Just a thought

[midfielder]

I have an idea for the Australian teams that qualify in the ACL. Looking for pros and cons.

I begin with two basic facts as I see them, First Australian teams by playing out of ACL season need to be match fit and hardened, second for the overall good of the game we need to see if New Football can make friends with Old Soccer, and hope Old Soccer has moved on from its past problems, so the good (which there was a lot of) from Old Soccer can be used.

My idea is that the teams qualifying for the ACL take a place in a state league comp. This would as I see it do two things first it would keep the A-League teams match hardened, second it could be used to see if the Old Soccer problem clubs have curbed their ways, thus making the idea of an FA cup easier to introduce without the fear of the past coming back to haunt football. Thirdly it should improve revenue for state clubs playing the A-league sides as their gate for that clash would be large by the size of their normal gate and further give a place to go for the late comers and where players almost their  can show their worth  to the A-league clubs

Finally if the A-league side is knocked out of the ACL the A-League side could play its youth league in the state league. Finally the A-league side could not be premiers or take a part in the final series this left to the state sides.

Goer ....... no go ........ any thoughts

 

[Bear]

Yeah, ok, so think of it like this. Adelaide have made the ACL 2 years running. If things happened the way you suggested, they would have played for 2 years straight, with no break at all (if you include there pre season and cup commitments to). Cant see that happening, and frankly I think its a stupid idea.

 

[Jesus]

I have an idea for the Australian teams that qualify in the ACL. Looking for pros and cons.

I begin with two basic facts as I see them, First Australian teams by playing out of ACL season need to be match fit and hardened, second for the overall good of the game we need to see if New Football can make friends with Old Soccer, and hope Old Soccer has moved on from its past problems, so the good (which there was a lot of) from Old Soccer can be used.

My idea is that the teams qualifying for the ACL take a place in a state league comp. This would as I see it do two things first it would keep the A-League teams match hardened, second it could be used to see if the Old Soccer problem clubs have curbed their ways, thus making the idea of an FA cup easier to introduce without the fear of the past coming back to haunt football. Thirdly it should improve revenue for state clubs playing the A-league sides as their gate for that clash would be large by the size of their normal gate and further give a place to go for the late comers and where players almost their  can show their worth  to the A-league clubs

Finally if the A-league side is knocked out of the ACL the A-League side could play its youth league in the state league. Finally the A-league side could not be premiers or take a part in the final series this left to the state sides.

Goer ....... no go ........ any thoughts

State leagues overlap with the a-league dont they?
The youth team players will all be playing for state league teams under the youth league plans. Hence can not have their own team.
SL teams would be pissed to lose points to a full strength mariners squad, while their rivals got points against the youth.

 

[Jesus]

Yeah, ok, so think of it like this. Adelaide have made the ACL 2 years running. If things happened the way you suggested, they would have played for 2 years straight, with no break at all (if you include there pre season and cup commitments to). Cant see that happening, and frankly I think its a stupid idea.

Agree.

 

[marinersman]

I don't think our teams being in the off season is necessarily a disadvantage. They can play friendlies against the other team like tards and the barrel boys are. They could also play state league teams mid-week as well to keep fit.

Our biggest impediment for Aus clubs is the lack of experience and knowledge playing the Asian clubs who have experience previously in the competition. Look at what a years experience has done Adelaide. Last season they were very ordinary in the ACL, this year they have a good show of getting through. They have learnt a lot from last season.

The other thing is the Asian clubs have to play on the weekend and then travel to somewhere like here and have no time to recover and prepare adequately. Our clubs have all the time in the world to get their travel arrangements and preparation right.

Besides all of that, I don't think the state federation give two hoots about the HAL clubs and their interests.

 

[midfielder]

OK sounds like a crap idea ......... still think A-league teams need to keep match fit ... how is still a question

 

[dibo]

OK sounds like a crap idea ......... still think A-league teams need to keep match fit ... how is still a question

more teams, longer season. next!

