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As the embarrassing Wallabies prepare for a sombre flight home from the World Cup in France, the A-League Men’s competition looms ever closer to its October 20 kick-off, with the chance to pounce.
Australian football is riding a wave, one built off the back of decades invested in the development of young players, coaches and guided by a curriculum that for the first time provided the structure, as imperfect as it was, that the domestic game required.
The current wave began with a stunning Socceroo performance in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup and was then parlayed into a home tournament for the women’s team where they showed their quality and value to the nation, with a semi-final run that had Australia wondering, ‘what if?’
Newcastle’s Reno Piscopo. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
All the while, the Olyroos have begun to look like an ever-increasing force in the Asian region and our Young Matildas fired on all cylinders at the U/17 Asian Cup qualifiers in Vietnam. Unbeaten in three, the team has successfully qualified for the 2024 tournament in Indonesia and the talent on display in the squad is simply remarkable.
Kevin Muscat, Ange Postecoglou and others are killing it abroad in the coaching ranks, our men and women continue to star in overseas leagues in ever-increasing numbers, whilst the opportunities being granted to our most promising young talents is finally befitting of the quality they have shown in the A-League’s.
Hardly a Matilda remains on home soil and the sheer number of men playing abroad makes it near impossible to keep track of their performances on a week to week basis.
It is no wonder Australia is one of a small number of countries to have qualified for the most recent World Cups in both the men’s and women’s editions and also why the senior national teams will enter as strong contenders in the next Asian Cup tournaments for their respective sexes.
Yet, with all the positive feels and vibes around Australian football at the minute, and the simple fact that league, union, basketball and cricket all have considerable challenges before them, the question of whether the A-League Men’s competition can make a positive step forward in 2023/24 is an interesting one.
The Mariners enter as champions after having the league buzzing late in the season and knocking off the team everyone loves to beat, Melbourne City, in the decider.
It was the stuff of fairy tales for the Central Coast, embarrassing the richest football group in the world and claiming a championship for the little guys.
In 2022/23, Sydney FC were a little ordinary, Melbourne Victory even more so and there were signs of life for the Newcastle Jets, Perth Glory, Brisbane Roar and Wellington Phoenix as some of the big guns struggled.
Adelaide United punched above its weight as usual and the Western Sydney Wanderers finally came back into the fray, with coach Mark Rudan beginning to build a team that could compete for a title this coming season.
Western Sydney Wanderers manager Mark Rudan. (Photo by Steve Christo/Corbis via Getty Images)
But – and it is a mighty big but – with the Women’s World Cup still fresh in our nasal passages and the brilliant season we witnessed last time around whetting appetites for the next, are we merely being set up for another year of treading water, or are we about to see a significant shift?
Personally, I’d like to see the most aggressive advertising campaign in A-League history in an attempt to connect the record-breaking memberships being recorded at A-League Women’s clubs to the men’s teams.
Viewing the men’s and women’s teams unified as clubs is the future of top tier football in Australia. The AFL have done superbly in building such a feel as the women’s competition has grown and despite being disrespected by the number of matches the AFLW teams actually played in 2023, the vision and model is there for all to see.
The pre-season has already brought exciting signings to the men’s competition. Sydney FC has two quality Brazilians to showcase in Gabriel Lacerda and Fabio Gomes, Melbourne City has a Brazilian of its own with Leo Natel signing on, as well as also acquiring German Tolgay Asrlan in what looks a significant acquisition.
Brisbane Roar’s Carlo Armiento celebrates scoring in the Australia Cup. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
The Wanderers have brought in Swedish Striker Marcus Antonsson and Zinedine Machach is an interesting signing for the Victory.
The Australia Cup has been a pleasing competition in the lead up to the season, with plenty of threatening performances from NPL clubs, with Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar eventually earning the right to fight for the trophy.
The football vibe is at a potentially all-time high in Australia, yet will the A-League Men rise from the ashes in a season of rejuvenation?
Football fans hope so, as does Paramount+ and the APL, yet will the right levers be pulled in terms of fan engagement and give people a tangible reason to attend and/or view the matches in increasing numbers?
The best start would be some serious media promotion and newly appointed independent chair of the APL Stephen Conroy has a key role to play in grasping the positive feel around the leagues and ensuring they have a cracking season ahead.
Fingers crossed, with others floundering, the domestic competitions take a significant step forward in 2023/24.