Tonight’s clash between Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne City in Wollongong could be one of the games of the season, but is the A-League now only preaching to the converted?
How will City bounce back from that 2-1 defeat to Western United last Thursday?
Paddy Kisnorbo’s side went into that game at AAMI Park on the back of a six-game winning streak but despite Craig Noone opening the scoring and City amassing 27 shots on goal, they still tasted defeat.
There’s no doubt City are the competition’s most free-flowing outfit and they’ve knocked off several notable scalps of late, including the league-leading Central Coast Mariners.
And on the back of their grand final appearance in last season’s COVID-affected campaign, there’s a sense this could finally be City’s season.
But what does it all mean in the grand scheme of things?
City played last Thursday’s clash as the visiting side, with Western United taking several games to AAMI Park this season as they await construction of their new stadium in Tarneit.
Wyndham City Stadium is supposed to be up and running in 2023 and once it is, Western United will go from being one of the competition’s most maligned clubs to a cash-making juggernaut overnight.
That is, of course, assuming the A-League still exists.
We haven’t heard much about this new broadcast deal, despite the fact we’re now halfway through the season and more than half the players will soon be off contract.
I have no doubt the Australian Professional Leagues, which now administers the A-League, and Football Australia are well down the path of announcing a new broadcast deal.
In the meantime, however, the current A-League campaign is left to meander along as clocks change and the weather turns and days simply float on by.
Wellington Phoenix have done a terrific job connecting with the local Illawarra community – not least with their Wollongong Wolves-inspired red jerseys – but it’s a huge ask to expect them to play out the entirety of their campaign based in Australia.
Can they get back to Wellington before the season ends? The NRL’s New Zealand Warriors were supposed to play Manly at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland this Friday, but the current coronavirus situation means they too are stranded in Gosford for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile, with Western United making moves to shore up Melbourne’s western suburbs, Melbourne City have announced plans to build a state-of-the-art training facility in the city’s south-eastern suburbs at Casey Fields.
It’s a move that effectively fills the vacant space left by the unsuccessful Dandenong-based Team 11 expansion bid, even if City continue to play A-League games at AAMI Park.
So where does that leave Melbourne Victory?
As things currently stand, it leaves them dead last and with a fan-base in revolt.
Victory’s season was more or less summed up by Elvis Kamsoba’s inexplicable send-off in last night’s 3-0 defeat to arch-rivals Sydney FC.
Kamsoba’s first booking of the night was harsh, but his subsequent studs-up challenge on Paulo Retre in the middle of the pitch left his team to battle on with 10 men for almost an hour.
It was a schoolboy error from an attacker who’s played more than 60 games for Victory and his team-mates pretty much threw in the towel after that.
Much was made of captain Robbie Kruse’s failure to hand the captain’s armband to anyone following his substitution, although at least he looked like he cared.
And with the Sky Blues running riot after Kamsoba’s dismissal – only goalkeeper Matt Acton kept Victory in the game – the result was a foregone conclusion.
Just 5,347 fans were in the stands and no one will tell us how many tuned in on Kayo.
So is this the A-League now?
Or do we simply need to get through this season, re-group and hope that big guns like Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers start firing again in A-League 2.0?
David
Roar Rookie
To be honest, being from Dandenong, it'd be a shame if City moved into the area. Whilst it may bring all sorts of benefits such as the stadium, it doesn't mean the club will automatically win over locals. Having spoken to several Victory supporters in the region, I can assure you that not one of them will switch in the case of a relocation. Assuming this was the case for a lot of people, it would inhibit a genuine geographical distinction. Now, nothing against Melbourne City, I think they are a club that can bring great things to the league, but I don't want to support a corporate-run club. Who's to say an independent Dandy team would be any better however? It certainly might not be, but what I can assure you it will have is more community support.
Martz
Guest
Here's hoping NSW never finds itself having to 'overreact' to a Covid outbreak.
At work
Roar Rookie
No, just much better to be in NSW where overeactions don’t occur.
