HAL finals series to expand to 6 teams

[Rubbernose]

THE A-League will introduce a top-six finals format when it expands to 10 teams next season, with the grand final to be played a month later, in late March.

The 27-round competition will kick-off in mid-August, with the pre-season series to remain.

Football Federation Australia head of corporate affairs Bonita Mersiades said the decision to go to a final six was made with a view to the competition expanding to 12 clubs.

North Queensland Fury and Gold Coast United will join for the 2009-10 season, with second teams in Melbourne and Sydney likely to complete the 12-team vision after the 2010 World Cup.

The FFA hasn't decided on which six-team format to use, but the finals series is likely to still be played over four weekends.

The five games played each round of the regular season will be stand-alone fixtures, with Fox Sports to screen all matches live.

The A-League has been an eight-team competition with a final four since its inception.

Hmm, more than half the teams in the comp will make the finals series. What a farce.

Of course, this will probably be financially beneficial to the FFA as they run the finals series and will get bigger gates and possibly TV revenue. Which is fine. But it also may devalue the finals series.

And I can only assume another part of their reasoning is to keep more teams in the running for longer, even if they don't come out and say it. In a fledgling comp, they were probably already worried about it in the 8-team/4-finals spots format of today.

Throw in some dodgy economic times and every other risk involved and they must see it as a potentially major issue. After all, more teams could potentially be out of the running for even longer. In a 27 rd, 10 team comp with 4 finals spots, you could have 3 or 4 teams effectively out of the running by about rd 18, and I'd say the likely wane in interest is of concern.

 

[northernspirit]

source?

 

[dibo]

what's a korb? ;D

 

[Jesus]

Money wouldnt be behind it, they are only playing over 4 weekends, so no home and away matches, so cant increase revenue much. Also i love home and away finals, so that sucks.

But is sounds like the comp runs basically the usual time? With finals being longer. SO if true, midweek games.

 

[David Votoupal]

This system will only reward mediocrity. You can play absolute rubbish all season and hey presto, scrape into the finals :-X

 

[kevrenor]

This system will only reward mediocrity. You can play absolute rubbish all season and hey presto, scrape into the finals :-X

The large finals series 'cup' is fine, strikes a balance between giving the Premiership some status, and a post season cup, keeping interest for the bottom teams until late in the rounds, and keeps more teams active longer to keep players and make a more professional league.

What shits me is this early start to the season again: mid-August is ridiculous.

Should start after AFL/NRL and run to end April.

Didn't they learn from the poor early crowds this season?!

 

[Part_Timer]

6 team finals in 10 team comp --- f**kING RUBBISH
6 team finals in 12 team comp --- f**kING RUBBISH

 

[David Votoupal]

Ideally, a 12 to 14-team league with no finals would be better.

 

[Part_Timer]

and a cup (please dont confuse finals series with any from of cup)

 

[northernspirit]

i dont mind the finals series personally but more importance needs to be put on the premiership... that is the true guage of champion

 

[Arabmariner]

Ideally, a 12 to 14-team league with no finals would be better.

Agreed.

Finals are a farce and devalue winning the league.

No team should be able to finish in 5th or 6th place,possibly 15 or 16 pts behind and be crowed "champions" if they happen to win a short knockout comp.

Look at V2 for example.Melbourne were so far in front of everyone else it would have been a farce if they weren't in the record books as the champs.

It shouldn't be about "keeping teams involved/interested " until the end.It's about having a decent and fair comp.

If they want one off glory days introduce a cup comp ffs.

 

[Jesus]

We dont need another thread of cup vs finals

 

[Arabmariner]

We dont need another thread of cup vs finals

Cup or no cup they should dump the finals anyway imo!!

 

[Omni]

This system will only reward mediocrity. You can play absolute rubbish all season and hey presto, scrape into the finals :-X

The large finals series 'cup' is fine, strikes a balance between giving the Premiership some status, and a post season cup, keeping interest for the bottom teams until late in the rounds, and keeps more teams active longer to keep players and make a more professional league.

What shits me is this early start to the season again: mid-August is ridiculous.

Should start after AFL/NRL and run to end April.

Didn't they learn from the poor early crowds this season?!

Suits me though, given I move OS in February 2010

 

[Gibbsy]

Yeah exactly, see the big debate about it somewhere else on the forum. but having more teams make the finals then dont is ridiculous. As with the NRL where frequently a team can lose more matches then it wins and make the 8

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Where did you get the article from?  i'd like to post it on some other sites.

This, IMO, is f**king ridiculous.  Look at the NRL's finals system - 16 team comp, you only need to be better than half the teams to get in.  You don't actually need to be on of the best teams all season to have a chance at the glory - just better than half of them.  It's an absolute farce.

In a 10 team comp, and in a country that rewards performance on a single match over performance for a whole year, how the hell can we justify allowing a 6th placed team so much chance at glory?

How can somebody on the BOTTOM HALF OF THE LADDER have a shot at winning the grand final????

It's absolutely ridiculous.  Stupidest thing I've ever heard of.

 

[Gibbsy]

Where did you get the article from?  i'd like to post it on some other sites.

This, IMO, is f**king ridiculous.  Look at the NRL's finals system - 16 team comp, you only need to be better than half the teams to get in.  You don't actually need to be on of the best teams all season to have a chance at the glory - just better than half of them.  It's an absolute farce.

In a 10 team comp, and in a country that rewards performance on a single match over performance for a whole year, how the hell can we justify allowing a 6th placed team so much chance at glory?

How can somebody on the BOTTOM HALF OF THE LADDER have a shot at winning the grand final????

It's absolutely ridiculous.  Stupidest thing I've ever heard of.

+1

 

[David Votoupal]

In the first year of the NRL, the Bulldogs made the Grand Final from 9th.

When the AFL went to its current 16-team format in 1995, the Brisbane Bears got into the finals on 10 wins (out of 22). They lost by only 13 points or so to an all-conquering Carlton at the MCG.

 

[kevrenor]

In the first year of the NRL, the Bulldogs made the Grand Final from 9th.

When the AFL went to its current 16-team format in 1995, the Brisbane Bears got into the finals on 10 wins (out of 22). They lost by only 13 points or so to an all-conquering Carlton at the MCG.

Who? Relevance?

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25055115-5005401,00.html

 

[Paolo]

what load of wank.

As if half the teams making it wasnt bad enough...now we are going to reward more shit sides with a finals spot.

......f**k the jets and the FFA