For many within the football family, the concept of a full pyramid is essential for our sport to be considered a success and worthy of their support.
The current format has been debated ad infinitum, with some older heads feeling locked out of the the game at the professional level.
The Australian Association of Football Clubs (AAFC) have made approaches to Football Australia (FA) and meetings have been had to determine how a National Second Division (NSD) could be implemented.
With that, of course, came the obvious discussion about the possibility of the winner of the NSD gaining access to the A-League.
Eventually, promotion and relegation to and from the A-League will be based on agreement with the current owners of A-League licenses.
For the sake of this discussion, let us all agree on a couple of important conditions.
Firstly, that the NSD does get up and running by 2023; secondly, it becomes an established part of the football culture in Australia, both financially sound and an exciting football contest and thirdly, it is as popular as the founders of the concept have hoped for.
Now, we move forward to a point in time where the NSD has become well established, is sound and the clubs have become as important to the footballing family as the A-League clubs are.
At a point in time – I’ve selected 2030, but it could be any point in time – an agreement is reached with the APL as to how the winner of the NSD is promoted and, equally as important, how the last placed club in the A-League is relegated.
I can hear everyone now, saying it is straight forward: one up, one down or, two up and two down. Everyone may be right and it is that straight forward.
But I think there will be more to it than that. There should be a play-off between the winner of the NSD and the last placed team in the A-League, simply to ensure we have the strongest teams at the highest level.
For the sake of this discussion, let us assume that the NSD is not a closed shop like the A-League currently is.
This is where it gets tricky for the state federations and their member clubs.
(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Here is my proposal for a 14-team competition, made up of the following club sides from each state: three clubs from NSW, Victoria and Queensland, one each from South Australia, West Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and NT.
Promotion to the NSD
The current system the FA and their member states use is a fair and reasonable competition (Australian Championship) to find a worthy club of sufficient playing quality to be considered an entry position to the NSD.
Once that club meets certain criteria and financial conditions, they then play off against the bottom placed NSD side to ensure we have and maintain the better clubs at the higher levels.
For this argument, let us assume it is a WA team that wins the opportunity to progress into the NSD.
Relegation from the NSD
After losing their play off-match against the Australian Championship team, the NSD team drops back into the highest level of their state competition. This is where it starts to get complicated.
Let’s assume the relegated team is from South Australia. Football SA is faced with a problem for their Premier League 1.
They now have to fit back into their top league both a promoted side from their second tier plus the relegated club from the NSD.
Do they play with an uneven number of teams, hence introducing a bye, or do they expand their PL1 by an additional club?
It doesn’t matter what states we chose, the same problem will occur each year. Unless, of course, the promoted club and relegated club are from the same state, or the NSD team wins the play-off game.
Most followers of our game know that under FIFA articles we must implement a system of P-R and that when we joined the Asian Confederation we were given exemptions for the A-League to run as a closed shop.
As each season goes by, we are getting closer to achieving a system that suits the Australian sporting public’s acceptance of a major footballing code not shutting out others from rising to the top.
Unlike both the AFL and NRL, the A-League isn’t the pinnacle of our code, far from it, which makes it that much easier for us to be as fluid with our system as we like.
The downside to an open P-R system is that some clubs at state level have grandiose ambitions but no substance to back it up.
It should be hard to rise to the top, both financially and playing wise. All clubs are able to dream to reach the A-League, and we should have a system in place that facilitates those dreams.
But we should all remember that some dreams are just that, dreams.
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
I am not so sure. I hope you are right. My view is there is a compelling national ‘Park to the Professionals’ reality TV dimension to the Cup that a national broadcaster could put a price on. A Div-2 (absent a promotion game) isn’t as compelling a product in my view. There is one way it may happen, and I write about it in another thread. If the APL are going to establish a production business (for hire, like Supercars TV) I can see them pitching to produce NSD content for the FA, as Supercars TV does for the ARG with TCR and production car racing here and in Malaysia (from memory). I don’t think APL are building an entire production capacity just to supliment the work of their Netwprk/OTT platform partners and short form content for their Football Hub portal. I think they are getting into the football broadcast production business – maybe even broadcast via the portal. Interesting times.
Micko
Roar Rookie
A conference system only works in the earlier stages of the FFA Cup comp (such as now).
Micko
Roar Rookie
Fair enough.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
660KM in Metric but Plymouth is in Devon which is the South West while Newcastle is Almost Scotland
Micko
Roar Rookie
I think that would be 412 kilometres, NOT miles. Britain is only about 800km long from end to end.
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Lol articles can be written casually. I have asked jb over 20 times for at least one piece of evidence. If you call saying something that happens to you 30 years ago that no one followed as debunking than you should be a lawyer. Do you know how a debate works? I say things based on over 30 links and multiple data sources. You 2 say anything that is in your head based on no evidence. Read debating for dummies. Mate if you can't afford a $200 plane ticket than you shouldn't be owning any sports club.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
1. I work a fulltime job so i don't have time to write articles even if i wanted to 2. JBinnine already has debunked you multiple times and does a good job of it 3. In England the longest trip between cities in the EFL and English 5th Division is Plymouth to Newcastle which is 412 Miles or About an 7 Hour Drive Mostly on Motorway, in Australia the distances between Cities are about double that best case on 2 lane roads, might I suggest you look at the Italian, Spanish, German or French Pyramids instead if you want to copy a big 5 European Pyramid
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Mate if you are in state 4 in vic and you don't pay your players, you going down to state 5 or Sunday league. Even state 5 pay their way into state 4.
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Why would I call anyone that? I am calling you that as you so opposed to the English model with no basis besides what's in your head. Put up some stats, links, numbers to back up all that you say. Chuck up some articles. Instead you just say whatever you want with zero basis or evidence. And all you say is against the things Rugby can't do in Australia besides the winter season which who knows how long that will last for.
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Hence why the NSD will have a lot of Melbourne and Sydney teams that can AFFORD to pay their players and the plane ticket to go interstate.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
You have no Argument so you call anyone who disagrees with you a Rugby, league or AFL fan Rugby in the UK is still played in Winter your thinking of Rugby League
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
You Should Learn what Semi-Pro means Englishman I can tell you Brisbane Strikers who play in the NPL QLD this season have no paid players on there books, the whole country is not the NPL VIC which is what you seem to think all NPL's are like which they are not
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Also is the reason you are so against the England model because Rugby UK ended up in summer? Maybe start applying all your arguments for a summer A League to Rugby and see how that works out? Than all the rugby fans can enjoy the pleasurable summer conditions that are so conducive to a professional sport in summer such as cricket.
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Lol that's hilarious. Even higher state leagues pay all their players let alone npl. If you don't know what you are talking about than stop spewing all this garbage on every facet of this article/discussion. Why are the NRL fans so against a NSD, Promotion and Relegation and Winter A League? I wonder....
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
NPL Clubs only pay some players the NPL clubs are Semi Pro clubs the rest of there players have day jobs
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
As are all business proposals until they are delivered on
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
Yes and if an NPL club can afford one weeks players wages than they can afford a plane ticket.
Winter A League is Awesome
Roar Rookie
How do you know that? Maybe the contract was signed with the option of a winter season. If Paramount are serious about growing the game than they must grow it on the right foundations.
c
Roar Rookie
any business proposal needs the funding in place for it to be viable, short,medium and long term until this is settled then the rest is theoretical
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
The FA pays for State Fed clubs travel in the Cup but to minimize costs the State Fed Sides get hosting rights over A-league Clubs as well as having a Regionalized R32