The title of this article references Nani, but it could be applied to the many marquee foreign signings by A-League clubs, like Charlie Austin to name a recent example.
I want to convince people that signing olden goldies is not the way forward for the A-League, and how A-League clubs should instead spend their money.
Let’s put the focus on Nani’s transfer to Melbourne Victory. It has been met with much excitement by fans and experts alike, and with a quick glance, who can blame them?
Someone with over 100 international caps, one Champions League, one European Championship and four Premier Leagues, arriving on our humble Aussie shores.
In his latest article on The Roar, Stuart Thomas stated that Nani is, “universally considered to be far too good when compared to A-League standards.”
I don’t think he should be. Nani is 35 and played 10 games with 0 goals for relegated Venezia in Serie A last season.
Undoubtedly he used to be far too good for the A-League, but is he now? What is “A-League standards?” Well, the ALM got about 500 more fans per match than the average English League Two game last season, so this is a pretty low standard.
One factor is how much you can expect Nani to care about his contract with Victory. Most likely, he is looking for ‘one last big pay cheque’, as are many ageing players when they enter the A-League.
He might be a bit too good but not by “far.” I have commented quite a few times on The Roar about trying to lower expectations of foreign imports, as many have flopped over the years. Daniel Sturridge *cough* *cough*.
So, if international big names won’t actually do staggeringly well in the A-League, then why do clubs sign them? That answer is simple, the clubs are seeking exposure, fans and most of all, revenue.
People say big stars benefit the entire league, drawing in young fans, desperate to see European stars, to stadiums. The same can be said about the many friendlies being played in Aussie grounds right now.
Owners believe that the more players like Nani the league have, the more eyeballs it will garner, and thus grow the league and their individual clubs.
I think differently. The average A-League attendance last season (excluding the finals) was 5,349. In the year of the league’s formation, 2005-06, the lowest attendance for an A-League game hosted in Australia during the entire season was 5,033.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
That’s not growth, if anything that’s decline for a league that promised to take Australian football to heights never seen before.
While you might point to the league’s expansion for the falling attendances, in the 2010-11 season, where the league had just one less team than it has now, the average non-finals attendance was still 8,441.
Alessandro Del Piero, Juninho, Romàrio, Emile Heskey, David Villa and even cult hero Tim Cahill have not done much to grow the league.
If paying big for those who have reached the very top is not the way forward for A-League clubs, then what is? Here I point you to another sporting country where football is fighting a losing battle, the USA. The MLS is known as the big ‘retiring league’.
Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Kaká, David Beckam and our friends Villa and Nani all spent a period of the twilight of their career in the MLS. That perception is out of date, however.
With the exception of Beckam’s new franchise Inter Miami, the MLS clubs have reduced the amount of money they have spent on designated players.
They have instead prioritised the youth and player development. The league has since gone from strength to strength and has significantly increased its competitiveness.
The A-League should try to replicate this. Whilst experts may already wax lyrical about the players coming through, it can still be massively improved. If clubs moved the money from the big signing pot to the youth academy pot, we might see a stronger and better A-League as a result.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
If the team finished near the bottom, I'm not sure how you can say he made the team better? But you're correct about the off-field benefits.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
As usual your load of usual rubbish, there were marquees anyway Sturridge and Rodwell. The number one reason is the conspiracy against Lowy and the non stop Lowy media bashing which was one of your things as well. Once Lowy was out the promotion of the A-league dissapeared in favour of so called saving money , media who were covering the A-league because of Lowy Westfield being a major advertiser , went along with the Lowy bashing and then once he is gone zero A-league articles. New Football vs Old Sokkha is the biggest myth in this country, The reality is the majority are neither as we see 70-80k paying average 200 a ticket to see big Euro shows the majority are event goers or euro wannabees, A-league supporters are the minority group in this country. Old Sokkha is a tiny fraction, but full of noisy windbags who have a lot of media influence, idiot bloggers.