Martz
Guest
"No more over zealous state premiers ruining everything with unnecessary lockdowns." Yes, much better to be in Europe where the under zealous politicians thought they could just carry on, business as usual and, a year later, still have nobody attend football matches.
Christopher
Roar Rookie
We need promotion and relegation to make the league more interesting - according to "expert commentators" like Bosnic. But he's strangely quiet about it this year given that a major club is reaching out for the wooden spoon
chris
Guest
Yes agreed that attendances at grounds are very important for atmosphere etc. But for club finances its membership.
chris
Guest
Yes I was thinking the same. Both like to get forwards and Ally has exceptional skill. Have a look at the goal she scored against Canberra yesterday coming from deep and you will see what i mean.
jamesb
Roar Guru
Since that News Ltd article from the late Rebecca Wilson in later part of 2015, active support has been in massive decline. Gallop didn’t defend the fans in that article, and that lead to boycotts.
At work
Roar Rookie
This is true, active support across the league is far removed from some years ago when it was seen as a real selling point. The APL have stated they want to bring active back to its glory days, but I suspect it'll be a tough job to get the police and over zealous security on board, i.e. for them to understand that an active end are there to enhance, not disrupt the experience.
jamesb
Roar Guru
Unfortunately active sport from other A League teams have also given up!
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Mike Deep down in my soul I hope we reverse the trend. Part or something that's needs to be done IMO is a uniting of the factions to a common cause. The effort to rid the A-League of Steven Lowy united strange bed-follows, ie union and clubs & former NSL, State Feds etc. Are we letting the ...Perfect get in the Way of the Good... I have read and this is the sticking point.... for many.... we all want a better system and structure .... but for a better system i.e. P & R, two divisions etc we need to stabilise the professional league and get it to 16 teams, with a strong second division of at least 10 strong teams... WE can't get to perfect without going thu a process that will take time... we either accept this and work within to build or just keep arguing ... the choice is ours...
jupiter53
Roar Pro
I agree that she is worth a place in the squad. It is fortunate that she is a left back and Carpenter is a right back. With Steph Catley still out with her long term injury, her emergence is very well timed.
At work
Roar Rookie
I'm thinking the 10k is more an attendance figure, anything below I feel receives a dim view as not being good enough. Although membership numbers are very important to club finances and bragging rights, it's the attendance figures where it's really at.
chris
Guest
Is that 10k magical number attendance or membership? Most clubs outside of the new ones are around that figure so maybe things aren't so dire?
At work
Roar Rookie
A big factor which shouldn't be forgotten is the fact this season has been squeezed into a really short timeframe, with lots of mid week games, catch-up games and a general confusion as to who and when teams are playing. Next season if we can get back to standard Friday to Sunday matches where the schedule is known more than a month in advance it will help a lot.
At work
Roar Rookie
The Wanderers haven't really provided anything of value to the league for a while now, they've been a bit of a joke since they left the old Parramatta stadium. They're now playing in the best stadium in the league and nobody turns up, particularly the RBB who have given up on their team.
At work
Roar Rookie
Get through this season, write it off and start off with a bang next season. No more excuses from people next season about COVID, no more over zealous state premiers ruining everything with unnecessary lockdowns. I'm not saying it'll be record breaking next season, but we should expect to at least get back to most clubs aiming for the magical 10k attendances
chris
Guest
Agree with you jupiter. My family are also SFC members and we have only been to 2 games. With Covid and no home ground and mixing up of schedules it's making its mark. Getting to Kogarah midweek is just not a pleasant experience. Can't wait for the new stadium in Moore Park.
chris
Guest
Ally Green from SFC is another player that should be in the squad. Is as good as Ellie Carpenter.
Samuel Power
Roar Rookie
Tix prices for Macarthur are way too overpriced as well. I've noticed for this weeks game however they have lowered the prices. Let's see what type of crowd turns up for this Friday night v Brisbane. 20 degrees at KO, 3 game winning streak, cheaper tix, no excuses this time.