Over the years, an endless stream of theories have circulated around the reasons behind the impending and inevitable death of the A-League.
When it began in 2005-06, there was something of a last hope feeling attached to it. The game had been yanked and pulled apart since the 70s, as the powers at be sought ways to find a foothold in Australia for the most popular game on the planet.
FFA certainly hoped that would be the case, yet despite some peak moments and spikes in interest and attendance, dissenting voices would maintain the view that sustainability and Australian football do not go hand in hand and that time would once again catch up with the new league.
Recently, fears had grown that such doubt may be shifting ever closer to the truth. Crowds were down, stagnation appeared to be the favourite word of those commentating consistently on the league and corporately, A-League clubs were not financially profitable bodies.
Broadcast arrangements loomed ever closer to renegotiation and still the relatively small audience that was Fox Sports’ remained the only one capable of tuning in to all matches, highlights packages and supporting programs.
With cuts on the Fox Sports front continuing and serious questions around the media giant’s desire to continue its substantial investment in the game in the near future, desperate calls for Optus Sport to become the home base for the domestic game in Australia were understandable.
A $3.2-million salary cap does draw some quality from abroad, yet others still bemoan the depth and talent across the scope of the competition, citing Asian Champions League results as evidence that Australian football at the top level is indeed falling further and further behind when it comes to confederation opposition.
Furthermore, sponsors are not knocking down the doors of club CEOs, numerous venues are still despised by fans and/or inappropriate for football and a few clubs have been working on a shoestring budget that appears close to severing.
No wonder it was relatively easy to mount an argument about a dying league and another long and slow process of rejuvenation, reinvention and rebirth.
How much will the coronavirus hurt the A-League? (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
However, such doomsday prophecies were unfounded and off the mark. Despite the obvious challenges within and the considerable inadequacies of the league, calling for its extermination failed to acknowledge the positives of it and football’s reliance.
Some clubs have vanished, others been very poor for an extended period of time and the patience of fans in every A-League city has been well and truly tested. Yet the competition continued to truck along quite well.
Even recently, with both Sydney clubs suffering a nomadic existence and Brisbane Roar hitting rock bottom, before a Liverpool legend arrived to drag them back to respectability, the league was ticking along as per usual.
An average of ten thousand people were attending each match, Wellington had improved and become something of a force rather than a farce, while Perth Glory and Melbourne City had proven themselves worthy challengers to the Sydney FC dominance that had pervaded recent times.
With Brisbane back, Adelaide talented yet inconsistent and the Wanderers rediscovering their hard edge under Jean Paul de Marigny, the A-League was brewing to something special in 2019-20 and far from the carcass of a competition many suggested it was becoming.
Rugby union had far more to fear and both AFL and rugby league’s current positions suggest that all top tier sports in Australia are far closer to financial stress and ruin than many people believe.
That threat has come to light in the form of COVID-19, a virus that has halted sport indefinitely and one they could well make some of them merely memories.
If and when things do return to normal, sponsorship will exponentially shrink, players will have faced enormous financial hardship after losing wages, and in the case of the A-League, international contracts that expire in the coming months are unlikely to be renegotiated.
Is the A-League in terminal trouble? (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Many of the best A-League players will leave, with slim pickings available for them to recoup lost income and the game will be comparatively broke. No doubt the fans will be keen for play, yet seeing eleven clubs survive the mess that is sport in 2020 appears unlikely.
And thus the prophecies will come true yet in a completely different set of circumstances to those oft predicted.
The A-League as we know it may well die, in spite of a 2019-20 season that was entertaining, competitive and building to a fitting climax.
If you ever feared for the future of the A-League, know that this is not how things were supposed to end. Substandard play, no sponsors and no interest were tipped to do the job, not a virus from China.
Admiral Ackbar
Guest
I guess it's possible, Larry Kestelman bought the NBL (not sure how that works), but who'd be brave or crazy enough to buy the A-League?
Nemesis
Guest
You're not the target market for club football in Australia. Stay in your lane. Enjoy whatever you like. Leave the football community to enjoy what we like.