Mark
Guest
Geelong is mad keen AFL territory with their own team. They have previously tried basketball team their and that folded. Just not enough interest. I think Western suburbs being a very multicultural part of Melbourne is probably a good part of Melbourne to have placed a team, but it really needed to have sorted out it's stadium when it commenced. Being shunted around all over Victoria was a bad move, as was the fact that they were basically the brainchild of property developers so their main priority is property development not the football.
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
Fair enough, I do think no marquees is probably bad for the Aussie game.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The NSL had a lot of the biggest names ever as guest players. George Best the biggest name. They would get an extra 10k to the matches they played some well after they hung up the boots. The best ever player locally in terms Graham Souness coming from the top level in England at the peak of his career was in the NSL when he was going from Middlesborough to Liverpool, and was in some sort of dispute played some matches for West Adelaide. Now in his case while he was one of the top players in the premier league at the time, because he wasn't that famous till he got to Liverpool he didnt draw a crowd at all.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
As much as i dont like saying it but the A-League needs imports as much as it needs youth, just look at the Nixs, they have prob produced the best youth in the league although not Australian and before they left some some quality imports like Devila etc. So imports have there place in our game club just need to find the right balance without out overlooking one another ala Sydney FC and Melb Victory of late. Brisbane Roar is a example of how too do it wrong in way of coaching.
Ian Mcphail
Guest
If you want to improve, bring in players with european experience but young enough to contribute. Even better if they're aussies too like ben folami
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
The original bid was Geelong based, and then somewhere along the line it was taken over by an anonymous overseas property developer...and here we are.
Waz
Roar Rookie
It’s become a modern way of writing an article - pick a problem and attach something to that problem that you want to blame for that problem. Think Brexit. Trump. Morrison. In this case: A league average attendances have gone back since season 1, that means that marquee players don’t work … right? …… right?? It’s like arguing that cats have 4 legs and a tail, therefore all dogs must be cats …. right? And yet, on the back of a marquee strategy, first year attendances grew by 80% to sit at around 1.8 million spectators in 2013/14/15/16/17. So marquees do work …. right? ….. right?? The massive fall off in crowds that started in the middle of the last decade will have had multiple factors, some of which may include: * No marquees (I’ll start with that one for the irony) * The splitting of the “fan base” when EPL left Fox for Optus. * Gallops ‘War on Fans’ * Murdochs ‘War on Sokkha’ * The war between FFA and Clubs * New Football vs Old Sokkha divide widening * A failure to expand * Poor expansion choices when they did expand * A move from 3 games vs opponents to 2 … oh, but some for three * The weather events * COVID So it’s a great debate to have BUT all dogs aren’t cats just because someone offers a poorly constructed argument as to why they are. Same here. Poorly constructed arguments add nothing. Next article please :boxing:
Marcel
Guest
Ad-o....I don't disagree....and personally I enjoy living within walking distance of the SFS. I just think it makes for an interesting counter point to the discussion that NFL fans will happily drive out to the boonies and sit in the snow to watch their team..
Ad-O
Guest
I wouldn't have been mad if they put the team in Geelong full time, but I don't know how much of a football town it is.. Got to be better than Truganina
Ad-O
Guest
NFL charges $300 a ticket for the nose bleeds but I don't think that's a path to success for the A League either. At the end of the day, NFL is America's No 1 sport. They could put games on the moon and sell out 8 home games a year. Still doesn't make it a good idea to put stadiums out there.
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
Spot on Mick.
Mick
Roar Rookie
Improving youth development is definately needed here. Promotion/relegation from A league down to lowest state league level will help improve pathways. A fully open transfer market will get clubs developing youth with the hope to benefit from it. Changing the mindset of the Australian public that it is not just about the big names. They can and are allowed to watch lesser known players. These are some of the things that need to be done to improve yourh development and improve the A league. I hope one day these will happen.
