With a disappointing start to 2022 for both the Matildas and Socceroos beginning to wind down, an A-League season that wore the brunt of Omicron disruption and optimism beginning to dwindle around the beautiful game in Australia, the importance of the remainder of 2022 and 2023 becomes ever-clear.
All eyes will be on football heading into the Men’s World Cup in Qatar, with the Women’s World Cup heading down-under, just as they were when the best of Asia visited our shores. This could reinvigorate the game, or be the final nail in the coffin for Australian football.
With that in mind, football could have a happy and prosperous future if in this time a few key points are implemented.
Paramount+ must step up
Ad-breaks during play, disrupted transmission and not being able to rewind or start-over live matches on the Paramount+ platform have become the norm in its inaugural season as the “home of Australian football”.
Paramount reaching out to members for feedback is a great start, but the service provider must take steps in increasing access and watchability of the league in the future, without raising subscription fees like Stan or Kayo.
With Round Ball Rules, a new panel show, debuting a few short months ago, evidence of their intentions are clear, whilst reports of an extended marquee target list to be in the works with the APL is promising. Paramount has a stake in this league; if it fails, they fail. Hopefully this incredible pressure produces diamonds.
FA need a plan
The release of the first licensing legislation for clubs in Australia shows the intentions of James Johnson and his organisation, which screams opportunity.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson. (Photo by Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)
No more commissions, board decisions outlining what clubs are selected, and no more football politics. Football is being democratised and these guidelines are proof. Clubs will be assessed on infrastructure and merit.
However, with no plan for national youth development, can Australian really dream of World Cup success? Japanese football has a 50-year plan, so why shouldn’t we? The FA needs long-term planning on youth development and it needs to come in the next two years.
We need direction and policy, and Johnson has the hopes of every kid kicking a ball in their backyard on his shoulders.
With big-budget investments from Paramount+ and major sponsors incoming, we need a proper footballing pyramid. The A-Leagues’ success in the future will be built by fans, and fans need to be repaid.
The NSD is a great start. However, community clubs need to reap the rewards of talent development as they are the primary educators of young players. A domestic transfer system needs to be implemented in the next 18 months.
Registration needs to (at the youth level) be treated as contacts. If a 15-year-old wonder-kid playing in the ranks of an NPL club were to prick interest from an A-leagues club, their current club should be adequately compensated. This will reduce registration fees and give incentive to community clubs to develop and include promising players at all ages, levels and financial backgrounds.
All in all, I’m excited, as all Australian football fans should be. The game has a heartbeat.
It’s faint, but it is there, and the current climate is one of optimism and great opportunity. 2023 is make or break but the possibilities are endless.
Dare to dream!
Ac
Guest
Appreciate your comment - but how can TEN and Paramount Plus allow the fact that no one watches their Channel on a Saturday night? If football is so well supported the fans would be there now. TEN isn’t in the charity business. The truth is the viewers aren’t there. No one watches and hardly anyone goes to games. Whilst it is true this year has maybe had a covid layover - that’s not stopping people watching on either linear tv or their devices. TEN is forking out lots of $ , it has to recoup thru advertisers. Why would you advertise on TEN on a Saturday night when few watch. I’m sorry to sound pessimistic but if you follow football support it. It you read tv tonight the TV guru can’t believe how low an audience TEN gets Saturday nights. Yes the EXecs at TEN put on a brave face but so did a few politicians last week who knew they were in trouble.
Sheffield WesDay
Roar Rookie
No, no money. It is more about security and confidence. Kids are not afraid to be creative on the park and make mistakes, because their spot is secure. They dont have to be thinking win win win, all time and rather see the opportunity as a learning phase to develop their game and try new things. We keep complain that our players are not creative enough, but no player wants to really express themselves in case they lose possession and get dropped to the bench or cut from the team. They are also trying to stop players who miss out on one local NPL club (perhaps a bigger one), muscling out one of the local players for a position at our club (a smaller one), only to use our development system to make it back to the bigger club a year later, leaving us a player down that we now either have to poach or bring up a community player that perhaps is not playing at the same level. The club is backing their own development system. That is the point.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Give us a successful Socceroos and Matildas and we're half done. If our men fail to qualify and our women disappoint at home, we will gurgle along the bottom of interest. The issues otherwise, with the A Leagues and professional football in Australia more generally, need both cooperation and good management to address. From my observation, the former is holding back the latter.
Football Fan
Roar Rookie
They have a 5 year contract which they can't just "pull the plug on". They have also publicly said before this season started that they do not expect any return until the end of the contract i.e. year 4 or 5.
Football Fan
Roar Rookie
I would say the availability of the Paramount+ app on various tv brands is also a major issue. People will not bother Chrome Casting off a laptop.
Jack Twohill
Roar Rookie
In terms of participation, football is at the top of that list. By setting up a true connection from the local game to the professional game those 2 million or so football players around Australia will have their eyes on the game.
Full Time NSD
Guest
Either the A League stays as is and continues its stagnation or it opens new areas of market economics and grows. The A League competes in an international sporting economy for players. Why shouldn’t the great players benefit?
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
If multiple clubs are interested the overseas clubs win. City have got the money and structure to buy whoever the want and the loophole to get around the transfer system why haven;t they used it. They paid 300k for Caceres and then loaned him to Melbourne City from Man City straight away. Thats a one off how many years ago.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
The sleeping giant has been awakening since 1974. We will soon celebrate the half century of this awakening. We might need another half century for a complete awakening. Some of us might still be around.
Ac
Guest
This is the point - the games are good. But for all the talk of fans being there - they sure aren’t showing it. No one watches TEN Saturday night football. Apparently paramount Plus can’t tell you how many subscribers they have. Attendances at games is low. So where are the fans?
Brian
Guest
Most watched and played game in the world. 4th most popular sport in this country. Don't think its going anywhere
Brian
Guest
I don't get it either why would someone walk away without a good reason at U13. Further if they did no court in the land would enforce a meaningful contract on a child of that age.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Jack, our match day crew have left their stupid days far behind but it’s the impression that the heavy hand of the law leaves on youngsters and families that is concerning.
Punter
Roar Rookie
Try re-reading it!!!!
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The bright side could be they could keep the Nux and you and convert them to an AFL team in the process.
Full Time NSD
Guest
But if multiple clubs are interested in a player, wouldn’t they bid for the contract and put the price up?
Full Time NSD
Guest
Do the players get paid for this contract? If not, than what’s the point of it?
NoMates
Roar Rookie
2 years tops and Paramount will def pull the plug on Australian football replacing it with the much loved/viewed AFL/W. Its a shame as the last and this A-League seasons produced some of the best TV viewing games for the neutrals and fans alike.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
I’m fairly certain 2022 was make or break for football. 2021 before that and so on… Football will be fine. The A-League, however, will likely not but that’s for a different discussion.
Jack Twohill
Roar Rookie
Active support is alive mate, I agree, the police harassment is horrible, but football is counter culture in Australia. So ignore em, get your mates to come sing, just don't do anything too stupid.