Does the title sound dramatic? Or not dramatic enough?
Let’s cut to the chase. The A-League (and Australian football in general) is in dire straights.
Where does the blame lie? Again, let’s not beat around the bush. The game’s administrators, in the main.
It stems from their lack of appreciation of football and its unique value proposition, their refusal to recognise football’s heritage, their dismantling of our youth system and the bewildering desire to destroy active support – one of the game’s huge draw cards. And of course there is the blatant disrespect for football fans, treating them like dollar signs (clubs here have to take some blame also).
The suits at head office are paying the price of making TV money the centre of their strategy, and making what’s in the best interest of football a secondary consideration. A third team in both Sydney and Melbourne? Doesn’t make sense, does it? A Canberra or Wollongong team does. But not in the world of TV money.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The administrators looked desperately for any positives. What’s that, I hear you say? Streaming numbers are up? Well in the real world that has little to no impact. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Major sponsors have walked, the Charles Perkins Academy for Indigenous footballers has shut its doors, and Foxtel (after seing a 70 per cent decline in viewers over three seasons) has pulled the plug early. So desperate were the administration for any sort of good news, that Fox’s new revised and reduced TV deal was painted as some sort of victory.
It wasn’t. It was a disaster. The ramifications are being felt now. Players are being asked to accept a 30 per cent pay cut, $20 million worth of talent is already gone and a potential mass exodus is to follow. The game is in such disarray that the transition of leadership at the top has been an ongoing saga.
At the beginning of the season I wrote the A-League needed to turn its fortunes around now because the window of opportunity was fast closing. If you remember the head honchos at the time couldn’t even agree on a radio promotion campaign. Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Then they had three seasons to desperately get it together. Now (with the revised TV deal) they have a single season. The window is almost closed.
And so the A-League has entered its death spiral. I say this as someone with experience in dealing with companies who have entered this death spiral and trying to pull them out of it. It is not impossible. But it is damn difficult.
The A-League will either collapse, a victim of poor administration and subsequent flagging interest, or it will survive as a cut-price B-League, getting by hand to mouth off any scraps that fall off the table in a broader economy already under stress.
The latter is the best-case scenario, surviving the next three to four years while trying to get some fresh roots to sprout and take hold. It’s a big ask. The league is in a tail spin. The momentum is only going one way.
(Albert Perez/Getty Images)
So what can be done? Well, in a crisis, some see opportunity. It is no coincidence that the Canberra bid has re-emerged. They reason that a league desperate for money will now be more amenable to their cause. The cash injection from licences will be desperately needed.
Also, dust off the old cobwebs and re-examine the findings of the old proposed APL by the players’ union. The A-League went with a “build it and they will come” mentality, playing out of large stadiums with exorbitant rents. Play out of smaller, football-specific venues and engage clubs in a long-term plan to build their own stadiums. This process should have started 15 years ago.
Get rid of the metric bozos running the game. Get people who understand football in, and people with the right connections. Also – and this may be difficult because people love power – give CEO James Johnson more power to ram through desperately needed change.
We seem to now have a man who understands football. I wish we had him three seasons ago. Sadly though his powers are curtailed with the new organisational structure that will come into play. He is pivotal to the game’s revival.
The club owners – who for years were screaming for reform in order to invest – have their chance to put their money where their mouth is. And finally, engage the fans, not as dollar signs fulfilling metrics but as human beings, with emotion and passion.
The A-League may not make it through this, but we need to give it every fighting chance to do so.
A Person
Guest
If you want to actually cut Travel Costs meaningfully then our top flight would have to become a East Coast League where teams are based either in or no more then 2-3 hours away by road from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane
A Person
Guest
Cheaper to Travel to NZ then it is to Perth from the East Coast in normal times
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
i dont work in marketing so ive got no idea, but they need to get a move on with sponsors asap; in preparation for the season following the divorce from foxtel
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
that's only because they're trying to push rugby in Adelaide, which is why theyre looking at this multi purpose stadium
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
i had suggested a squad size of 26, which would include the asian visa player who would have to be good enough of being a starting player
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
nothing personal, i was basing that on how much it costs to travel to NZ and accommodation. Im assuming this would save all the clubs money since all travel/accomodation would be in the same country rather than international
Nick Symonds
Guest
stadium size – this is one of the biggest problems, clubs cant afford there own?. Government needs to start stepping in and helping (even if theyre multi purpose stadiums) - NEWS: 22,000 capacity riverbank stadium proposed for Adelaide Backing the proposal, Adelaide United Chairman, Piet van der Pol stated "we are excited by the Riverbank Arena concept. The football capacity provides the growth opportunities required to make AUFC financially viable." https://www.ausleisure.com.au/news/plans-revealed-for-new-multi-use-stadium-in-adelaide-cbd/ - CONCEPT VIDEO: https://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/proposed-sports-and-entertainment-arena-for-riverbank/video/7e6ee58c9697e95a289c04176c114b8a
Nick Symonds
Guest
"There should be 1 first XL player from asia in each team!" - I would be very surprised if FFA or FIFA allowed teams to be expanded to 40 players. And I thought the AFL had problems with congestion...
A Person
Guest
Was with ya until ya said ya wanted to kick my team out
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
All the major sponsors walked out 8 months ago. What are the chances of any of them re-signing in current circumstances?
Ferno
Guest
He sold them for something as $ 200 millions. Now he owns sumich (major agribusiness company).
