Perhaps when you create a competition out of thin air, it should come as no real surprise when administrators feel the need to invent the excitement that goes along with it.
If the A-League received points for trying, it would be one of the most entertaining leagues in world football.
First the Australian Professional Leagues said they tried to bring down Paris Saint-Germain to play the A-League All Stars, then they claimed to have asked Bayern München.
They failed on both counts – and it didn’t seem to occur to anyone at the APL that both teams were busy winning their respective domestic titles over the weekend.
When it comes to what’s happening on the pitch, that seems to be an afterthought for the APL.
But you can’t blame them for trying.
Too many A-League fans bemoan the fact that when it comes to media coverage, the Australian Football League and National Rugby League seem to be everywhere.
They’re all over Channel Seven and Foxtel, which both have financial interests in the AFL, just the same as they’re all over Channel Nine, Foxtel and the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, which have equally invested in the NRL.
And the same cadre of online fans who cheered until they were blue in the face for the A-League to leave Foxtel are now the same ones who can’t understand why it currently receives virtually no media coverage.
So you can’t blame the APL for trying to generate some extra revenue. They’re just short on ideas of how to get it.
It started with the decision to rebrand the W-League as the A-League Women – thereby ignoring 13 years of storied history.
That might have been acceptable, were it not for the fact the A-League practically abandoned the competition the second it became apparent it wasn’t generating the TV viewership they required.
Meanwhile, it wasn’t Townsend’s fault only two of his proposed shortlist of 35 marquees signed for an A-League club – again, at least he tried – but neither Nani nor Charlie Austin lasted beyond the season.
Nani only managed nine appearances in the Victory jersey (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
And Townsend has been hung out to dry by the likes of Paul Lederer, Simon Pearce, Chris Fong and the rest – none of whom want their names attached to the most hastily-conceived decision in recent Australian sporting history.
The fact that Townsend claimed he was “not prepared for the scale of fan hostility” over the decision to sell A-League Grand Final hosting rights to Sydney is simply an admission that he – and the APL – have no idea what A-League fans want.
And that, heading into the 2023 A-League Grand Final, is the most glaring issue with the competition.
That’s why the APL turned their back on 17 years of tradition – and numerous sold-out deciders – and said “who cares?”
That’s why the APL stared down active supporter groups across the A-League and said: “Your opinions mean nothing.”
That’s why the APL hires social media influencers no one has ever heard of and lets media broadcasters with minuscule followings lob them softballs over issues the rest of social media is raging over.
That’s why they’ll host an A-League Grand Final Party at Moore Park in Sydney some 30 kilometres from where the actual decider takes place in Parramatta the following day.
It doesn’t matter to Townsend and the APL where any of the activities take place, because they’re not the ones paying for tickets – and they can’t understand those who do.
So we now have an A-League decider that no one wants, overseen by an administration that everyone thinks is doing a terrible job.
And we’re locked in for the next three seasons!
We shouldn’t be scared of telling the APL they’re doing a terrible job, just on the off chance a few APL employees who are paid to keep their opinions to themselves might take offence.
The APL are doing a terrible job.
So it is we await a Grand Final that no one asked for, paid for by a clueless Destination NSW, put on by an administration that seems determined to ignore what A-League fans actually want.
Dan_G
Roar Rookie
Great song by Vanuatu artists about Kaltak in the grand final today :) He's the pride of the nation in Vanuatu! "Brick Wall of Gosford" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Bd-UIOXN0
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
It astonishes me why the A League doesn’t build strong relationships with MLS. Seems to be an absolute no-brainer to me. It’s such a successful competition despite similar challenges (i.e. the fact that other football codes are far more popular).
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
You keep saying that, but you keep engaging. Using your logic, I’m not a troll. Thanks for confirming! :laughing: Any tips for the AFL games this weekend?
Grem
Roar Rookie
Deflecting again. You always have that smiley face – One common Russian proverb translates as ‘smiling with no reason is a sign of stupidity’. Anyway, enough of Christo the Daddyo. You aren’t worth the time as you’re just a troll.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Fascinating you continue to talk about other sports on a soccer thread. I mean, I can’t blame you of course, but it is hilarious… :laughing:
Grem
Roar Rookie
When you read the above, sound out the words slowly and carefully, think about what you’ve read, keep your tongue in your mouth while reading and hopefully you can comprehend it.
