The news that next week’s Australia Cup Final must be played in Sydney because there’s no suitable venue available in Brisbane is an indictment on both the A-League and the Queensland government.
Let’s start with some logistics.
Brisbane Roar were never going to agree to play next Saturday’s cup final against Sydney FC at Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe or Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast because they have made returning to Brisbane the central theme of their entire season.
With no foreign signings and little else to hang their marketing around, the Roar were never going to tell supporters they’ve made a triumphant return to Brisbane and then ask them to drive for an hour each way just to attend the cup final.
And there’s no telling what sort of crowd they’d have drawn in Redcliffe or Robina anyway.
You’d like to think they’d draw close to a capacity crowd at Kayo Stadium, but realistically Sydney FC have the potential to draw a much larger crowd at Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
In that regard Football Australia was caught between a rock and a hard place, because supposedly “much-needed” irrigation work at Suncorp Stadium ruled it out as the most logical choice of venue.
(Public domain)
With an international break to follow and the A-League Men competition kicking off the following weekend, Allianz Stadium ended up being the only available choice.
But the fact it has come to this is telling – because there are some deep-seated issues that prevent the Australia Cup from being the sort of bona fide cup competition every other country enjoys.
Starting with the fact that the two tiers that provide most of the combatants in the latter stages of the competition don’t align.
Which means the Australia Cup takes place at the end of the National Premier Leagues seasons, and amounts to what is effectively a pre-season competition for A-League teams.
It’s nothing like England’s FA Cup or the historic Emperor’s Cup in Japan, where knock-out cup football complements their league campaigns.
Whatever happened to the idea of playing the Final on Australia Day? No doubt it has succumbed to the winds of political change – which is not necessarily a bad thing – but a mid-season cup final would have at least given A-League fans something to look forward to.
As it stands, the Australia Cup in its current format is now done before the season even kicks off – at least for top-flight fans – lending the whole thing an air of that old pre-season comp the A-League used to run.
Perhaps that’s why interest in the competition seems to have fallen off a cliff compared to a few years ago when it was still on Fox Sports.
That still doesn’t make the lack of an appropriate venue for the decider any less palatable, and it is here that both A-Leagues clubs themselves and state governments are to blame.
Brisbane Roar held their season launch at Perry Park in inner-city Bowen Hills on Saturday – the same venue they hosted their Australia Cup quarter-final win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
It’s an intimate suburban ground straight out of the National Soccer League era and one there seems to be no political willpower whatsoever to modernise.
Brisbane Roar’s Carlo Armiento celebrates scoring in the Australia Cup. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
The majority of fans at that game either sat in the solitary freezing grandstand or on the hard, grassless banks on two sides of the goal – where if they weren’t being bitten by green ants, they were trying to avoid the ancient bottlecaps embedded in the turf from the NSL days.
That seems to be what Queensland politicians think football fans are worth, with the state government’s abysmal treatment of the round-ball game nothing short of a disgrace.
They’ve been happy to pump millions of taxpayer dollars into supporting the National Rugby League and Australian Football League, while the sport with the state’s highest participation rate struggles at both ends of the spectrum.
Almost 20 years after the A-League kicked off, Brisbane Roar still don’t have anywhere suitable to play.
Let’s see if it ends up costing them some silverware next weekend.
Gwendolyn
Roar Rookie
Yep that's what I meant. Just meant that no top tier team is based there.
Maddi Davis
Roar Rookie
Attacking the World Game ehike trying to defend the sport followed in Qld and parts of NSW. You League people are next level Brett
RoarRoar
Roar Rookie
It still not a dedicated football stadium and it’s in a bad location where most fans will want to drive and park near the stadium. Therefore, because the stadium is in a residential area the inevitable conflict with residents will occur. It also means the Roar has to pay money to Qld Rugby to be there. That means football is supporting a rival code. It maybe the best option for now but football must plan to be independent of other sports and the government when it comes to funding.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
Garry, much as I appreciate your presence for the past six months or so on a column I've been writing for almost 15 years, this one wouldn't even crack the Top 20 for views or reader comments. Sometimes when a column strikes a chord with readers, my preference is to let them lead their own discussions on it.
