We’ve been here before – time for reinvention and another new start.
Jesus, where do I start?
How about – what’s in a name?
The state of Australian football is as muddy as the Murrumbidgee River at the moment and the fact we’re back to calling football, ‘soccer’ is a small, yet poignant reason it’s spiralling.
It’s the sign of current times.
The name was wrangled back for a little while as the Aussie game flourished from 2005.
Aghhh the golden generation where did you go? World Cup finals qualification, an Asian Cup victory, players who played in Europe’s top leagues, remember that time?
It really wasn’t that long ago.
So how the hell have we got here in such a small amount of time?
Now we need:
- Fan re-engagement.
- An A-League rejuvenation.
- A new tv rights deal.
- Sponsors … and so on and so on.
It’s like we all went into a coma in the last few years and woke up to a totally different landscape – but sadly one we have already experienced.
I write this after the Matildas had another great result and are on the verge of Olympic qualification.
Time to hop on the bandwagon people. All aboard!
Hang on, before you get on. How many of you watch or even care about the W-League? What was that? Stop mumbling! Spit it out! Yeah, I thought so.
It’s just like the men’s game. When it comes to international matches everyone unites, but at the moment the domestic competitions are a real worry.
The A-League independence to the FFA won’t be put into proper effect until the current TV rights deal is complete -but who is brokering the next one with the current rights holder, or looking at other options?
As one FFA board member told me this week
“It’s the clubs responsibility now. They clamoured for independence. They wanted it. They’ve got it.”
So can we assume the FFA are purely acting as a baby sitter until this divorce comes through.
So who is running the show in the meantime?
I’ve spoken to a few club owners in the last couple of weeks and even they can’t tell me!
Meanwhile the game’s image continues to suffer.
Image is everything these days.
Take for example, the game’s look at a domestic level is so poor. I know that a consultancy firm was employed to do work for a television station, to advise them what’s hot and what’s not. (Don’t get me started on why their own executives on big bucks can’t make these decisions for themselves)
They were told go hard on basketball, NBA, Ben Simmons. That’s hot at the moment! Soccer, not so much.
So when you have companies out there preaching to networks that football stinks, then the sport is in real trouble especially in a country with four different football codes.
Knocking up a second division isn’t the answer. Not just yet anyway. We need to get the current A-League right.
Make it the hottest ticket in town. But we need a recipe for clubs that entails a mixture of winning + entertainment. A tough gig for players and coaches in a result driven sport.
The A-League started so well in its initial seasons but, like most new toys, they get stale. Look at the Big Bash. There’s a lot more empty seats than nine years ago.
Reinventing is the key to survival.
Football is loved by many as we know but I’m sick of hearing “we’ve got the best participation rate”.
Yes, that’s great but is this all we’ve got?
I see kids in Barcelona, Liverpool, Juventus shirts but it’s hard to actually see an A-League kit.
It means we’re still in love with the game on a bigger stage overseas but in club land in Australia it’s liv\ke watching an average cover band compared with the real thing.
Maybe it mirrors this day and age where everyone wants the best right now. The best car, the best house and appliances … the best image.
I hope to god slow and steady – one day – wins this race.
Strap yourselves in because it’s going to be a slow burn!
15 February 2020 | Michael Cain
Michael Cain is a senior journalist for Network 10 in Sydney and is a director of Cainey Media. Article from footballtoday.news/features/football-needs-a-re-set-soon