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
"I’m looking forward to the rebuild of the League. I’m hoping it can be done quickly, but I’m braced for a couple of seasons" That comment has been said for every year over the past 10 years.
AndyAdelaide
Roar Rookie
death spiral????This is now the time to rise from the ashes like a phoenix though. Im expecting next season (the last of the foxtel deal to be a disaster) however it is the perfect opportunity to rebuild. heres how you fix things (in my opinion anyway lol) coverage - if you want paid it has to be optus & SBS as FTA , otherwise inernational go with bein or dazn. I think people forget that the a league in asia is one the most gambled on leagues, we should be exploring that market more; being closer with asia. There should be 1 first XL player from asia in each team! Media access - Let journalists speak to who they want and ask what they want in the week of, before or after the game. its way too scripted currently (i always remember that doozy of an interview that made world wide news of that cricket player talking to mel) allow players and journalists the freedom to engage in banter within reason. referee access - after a match a referees should be in front of the cameras explaining why he sent that player off, or why that decision was over turned. social media - i still dont think clubs/players are doing enough with this platform broadcast times - another crucial thing that needs to be sorted. You cant allow you local/international broadcast partner to dictate what times the games start. Clubs/fans need to be given more say in this. there are certain times/dates that work for different clubs. Active support - get the RBB and NT boys back to matches etc. Football has such a passionate fan base around the world, its been a crying shame that active support has died because of imbeciles like gallop and heavy handed policing (there are more fights at cricket/afl matches then football in australia) chanting, tifos, flares etc all should be allowed to come back. If you have a young family dont sit near them. Its been part of the sports since its inception, it never shouldve left children supporters - under the age of 13, let them in for free Sponsors - long term sponsors must be signed up. media coverage - has always been dismal (print, radio, digital etc), this absolutely needs to be rectified get the wages right - someone like george blackwood should not be on a couple hundred grand a year, this is part of the problem; average players earning way too much. visa players - only 1 'marquee' signing per club and only 1 other non asian visa player should be allowed per team. teams - another melbourne/sydney team were not needed. Theres untapped markets out there where the sport would have free reign (tasmania, canberra; even a 2nd qld team) as for wellington? sorry guys goodbye; you shouldnt even be in the league stadium size - this is one of the biggest problems, clubs cant afford there own?. Government needs to start stepping in and helping (even if theyre multi purpose stadiums) boardroom - put people with actual football knowledge and experience with administration in positions of power, not afl/rugby clowns like gallop. youth - 26 players in the squad? half of that should be players under the age of 20. Play the kids theyre the future! we lose too many of our next generation to other sports because theres a lack of opportunities transfer fees between clubs - has to be happen asap juniors fees - need to be drastically reduced asap. relegation/promotion - has to be happen asap, no other sport does that in this country ethnicity - Sydney United, Sydney Olympic, South Melbourne, Adelaide city etc you'll fnd theres fans of those teams that dont watch the a league but support there local teams. This ties in with promotion/relegation states/federation - all must be in agreement, this is one of the biggest issues. everyone needs to come together. bring back academies - centre of excellence is sorely missed futsal - there should be a bigger emphasis on futsal in this country, a televised national futsal comp would be a treat to watch. beach football - with summer coming up, a televised national beach comp should be a given. 7 a side - much like beach football, a national 7 a side comp should be televised in summer. e sports - foxtel have done a bit of coverage on it, but fifa ultimate team is that popular and cant de denied. E sports must be televised and closer associated to the a league womens world cup - must use this to help the womens game grow more in the country
Harry Selassie
Roar Rookie
Play entertaining football and fans will become “engaged.” Moving to a colder weather schedule will help teams play more energetically than they do in the summer heat. As for the money situation, well there will be a few seasons of cutbacks but as someone else mentioned, the 2023 Women’s World Cup will help interest both from spectators and sponsors and the league should receive a boost. The trick is managing these coming few seasons of belt tightening. But do so while encouraging teams to play attractive, attacking football. I know that is not easy to mandate, maybe impossible, but it should be a point of emphasis even while going through the belt tightening.
Gavin Hall
Guest
Pudding is best when home made
Skoose
Roar Rookie
A sad but unfortunately true article.
A League Fan
Guest
If its in a death spiral than how come there are 5. potentially 6 NSW teams and only 2 AFL NSW teams? Why are there people all around Aus and NZ wanting to create more A League Teams? Why is the average salary similar to AFL after only short period of time compared to over 100 years? Why not focus on sports that haven't even made it to national leagues in oz and talk about their 'death spirals'?
Ad-O
Guest
Sure, but maybe the NSL would still be going if we made that 98 WC
Ad-O
Guest
Not the establishment of it, but its popularity was clearly built by WC qualification as well as having players like Kewell, Viduka and Cahill doing it at the highest level. Much like basketball is experiencing a 2nd wind due to what a few Aussies are doing in the NBA. I get it, there are football tragics that live and breathe the local league. But its becoming clear those people aren't large enough in number for the A League to get to the place people want it to be.
Will2
Guest
Even though the MLS dont have pro-rel they have a great job in building infrastructure in terms of facilities and stadiums. And are now starting to bear fruit from its investment in youth development with an emerging young that at big clubs and big leagues in European something we can only dream of in Oz. My point is they have grown its position even without pro-rel and we would not be ignorant not to learn from them.