 

[Paolo]

OK sounds like a crap idea ......... still think A-league teams need to keep match fit ... how is still a question

more teams, longer season. next!

where do babies come from?

 

[midfielder]

OK sounds like a crap idea ......... still think A-league teams need to keep match fit ... how is still a question

more teams, longer season. next!

I doubt very much the FFA will push the A-League into the start of AFL & NRL season ....... I see them going back further into the end of season, and playing over Xmass / New year.

Also BTW next year is still only eight teams.

 

[Jesus]

OK sounds like a crap idea ......... still think A-league teams need to keep match fit ... how is still a question

more teams, longer season. next!

I doubt very much the FFA will push the A-League into the start of AFL & NRL season ....... I see them going back further into the end of season, and playing over Xmass / New year.

Also BTW next year is still only eight teams.

Eventually we will start earlier. The FFA would prefer to fight our finals with the start of the league/afl season than numourous rounds challenging the climax of afl/league by starting ealrier.

 

[midfielder]

Maybe not so crap.

There were a number of aims in the original post, centered around keeping the Mariners match fit.

In addition was to see what the State league is like, re connection with some of the old NSL clubs, increase revenue for the state league clubs, maybe find some hidden talent.

Bear pointed out the season is to long and he is right. Then why not just play round one, solves the over playing and round one would not end that far past the ACL games.

Positives coming out of it IMO, keep Mariners match fit, IMO when Mariners play a State League side the crowd would be close if not more than there season total thus increase revenue for State teams,  keep football in the local press i.e. Blacktown Advocate, Bankstown Torch, Manly Dailey, Liverpool Leader and so on.  Give something for the Express and local radio to talk about, also help prepare the league for a second Sydney team, and another local derby for the Mariners.

I have for many years supported the Blacktown Demons, and it is sad to go there now with a crowd of 300 to 400, and the club on the brink of going under. A match against the Mariners would IMO get a crowd around 6 to 8 thousand at $15.00 would be a massive boost in revenue and help keep the grounds they have under there control in football hands. Marconi I think would get 7 to 10 thousand again a massive boost in revenue.

At the same time we would be spreading the Mariners brand a round Sydney and maybe win some extra fans.

Jesus, I cannot see the FFA putting the grand final or final series up against the opening rounds of the AFL & NRL, so as I said I see extra games assuming there are any ( it could be 12 teams 2 rounds = 22 games ) being pushed further back into NRL & AFL season.

 

[Bear]

You keep pushing the "keep the teams match fit" thing. Thats why teams have a pre season and the pre season cup for, to get match fit. Im really not understanding where else your going. Why do teams need to be match fit for 12 months of the year? Yeah the A-League teams in the ACL are at a disadvantage to the teams from other countrys who are in the middle of their seasons, so what? Thats the price we pay for wanting asia. The only solution to your original post is to change the A-League season to fit in with the rest of asia, and thats not going to happen.

 

[midfielder]

Bear

It is only if you are in the ACL, most other leagues in ACL are match fit, Sydney, Victory & Adelaide have all said it is a problem.

Was never meant to be for every team.

 

[Ursus]

And play to the level of your competition, no thanks.

 

[Jesus]

Playing in the state league would just increase the costs of the mariners. It would not increase the money for them.

One of the key reasons we play in summer is to avoid trying to claim media space from bigger codes as much as possible. Marienrs playing in state league would not get mentioned in big papers. Local papers in manly etc would already mention their state league team.

On scheduling i put it half round the wrong way. The finals wont move, the season will start earlier.

 

[Jesus]

I think you are overestamating what sort of crowds the mariners would pull in sydney. I think you overstimate travelling fans.

We dont get 10k to a pre-season game. Why would we get 10k for other teams in the state league? We would not get 10k here either.

 

[Jesus]

It is not the a-leagues need to prop up the SL's, it is the ffa's. The cup competition will help them draw bigger crowds, on games when a-league fans will actually travel in numbers.

