway.
We only do that for the big games – and even those are getting fewer and farther between.
This was a hugely entertaining weekend of football. It was the perfect reminder that we can enjoy the A-League for what it is instead of focusing incessantly on what it isn’t.
Post_hoc
Roar Rookie
Thanks for that, sometimes one gets lost in it.
Kanggas2
Roar Rookie
Post hoc. Don’t talk logic to him. If He still bleating after 6 days he will never get over it . I don’t remember him complaining that Ryan Grant only got 2 weeks for a dis gusting 2 footed challenge, so he’s not impartial enough to debate with .
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
Post hoc, here is a commentary from an independent source; THE FACTS, you were right on the Tilio yellow card, but the other point you were making you are wrong. www.goal.com "We started the second half with the Sky Blues threatening to run over the Wanderers, but they held firm and were able to become stronger as the game played on. Duke was able to get under the Sky Blues skin once again, as he nodded one past Redmayne, finding the back of the net in the 81st minute. However, there was some late drama, after Georgievski was sent off for violent conduct, after kicking Tilio in the face in the 90th minute. The Wanderers were able to hold on and continue their charge towards the top six."
Post_hoc
Roar Rookie
Kayo, he did, Tilio got a yellow card for the tackle. There was no contact, you could measure the time between the kick out and his 'reaction' with a sundial. Sorry if there was contact there would be a mark, there wasn't. Like I said you can have you opinion but not your own facts.
Kanggas2
Roar Rookie
Micko is the Pauline Han son of the roar “ I don’t like “” Just put your fingers in your ears if it helps block out the evidence you asked for
Micko
Roar Rookie
:thumbup:
Kanggas2
Roar Rookie
Micko the a league will have to defy FIFA to defy the ffa, if it comes to that .. Just build a wall to keep out the future if it helps you .
Micko
Roar Rookie
Thanks for being a good sport Nem! :thumbup:
Nemesis
Guest
Wellington would fit the same as Melbourne Victory. Depending on the Pro/Rel regulations, I'd expect initially there'd be a playoff between the bottom of Div 1 & Top of Div 2. If NIX aren't good enough they'll end in A-League Div2. If they finish bottom or bottom 2 of Div 2 then they could be out of the A-League system if an NPL team passes the other Selection Criteria. Seriously, if any existing A-League club cannot finish above the bottom 1-2 in a 28 team system that might include semi-professional clubs, playing 26 matches, then they're utterly rubbish & should be booted out of the ALeague. Other sports might enjoy such mediocrity, but in football it's hindering the sport achieving excellence.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Well lucky I got you Nem! :stoked: And by the way, where do the Phoenix & NZ fit in to your pro-rel system?
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
The ref would have booked both if the ref thought SFC player had fouled him—it was a fair tackle that Geo took offence to who isn’t use to it. The VAR conclusively showed all the evidence of the tackle and the disgraceful act of retaliation. Yes, I have been in involved in similar knocks—not every knock draws blood there was definitely deliberate contact and intent. That’s a Straight RED! You should know that, which I do believe you do.
Nemesis
Guest
"The FA in England literally has no jurisdiction over the EPL." Again, you interrupt to talk utter rubbish. The ALeague model is exactly the same as the EPL model. The English FA has the same Golden Vote to stop the EPL from doing anything that's not in the best interest of football in England. The EPL pays an annual distribution from central revenue to the English FA. You really are incredibly ill informed.
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
The ref would have booked both if the ref thought SFC player had fouled him---it was a fair tackle that Geo took offence to who isn't use to it. The VAR conclusively showed all the evidence of the tackle and the disgraceful act of retaliation. Yes, I have been in involved in similar knocks---not every knock draws blood there was definitely deliberate contact and intent. That's a Straight RED! You should know that, which I do believe you do.
Micko
Roar Rookie
So what's all the fuss about an "independent A League" then? Sounds like it's not independent at all if FFA can just overrule at anytime. The FA in England literally has no jurisdiction over the EPL. And what role does NZ play in your pro-rel expansion system? Does NZ get guaranteed teams to replace the Phoenix etc?
Nemesis
Guest
@Micko this is tiresome. All the information you ask is known to people who are engaged with football. If you're interested, how about getting basic knowledge on the topic. The A-League is now independently run by a separate Business Unit. The legal separation hasn't occurred because it could raise issues with existing sponsorship contracts & the TV broadcast contract. Once the legal separation occurs, the FFA will still have a 20% share in the ALeague entity. The FFA will receive a distribution that is 12.5% greater than the highest distribution paid to any club in any year, with a minimum distribution of $4.5 million per year. The FFA will also control a "Golden Vote" on any decision made by the League which will enable the FFA to prevent anything that is done, if the FFA considers it's not in the best interest of the sport in Australia. Educate yourself, then you might be able to add to the discussion instead of being a constant nuisance.
Post_hoc
Roar Rookie
he didn't kick him, he didn't make contact, you can have your own opinion but you can't have you own facts. He stood over and abused him because it was an atrocious tackle and he pretended he got kicked in the face. Now I assume you have played football and are well aware what a stud would do to the soft tissue around the face and mouth. zero blood, zero cuts nothing, he missed him completely.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Yes Kanggas but what “football association”? The A League is currently in the process of becoming completely independent from FFA, who obviously won’t be able to tell them what to do in their own league…who makes the rules here?
Para+Ten ISUZU Subway support Australian Football
Roar Rookie
:laughing: After he kicked the young rookie SFC player in the head he then proceeded to stand over the kid yelling abuse at him like a schoolyard bully he is. Yes, Georgevski did shake the ref's hand. If you saw that happening to your child in the schoolyard with a school teacher (ref) you would be OK with that? Btw congratulations on WSW's win, it's going to make the next derby even more interesting.
Micko
Roar Rookie
The problem is you can have those types of games in the FFA Cup which is the proxy B League anyway. I just can’t see them being convinced to allow themselves to be demoted. I think that horse has bolted and you need to accept a one way pro-rel system, if you’re that keen for it. And what the hell do you do with Wellington Phoenix? Do they stay in Australian domestic comps or do you demote them back to NZ? Who do you promote ahead of them, an Aussie team or some random kiwi team?
Kanggas2
Roar Rookie
Transfer fees also would be via current a league clubs , not just npl. It’s works every where else in the world . You pay for what you buy .