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
For your league two attendance point, I point you to this website: https://www.worldfootball.net/attendance/eng-league-two-2021-2022/1/. League two clubs averaged 4,907 bums on seats per match last season, so it can average more than 5000 and then you compared it to the A-League’s peak, instead of last season, like I did for League Two. I do accept, however, that the A-League is comfortably a better standard than L2, the point I made in the article about A-League standards was just for effect. Also, I’m not saying MLS’ growth in attendances since the noughties was due to the youth, it probably was due to the sheer amount of high quality designated players. However, since around 2018 they’ve gone from strength to strength without having to rely on those big name players. MLS is doing well in the USA but if you compare it to the big 3 (NFL, NBA and MLB) it’s a battle they simply cannot win, but they are putting up a valiant fight and might overtake the NHL in viewing figures.
Ferno
Guest
Yes. Nani is a former player and it doesnt matter what his is going do in Australia, his story in football is not going to change. With the money spent on him, it would be possible to bring a young gun from south america or africa hungry to play and develop his career. The example a~league players need is the will to develop their careers as their lives depended on that. Many a-league players play with same determination I play with my mates on weekend. And I wouldn't expect more than that from Nani at this point. No place for old tired men.
Remote
Guest
Many things Steve football could do to place it “In your face” in Australia like other sports do. Marquees will make it easier also to persuade Channel 10/Viacom TV executives to step as you indicate and sell the A-League to the public.
Steve
Guest
you need top quality marquees like del Piero but you also need good coaches to create exciting entertaining football just like ange did with Brisbane. We also need ch 10 to STEP up considerably this year and promote the a league just like ch 7 promotes the afl and make it No 1 sports news every single night of the year!
Marcel
Guest
NFL is the best attended sport in the world...A quick Google will show that it's typical stadium is out beyond the burbs, has no public transport....and no roof.
Remote
Guest
Comparing the last 3 Covid affected years in the A-League with any previous years attendances distorts the view. Scheduling has been all over the shop. Comparing it to League Two in England is also a unrealistic comparison. League Two in England will never average more than 5000, the A- League in season 3 averaged 14,600 ie it’s peak season attendance wise. Many factors are involved in this discrepancy between that season and last apart from Covid. Let’s instead concentrate on Non Covid seasons. Start with the 2010-11 season(Season 6)average 8441 as mentioned. Prior to that a build up on expectation by football fans that this new league would deliver something reminiscent of the professional football overseas, most fans had been following( and still do looking at the crowds particularly in the more multicultural big cities for the matches involving Premier League teams currently) allowed the A-League to reach the 14,600 average attendance in Season 3. Then realising that wasn’t happening any time soon attendances dropped to the 8441 in Season 6. Arguably it was the influx of Harry Kewell, Brett Emerton, John Aloisi that started the momentum to raise A- League crowds upwards again, after that low. Australian “Name players”. Still not enough to bring in the Euro followers but that was rectified in Season 8 when Del Piero and Emile Heskey were recruited as known names and to a lesser degree Shinji Ono. Result in season 9 average attendance 13025, getting close to Season 3 ie some faith is restored amongst football fans that the league has credibility. Sydney FC averaged close to 19000 during the Del Piero 2 years there also, up from 11,600 in Season 7. Then the crowds steadied for 3 seasons(10,11,12) expecting more quality marquees which were not forthcoming and the crowds dropped into the 10000 range for 2 seasons(13,14)) then we have the Covid affected Seasons(15,16,17). The right Marquees are not the issue at this stage of Australia’s professional football development, lack of them consistently,creating credibility is. Marquees coupled with Australian and Overseas quality players plus home grown quality youth is the key as Grem indicates. Also football in the USA fighting a losing battle well I suggest the author reads this article. https://soccerstadiumdigest.com/2022-mls-attendance/ The MLS have indeed strengthened their youth no doubt. However the increase in attendance from when they were struggling in the early 2000’s was due to the “Designated Player” rule, greater financial influx, the availability of bigger Cities and the building of stadiums to suit the size of the game. Australia can’t create bigger Cities but it can do better with financing the game and certainly cannot give up recruiting the “Nani’s” of World football for at least a generation. Youth will never pull in the punters independently simply because if they are any good they will leave for an Oveseas club as many have done from last season. They won’t stay here long enough to have a real impact. Arguably the greatest player who stayed here a while, Mark Viduka had zero impact on The Melbourne Knights or indeed the NSL’s attendances.