Some 116 days ago, Brisbane Roar’s Scott McDonald scored in the 16th minute against the Newcastle Jets. That goal secured a 1-0 victory for the team then coached by Robbie Fowler and would be the last successful A-League strike for some time.
It was the last thing the Roar needed as arguably the form team in the competition; slowly but surely inching their way towards the top two on the A-League ladder.
COVID-19 was to put pay to that progression, with the men in orange stuck in fourth spot during the enforced break and desperate to get back on the pitch in order to continue their development.
Now, the competition is about to resume. Yet things will look somewhat different when the players take to the pitch for the final flurry of matches that FFA are referring to as “27 in 28”.
All reference to rounds has been dropped with the governing body determined to roll out the fixtures on a daily basis and ensure the A-League does indeed have a 2019-20 champion in as brisk a time frame as possible.
True to the entertainment value offered by the A-League throughout its history, the hiatus has seen the stunning, shocking and sometimes comical play out.
Brisbane fans, after witnessing the masterful touch of Robbie Fowler turn itself to the coaching caper, will be furious that they have now lost their man.
After a slow start, the Liverpool legend had the Roar humming yet he will remain in the United Kingdom; destined to take the reins at a lower league club in the near future.
Thanks to the pesky pandemic, it is surely the first time in A-League history that a winning coach, with a side destined for finals and on a tremendous tear, has disembarked ship with just a few short weeks remaining until the business end of the season.
Robbie gone home. (Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
As disappointing and odd as Fowler’s departure may be, Martin Lee’s refusal/inability to adequately finance the Jets since last October has placed immense and concerning pressure on Newcastle’s proud A-League team.
It appears Mr Lee’s personal wealth and future earnings have come under serious threat from both a weakened global economy and international tariff changes.
After investing near A$15 million into the club and with the Jets dealing with around A$2 million in operational debt, Lee’s commitment to A-League football has waned considerably.
The bare-boned Jets squad that manager Carl Robinson inherited looked unlikely to seriously threaten for a finals position early in the season, yet with the attitudinal application he has encouraged, the Welshman has the men in red and blue sitting in ninth position and just three points outside the top six.
With CEO Lawrie McKinna hoping to announce a new owner in coming weeks, Jets fans will hopefully breathe a sigh of relief; knowing they have a good man in charge, a more assured cash flow and the chance to add much needed talent and depth to their squad.
Sadly, in addition to Fowler and somewhat expectantly, a host of international playing and coaching talent will not be returning to Australian A-League pitches for the remainder of the season.
Perth Glory will be without Gregory Wuthrich and Korean Kim Soo-Beom, Victory lose manager Carlos Salvachua and talisman Ola Toivonen, while Adelaide move forward without Michael Maria and continue their campaign with Carl Veart at the helm, after the departure of Gertjan Verbeek.
Alen Stajcic loses the services of Korean Eun-Sun Kim and Chris Harold on the Central Coast and with a number of other players departing the league and after such an extended break, the resumption will potentially throw up some unpredictability in early results.
Alen Stajcic will need to shuffle his roster. (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Sydney FC, Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne City look the class of the field, with the Sky Blues a lock for the Premier’s Plate and the other two certain for a top-four position heading into the finals.
Brisbane should be able to hang on to fourth barring a minor collapse and below them, a mad-capped scrambled for positions five through six will take place. Perth, Western United, Adelaide, Western Sydney and Newcastle fans will remain interested for much of the next month, knowing that finals play is still within their reach.
As people’s attentions began to refocus on football and all seemed in readiness for the resumption of the season, a calamitous spike in infection rates in Victoria necessitated an urgent exodus of Western United, Melbourne City and the struggling Victory.
As if all the mayhem and chaos of early 2020 had not been enough, the comical scenes of footballers stranded on airport runways in a last minute attempt to make their way into the FFA created hubs further north, perhaps captured all the drama and controversy within which Australian football has an uncanny ability of finding itself.
Thankfully, exemptions were made, the players are almost all ready to play and with any luck, the 2019-20 A-League season may finally come to an end some ten months after it began. I’m hopeful yet apprehensive, knowing that the A-League has rarely been on the right side of luck.
Hold onto you hats everyone, the weirdness may be about to get even weirder.
coolncold
Roar Rookie
Don't scratch your head as you have little hair.
Mark
Guest
When it comes to attendances and ratings, when Victory sneeze, the A-League catches a cold. And with the diabolical state Victory are in, the vast majority of its fan base has absolutely zero interest in the restart. They would have been happy for the season to be called over in March. They’ve all moved on to the AFL by now. I think over the next few weeks we are in for a glimpse of what ratings will be like if the A-League does eventually make a switch to winter.