Mark Scarfe
Roar Guru
Bring back the NSL. Cant wait to see Marconi v Sydney Olympic play with flares going off at Belmore Sportsground.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
I expect the Cap will be Halved as for Smaller Stadiums you mean Smaller and/or Cheaper Stadiums which is possible but people will have to accept in some Cities like Melbourne and Perth for example that will mean playing in OVALS as they are in Abundance in those Cities as well as most likely to be Cheaper
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
All very true Will, agree for the most part, as long as none of it requires any investment. There will be zero money floating around, so yes, expect a completely stripped down, no frills semi-pro comp. Do not expect anything which requires anyone to spend money.
Will
Guest
For me this is the perfect to reset the game in Australia. For starters align all of our leagues together like how its done like the rest of the world. Either move the a-league into the winter or move the NPL seasons into the summer, even grassroots The a-league needs an serious facelift, so look things like the salary cap, marquee players, foreign quotas. Same can be said for the NPL system, review its faulty player points system and high wages on senior players. Create an financial market within the game and encourage a transfer/proper compensation system not the silly one now which only a club can get 3K for a senior player into the Aleague! Fast track the 2nd division plans and align it with the a-league structure and create plans to get the NPL system involved so down the line we can get pro-rel i.e an open pyramid. Review youth development and the pathways as well as review the state federations structures to see If they truly have an national interest at heart. If this is not the perfect to take advantage of an global epidemic and get the game in the right direction together then I dont know when we will ever get this chance again.
Coastyboi
Guest
Australian’s will always support football. However, the “new” A-League in 2021 will probably resemble the old NSL, with smaller stadiums & a restricted salary cap.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
Is it possible that a person, or a consortium, buys the A-League?
chris
Guest
"Not sure how the state football bodies are viewed". I'm not sure how other state federations work, but in NSW the coaching and the competition structures are taken from the FFA handbook. If the state federations all adopt the FFA curriculum then by de-facto they are, in a sense, operating under the one national model. At least as far as coaching and competition structures are concerned. The financial side of things may (and probably is) very much state centric and fees etc are set by the individual states. Given this, I dont think from an operational sense, too much would change if all the state federations came under a One Management model. It's really just about power and the only way to take it away from these state feds is for the Aus Govt to dry up their funding until they come to the party and all fall under the FFA.
sam
Guest
Mitcher .........this guy can make sweet football jam from pig poo. His MO is attack anything that is not football friendly. I don't weep for him - just laugh! :laughing:
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
This might be the year when virtual sport overtakes real sport.
Mitcher
Guest
I’m a 30 year AFL club member and I weep for you. Lurking around these articles just waiting to jump in with your my sport is better than yours jibes. I hope you get the help you so clearly need.
jwsymo
Roar Rookie
This is exactly the same situation that cycling is going through at the moment. They are attempting to abolish the state federations as well as separate bodies for BMX and MTB to have one overarching body. There are mixed views though most people view their state federations with a fairly high degree of contempt. Not sure how the state football bodies are viewed. It's been pretty messy and ugly and by no means is it complete, but it will probably happen eventually. The major stick is the federal government will only fund national bodies so the states will have their hands forced.
Melange
Guest
Stay safe mate
Nemesis
Guest
Nothing at all like the AFL. The AFL is an organisation that is controlled by 18 professional clubs. The same organisation is given the power to be custodian of the whole sport and even change the laws of the sport based on whatever the TV broadcaster tells them to do. To allow the professional clubs to control the entire sport is the Worst Standard governance model for sport. The FFA, with broad representation controlling the Board, and A-League that is independent, but with FFA having veto rights on any decision that conflicts with the Principles of what is best for football, is the Best Practice governance model for sport.
Ad-O
Guest
Nothing like a crisis to confirm everyone's previously held bias.
AR
Guest
“We have two things going for us, first is the World Cup and Football global status, and second is the worlds top sports E-game…” Haven’t we always had those 2 things? And where did that get us?
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
In the Pacific at the moment, so dodging cyclones.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
I have no idea were we are headed... we are still quite divided and unity seems light years away.... Assumptions on things like the size of the Football market .... if only we did !!!!!!..... What I do know is hhhmmmmm well think ... is what we have today will change .... We have two things going for us, first is the World Cup and Football global status, and second is the worlds top sports E-game.... when added to our player base it means Football in some form will survive ... Where professional Football finishes up I have no idea.... what I do know is until we stop all the infighting it will just get worse...
Melange
Guest
How you going over there Ben? Safe I hope.