To stay fit the possibility of a super cup is an option. Though would not work so well with 3 teams in ACL. As well would only work if it is the teams who won that year, otherwise diminishes the trophy to a friendly. Until that time the a-league teams playing each other to stay fit seems to be working ok.

 

[midfielder]

Jesus

Aside from bus fares and some on the day medical staff the cost are there if we play or not, I never mentioned traveling fans, Marconi, Olympic & Blacktown drew reasonable crowds when they played in the NSL for big matches, also never forget a large base of Mariners supporters live in Sydney especially in that area from Ryde to the Hills. BTW I forget the figure but when the Choppers played a team at Penrith they drew over four thousand and that was with about two day notice.

Never said it would be back page SHM or Tele. I said in local papers and named them.

As to your point about FFA to prop up state league .......... with what ......... OK take some money from the A-League and give it to the SL I think not, maybe from national teams again no.

From my reading every coach, player and media commenter has commented about the A-League teams not being match fit in the ACL. This was just an idea to help keep fit, along with what I saw as some other benefits being thrown in.

About the quality of play in the SL and A-L ........... Juve are playing Victory ....... the Marines play Gladesville Spirit.

As an aside if we only played the Scum to keep fit in time someone would head but Joel to death .. but then again no jury would convict them so maybe a good idea at that level.

 

[Jesus]

Jesus

Aside from bus fares and some on the day medical staff the cost are there if we play or not, I never mentioned traveling fans, Marconi, Olympic & Blacktown drew reasonable crowds when they played in the NSL for big matches, also never forget a large base of Mariners supporters live in Sydney especially in that area from Ryde to the Hills. BTW I forget the figure but when the Choppers played a team at Penrith they drew over four thousand and that was with about two day notice.

Never said it would be back page SHM or Tele. I said in local papers and named them.

As to your point about FFA to prop up state league .......... with what ......... OK take some money from the A-League and give it to the SL I think not, maybe from national teams again no.

From my reading every coach, player and media commenter has commented about the A-League teams not being match fit in the ACL. This was just an idea to help keep fit, along with what I saw as some other benefits being thrown in.

About the quality of play in the SL and A-L ........... Juve are playing Victory ....... the Marines play Gladesville Spirit.

As an aside if we only played the Scum to keep fit in time someone would head but Joel to death .. but then again no jury would convict them so maybe a good idea at that level.

The FFA need to help the SL's with sponsorship etc. Is there much govt sponsorship of state league teams? I have no idea.

Are you suggesting we play no matches at home? Is that why we have no costs?

You made no suggestion that it would change any media coverage in local papers which would already run stories on local SL matches.

I did not say there was a problem with quality.

Players would not give up there holidays to play state league. Ivf players are expected to play all year round expect the PFA to demand much higher wages minimum.

Who goes in the state league when there is no nsw team in the ACL? Why kick out 2 teams next year so scum and us could play there? How would that help those clubs viability?

The fact is that the season does not allow for it due to overlaps. I do not disagree that australian teams are not as match fit in the off-season.

What i am saying is that this idea has huge and numerous holes. That it would never work, that its benefits would be minimal. The idea IMHO, lacks merit or possibility.

Something could be done to help state league teams.
Something could be done to keep a-league ACL rep's match fit.

But this is not it.

 

[Jesus]

What is the major funding problem faced by the state league teams?

Is it funding?
If it is funding, there may be some money possible from FFA come the new tv deal in years time.
Otherwise the FFA could enter talks with the states, and feds about extra funding tied to these competitions.

Is it sponsorship?
Then the FFA needs to work with the leagues, and the clubs, to help with the leagues images, to make them a better investment for sponsors.

Is it wages?
Is there a need for more wage control in these leagues?

Is it infrastructure costs?
A number of clubs with reasonable nsl infrastructure are now playing in state leagues, in situations that no longer make it financially viable to hold onto some infrustructure. That is something that the FFA should look at, so as not to lose this infrastructure if these clubs need to sell.

There are no doubt many more possible problems. Maybe all are problems. They need to be addressed. But your idea mate, does not address them.