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Absolutely nothing gets near those numbers.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Name. Australian rules football is known by several nicknames, including Aussie rules, football and footy. In some regions, the Australian Football League markets the game as AFL after itself. Better have a chat with the organisation (AFL) about what they market the game (AFL) as. And as someone from NSW who has little interest in the game I will correctly continue to refer to it as AFL or Aussie Rules.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Oh you’re back again! The self-imposed silence didn’t last long… :laughing: Thanks for confirming my point though. Also, you seem to be confused between the organization and the sport. Always good to think before trying for a gotcha moment. Helps avoid embarrassing yourself. Never mind - better luck next time… :thumbup:
Grem
Roar Rookie
Read it again, sound out the words slowly and carefully, think about what you’ve read, keep your tongue in your mouth while reading and hopefully you comprehend better this time. https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/australian-rules-football#:~:text=Australian%20Rules%20football%20evolved%20in,that%20is%2C%20private)%20schools.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Oh dear. You think AFL was started overseas... *facepalm*
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Nice rant there. Pity the basis for it is entirely wrong.
chris1
Roar Rookie
Grem same with me. I played league and union and school and in the later years of high school football. People can follow or play whatever game they like. I dislike the AFL as an organisation. I couldn't care less about the actual game one way or another. I neither like it or dislike it as I've watched maybe 3 games in my whole life. But the parasitic AFL as an organisation and the disproportionate number of fera l fans that it attracts is another matter.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
1 STATE OF ORIGIN RUGBY LEAGUE QLD V NSW 1ST -MATCH Nine Network 1,981,000 Crowd 48,613. Let see if the ALM finals gets anywhere near them numbers.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Good to read a fair and accurate assessment. I grew up with cricket and league, so they are the sports I mainly gravitated to when I was younger. It’s not been until the last 15 or so years that I have really followed football and I have come to realise that it seems to be unwelcome at the Australian sports table (even though AFL and definitely league and cricket are either created from an overseas sport or started overseas). It doesn’t make sense and it does seem to have its roots in racism.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
He doesn't seem to realise bashing the A-league is not enough, you have to be able to follow orders and cover other sports .
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
SBS offered more 1 million but only wanted to do 1 game a week. If Lowy had a chance to relive history he should have gone with SBS offer because they would have had 3 other games to sell after the first week proved such a success. The NSL poor ratings meant the first TV deal was such a crock. It was the sponsorship structure put in by Lowy where each major sponsor got exclusive rights across the whole league that put in a lot more money into the initial rather than the pittance from Foxtel. The initial advertising campaign by Lowy got Ridley Scott to make the commercial through Anthony Lapaglia was massive and paid for by the national body not by Foxtel. Foxtel best value product of all time comparing the cost to the ratings is certainly the initial A-league TV deal. The A-league clubs were of course poorly financed to begin with and were crying for money so then Lowy added the Socceroos as well for 15m combined an absolute bargain still. The Socceroos were at their high point then and attracted huge ratings to Fox as well. Lets not kid ourselves if the A-league rated poorly, Fox would have continued with it, yes they did put in more money as it proved itself and they got the benefit of the big marquees . Paramount are much better than Fox them because they put in 60m at a low point. Fox cut and ran as soon as the ratings went.
chris1
Roar Rookie
Grem is it any wonder the AFL have so many issues with their fans. Daddyo would be a prime example of the type of fan that is attracted to the AFL. A little dense and backward thinking, growing up ha ting the "sokkah" and then crying like a baby when called out as a tr oll. And then it's the "I can comment on any sport" but I bet you won't see him commenting in the Rugby or cricket tabs about their poor crowds etc. No, because those games are good Aussie sports, unlike the sokkah which is played by sheila's w ogs and p oofters - so they are fair game. Same goes for AR. Not the smartest people on here that's for sure.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Thanks for confirming my last point… :laughing:
Grem
Roar Rookie
Message to me – don’t respond to trolls anymore.