Let’s have a bit of a look of why a winter A-League could work. I will look at the finances in a separate post.
1. The players want a winter A-League
Jason Culina on playing in winter:
“I could play two, three games a week at a high level in Europe but in the A-League, I would lose up to four kilograms after games in the heat and take days to recover.”
“My attitude was always to train, train and train. The more I trained, the better I played. That was how we worked on the softer grounds and cold winters of Europe but I shouldn’t have applied the same intensity daily in the A-League.
“In hindsight, I would have skipped a training session here and there because of my age and the hard pitches. I should have been smarter as a player.”
When Rugby UK moved to summer from winter, injuries doubled.
The total exposure time during this study was 4876 player-hours (winter: 2386, summer: 2490).
The relative risk of injury doubled after the move from winter to summer. Winter rugby accounted for 72 injuries, and summer rugby, for 150 injuries.
If careers last longer in winter, wouldn’t that help the players with getting to an older retirement age than AFL or NRL? A few extra years at a couple hundred thousand dollars isn’t insignificant for the players’ financial well being.
2. The administration wants a winter A-League
Relating to the previous point, the PFA also wants a winter A-League.
“Australia’s players union and a leading broadcast rights expert have urged the A-League to properly explore the feasibility of a radical switch back to winter that would put it head-to-head with the AFL and NRL.”
Football Australia and James Johnson want a winter league, too, according to this report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
“To me, it makes sense logically to align our grassroots seasons, where we have the numbers, with our professional leagues,” Johnson said.
3. The fans want a winter A-League
An article from Western Sydney University discusses the fans’ view on this issue.
“The A-League is believed to be the only professional football league in the world in which the top-level competition plays at a different time of year from its lower-tier league.
“The semi-pro National Premier League currently plays in the winter, from March to October.”
If I was an up-and-coming football player, wouldn’t I want to see players playing at the same time as me so I could implement anything new on the weekend?
From the same article:
“The FFA heat policy mandates a 90-second drink break in each half when the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) is between 26 and 27.9 degrees Celsius, or the ambient temperature is over 31 degrees.”
What’s the average Australian summer temperature? Twenty-seven degrees, making us the hottest summer football league in the world.
Anyone who grew up playing the game immediately feels like it’s football time on a cool winter’s night.
Summer was the time of the dreaded pre-season runs.
That also made little difference to the winter season – what’s the point of jogging 15 kilometres on concrete in January when you sprint on a soggy ground in July?
4. Some club owners could want a winter A-League
A club like Newcastle or the Mariners could want a winter A-League as not many games are actually played out of the stadiums in regional New South Wales, despite NRL teams being based there.
South Australia and Western Australia have no competition from NRL clubs. New Zealand has no AFL competition.
The main teams affected by a winter switch are Sydney, Western Sydney Wanderers and Macarthur.
Should the Sydney FC spokesperson, Danny Townsend, be running these negotiations on behalf of all clubs? Any regulars on The Roar know that there is a strong east coast bias from AA.
A message to Paramount+: if you do listen to the fans, please consider a proper winter switch with a kick-off in early March. Each season from 2021-2022 could kick off later and later until it gets to March.
By the way, a big shout out to the Sydney media, such as the Sydney Morning Herald, for covering this topic. It’s strange how the Melbourne media doesn’t really cover it.
If you want to read about some other arguments for a winter A-League, check out this piece.
Waz
Roar Rookie
This underlines one of your problems in your article (which congratulations on writing by the way, I love your passion even if we occasionally disagree) …. When I state lower revenue in winter you ask for proof/evidence but when you say there will no no impact, you offer no proof/evidence. The APL has been quoted several times that the tv deal is much lower in winter vs Summer and there were fewer bidders for a winter competition vs summer Paramount have already signed yes, but they have signed for a summer competition not a winter competition This debate cannot ignore the commercial realities
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Read my previous article which is the final link in the article. Which tv will pay less for a winter comp? Paramount already signed. Which sponsors will pay less for a winter comp? Some fans may turn up less in winter. Some fans may turn up more.
Waz
Roar Rookie
You take me back to my original post - your article failed to make one mention of finance. Will tv pay less for a winter Comp. Yes! Will sponsors pay less for a winter Comp. Yes! Will less fans turn up for a winter Comp. Yes!
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Take us through the numbers of why the winter league needs to be part time
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Which didnt end well
Waz
Roar Rookie
This decision will be a commercial one only - the commercial conundrum is do we want a fully professional league in summer, or a part-time league in winter? The most pressing challenge facing football in this country is money … or not enough money.
Micko
Roar Rookie
It's irrelevant because it would never move to summer because it's: 1. too hot 2. clashes with cricket etc
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
the NSL for Years played in Summer the A-League just continued what the NSL had already started
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Actually Unlike the NRL and A-League which are Aussie Competitions With Kiwi Teams Super Rugby is both a Aussie/Kiwi comp meaning whatever changes made have to suit both Australia and New Zealand and While Rugby may be a sport of the Rich in Australia in NZ Rugby is the Number 1 Sport so it other words Super Rugby is not going to Shift to Summer just to suit the Aussies the Kiwis would never let it happen
Poldark
Roar Rookie
If Graham Arnold is correct in saying that the 21/22 A league season will start in late November that would indicate a gradual shifting of seasons to a late summer/early spring start. I would imagine Arnie is close to the conversations being had on the subject of mapping the football calendar.
chris
Guest
Illogical argument but ok.
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Or maybe it was founded in summer under wrong assumptions.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
And the FA have had plenty of years to move the League to Winter but have not done so the Reason Being they were in control of the A-League and they knew they would lose massive amounts of money if they shifted the season to Winter NOW that they have been forced to hand over control of the A-League there is no Risk to the FA on moving the Season to Winter that risk is all on the APL who the FA would love to see fail out of Spite, also the FA are all of a Sudden on Board with a NSD after losing control and I doubt that's a Coincidence
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
The Middle Eastern Leagues Play Split Year which is Winter because the Middle East is in the NH as there Summers get to around the 50 degree mark while Japan, China and Both Koreas play in the Calendar Year but because those countries are in the NH they end up playing in Summer as a Result and those Countries get quite Hot in Summer and China in Particular gets Quite Humid
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
Because Super Rugby is both an Aussie and Kiwi Competition
chris
Guest
Why bring NZ into it? The question was asked why doesn't Rugby get asked "oh you should move to summer to get clean air blah blah blah" - in Australia. Is it because all those fat forwards would blow a gasket after 10 mins? : )
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Being the only league in the world with a summer pro league and masters, npl down to mini roos being played in winter for over a century has nothing to do with it.
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
If you look at my previous article, japan is included. 8 out of the top 73 leagues are a sunmer league. Australia is the hottest.
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Have you looked at the attendances for afl games in tasmania?
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Which ones?