IJ
Roar Rookie
TBH, Mid, my view is that it would have been better to call the season closed and award the Premiership to SFC, but of course the Fox relationship, such as it is, could not permit that. My hunch is that the resumption is going to be a ratings calamity. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think so.
chris
Guest
MF that is not going to happen. MSM have their own vested interests and push their respective codes to the max. Look at the SMH these days. They have league stories littered all over their website. Since it was taken over by 9 it's hardly suprising.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
I don't get the feeling of expectation of the restart .... generally our media has been critical and mostly negative ..... Whether we have overall mainstream media support is a mute question... I asked around at work today and no one knew the A-League was starting this week... Somehow we need to break the cycle ....
Coastyboi
Guest
The A-League had more twists & turns than Matt Preston’s colonoscopy.
jamesb
Roar Guru
I was taking aim more to the Roar website. Unless I missed it, I didn't see a headline/ article where it states that the A League will resume on July 17.
Stuart Thomas
Expert
Nowhere in the piece have I referred to a Thursday restart. That game has been TBC for quite a few days now. Specifically why I used the phrase “The players are ALMOST all ready to play.” Are you suggesting I did not know or am I misreading this?
jupiter53
Roar Pro
I am so looking forward to the restart. Unfortunately my daughter and I are working and are finishing too late to get to Kogarah, so the money I have continued to waste on Foxtel will at last be justified. The 2 things I have most missed due to COVID-19 restrictions are the A League, and going to live music. I managed to get to a 20 seat "intimate concert" by jazz duo Gary Daley [keys] and James Greening [Australia's finest trombone player] 2 weeks ago. It was a weirdly different but completely satisfying experience. Hopefully the SFC/Phoenix game will be just as rewarding.
Statler and Waldorf
Roar Guru
"One positive is that we won’t have to discuss attendances." can we discuss cardboard cut outs... :laughing:
IJ
Roar Rookie
FFS, are we still rehashing this? FFA could demand exactly nothing other than the final 12 million.
IJ
Roar Rookie
I am sure I am not alone right now in finding it impossible to care. Tough field for you to til right now, Stuart. I suspect that the results are going to be very ugly in ratings terms, unfortunately, while the NRL are posting extraordinary figures. The reality is that football, in this country, is a live rather than tv sport, much more so than NRL in particular.
At work
Roar Rookie
There will be fans present at Kogarah for the game on Friday night, I've got a couple of tickets to sit on the hill and be appropriately distanced from others :happy:
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Is that 'The Cattery' !! You've been gone from the football tab for a long while?
Griffo
Roar Guru
Hopefully the FFA have now got a Plan C ready for QLD well before NSW makes their 24 hour announcement. Will fans even be allowed in NSW stadiums at this point? Speaking to a few Jets fans and the consensus there is 'No. Too risky'. The Grand Final seems like a sprint with an ever moving finish line that can't be seen...
Nick Symonds
Guest
If they move the border further south down to Sydney they can still have it Queensland: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/health-safety/coronavirus-qld-calls-to-move-border-south-7km-to-ease-covid19-traffic/news-story/ccb5c9c2b36682da304bba3091b464ac - In other news there were calls for Tasmania to declare independence. Before Tasmania were just asking for an A-League team, now they could be competing against the Socceroos!
Rodger King
Roar Rookie
I am trying to remember when we crossed over into this alternative universe. 27 in 28 is going to see some funny results. Did I hear correct that one D. Castro from Perth, has decided to go 'bush' with the family because it is safer than going into a hub and playing football? Also a player in the City of Churches has now decided to have his troublesome knee operated on instead of making that decision 3 months ago. What am I missing here, players and contracts and the defining silence from the PFA. Regardless of all of that, I can not wait for the 'fun' to begin. And the two safest cities in the country, will be going without any live action. Yep, we sure are in a land of confusion.
chris
Guest
Fox have decided that they are no longer interested in football. They can't even be bothered to advertise it. They dragged their feet in rubber stamping the re-start of the season, and now this. FFA should have demanded the full 56 million owing to them, as per the contract, and if Fox didn't stump up, then bankrupt them. It's time to move on.
Kevin
Roar Rookie
Its about to get weirder, A-League to be relocated to Queensland (or Perth if resorts run out) after a massive spike of covid19 in Sydney.
jamesb
Roar Guru
Its pretty much a skelton crew at Fox. I wouldn't be surprised if Adam Peacock replaces Simon Hill and commentates on the games. At the end of day, the FFA or whoever is in charge, has 12 months to figure it out. Does it stay at Fox or move in a different direction?