Garry
Roar Rookie
“The Wests Tigers, in partnership with Liverpool Council, have approached the NSW government with a proposal to build a 20,000-seat stadium in the heart of Liverpool CBD, with a view to making it the club’s permanent home.” It is hoped the revenue from building apartments on the land would offset the majority of the cost of building the stadium. The proposal estimates the maximum cost to taxpayers would be less than $100 million.” ” “The Tigers already have plans in place with Inner West Council and Campbelltown City Council to upgrade their two existing home grounds at Leichhardt Oval and Campbelltown.’ ps is Mike T on hols? This must be one of his best post no’s but no comment from him…
chris1
Roar Rookie
Thanks for that FIL. Ed is not worth your time. There are a few on here that fall into that category.
chris1
Roar Rookie
I don't know if you actually believe everything you write. I sort of glaze over your propaganda rants. Basically for you its AFL = good. Sokkah = bad.
Ed Flanders
Roar Rookie
Just cause you've served in the military doesn't mean you aren't lazy and apathetic If anything it only magnifies it. You are incapable of being an agent of change, so you just follow what someone else says.
Grem
Roar Rookie
9-1 to the mighty Mariners. I won’t read anything into that result, but it was good to watch.
AR
Roar Rookie
Bingo. The predominant theory on this tab is: "I like football. Why doesn't the government pay for more football fields?" The core reason that the football/soccer lobby is so ineffective is due to infighting and being disorganised. Any sport that can get its house in order and present a cogent and reasonable funding request will get results. It's not all about the AFL bogeyman.
AR
Roar Rookie
"Football will always be the king of participation. Participation = more fields! " Precisely. Build soccer fields for community - yes. Build large stadiums for privately-owned franchises - no.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Chris, it appears old mate Flanders down below is bereft of substance. My response after he took cheap shots at both you and me; Ed, where I come from your known as a "raw bone". Someone who purports to know, but doesn't have the time up. Someone who has a lot to learn and experience to garner. In my world you have to earn it, you have to work hard for everything, and if you do, you're shown respect for your discipline, personal strength and application. If you knew what you were talking about, if you had any respect whatsoever, if you had got some time up, you would know that Chris1 is one of the most knowledgeable, respectful and articulate contributors to this forum. If you want respect you have to earn it. If the Premier wants respect, display the personal strength to pronounce your in its honest and correct form. If you came here to fish for a bite, all you've done son, is make a dill of yourself. A considered and respectful contribution would have earned you some respect. From the outset you've shot yourself in the foot. Personal strength is respected, afford yourself some personal respect and maybe think before pulling the trigger next time.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Ed, where I come from your known as a “raw bone”. Someone who purports to know, but doesn’t have the time up. Someone who has a lot to learn and experience to garner. In my world you have to earn it, you have to work hard for everything, and if you do, you’re shown respect for your discipline, personal strength and application. If you knew what you were talking about, if you had any respect whatsoever, if you had got some time up, you would know that Chris1 is one of the most knowledgeable, respectful and articulate contributors to this forum. If you want respect you have to earn it. If the Premier wants respect, display the personal strength to pronounce your in its honest and correct form. If you came here to fish for a bite, all you’ve done son, is make a dill of yourself. A considered and respectful contribution would have earned you some respect. From the outset you’ve shot yourself in the foot. Personal strength is respected, afford yourself some personal respect and maybe think before pulling the trigger next time.
AR
Roar Rookie
Well, no. First, in 2023, Giants Stadium had an average of 10,293 per game, not 2-5k. Second, the AFL contributed $10M of its own money to that stadium, the RAS contributed $5M, and the NSW Govt contributed $42M. It hosts football, cricket, concerts and everything else. If you're talking about a $40-50M contribution from government, then that's fine. But you're not. Third, my point remains - why would the government contribute hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to a (foreign) privately-owned franchise that barely cracks the 5k mark?
chris1
Roar Rookie
And...like that stadium in Homebush where it holds 25k+ and gets 2-5k. They should name it Midgets stadium. But yes lets cherry pick all of the things to suit your argument.
Chris Lewis
Roar Guru
will be interesting to see what crowds they get and support from local community.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Ok, so when you've served your nation in uniform come and see me. We'll discuss the definition of slacker and lazy. I offer you this, "assumption is the mother of all errors".
AR
Roar Rookie
This is a fundamental point that’s ignored in this discussion. If I’m government, I know my upgrade to the Broncos stadium will be filled with 30k people each week. Same for the Lions or the Swans in Sydney.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Never gonna happen because soccer doesn’t bring a return in this country. It was ever thus.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Fair point, but it’s reality you’re gonna have to live with.