Expansion looming in A-League - The Contrast with the NRL

[titoelcolombiano]

The bigger question is, is a Campbeltown renovation going to happen as is suggested in this article now that WSW has got the nod?

https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/south-west-sydney-bid-s-dream-arena-unveiled

Jointly funded by local council, state Government (lol) and private money means that the stadium won't be 100% controlled by football or SWS. This could be a very good outcome for RL in addition to WSS and whatever ends up happening to ANZ & Allianz.

 

[VictoryFC]

MacArthur and western Melbourne confirmed. The A League are even worse than the NRL at explansion.

Where did you want it to go? Canberra? Tasmania? 4 teams in both Sydney and Melbourne are probably going to happen - and for good reason. Much bigger asset to have teams in Sydney/Melbourne than in places like Tasmania.

 

[Pommy]

Where did you want it to go? Canberra? Tasmania? 4 teams in both Sydney and Melbourne are probably going to happen - and for good reason. Much bigger asset to have teams in Sydney/Melbourne than in places like Tasmania.

Personally I thought Canberra and Wollongong would have been good choices.
They’re trying to get more local derbies but it could just end up ruining the good thing they have going now by making them too common.
Nobody in south west Sydney was saying I’m not going to support either Sydney team because they don’t okay their games in Campbelltown.

 

[Stallion]

Soccer in Australia is like basketball. Just because everyone plays it as kids, does not mean we follow or play as adults. We simply don’t. Soccer crowds and viewership have crashed. The sport here is about to implode and might follow the pattern of basketball - upward trend, then expansion, then collapse. Repeat then repeat again.
Here in Melbourne the introduction of Heart/City was the start of the decline for Victory. Before that, Victory were as big as a few AFL clubs and more than twice as big as Storm. Storm will overtake them soon as the biggest non AFL club outside of NSW/Qld. Perhaps they already have.
More clubs in big cities won’t work. They are heading in the wrong direction.
When you look at what is happening in soccer and union, RL is doing OK.

Lol. You have forgotten the AFL has two clubs in most major cities . Ten in Melbourne. The tyranny of distance compels a football code to concentrate it's numbers wherever the fans are. Major cities happen to be where the fans are. I do concede that Wollongong and Canberra are decent population centres and dots on the map though! Wise administrators put clubs where the people are. If they happen to be longtime established clubs even more vital to maintain as they have gained generational support along with a loyalty/cultural factor often ignored by some of the 'experts' on this site.

 

[VictoryFC]

Personally I thought Canberra and Wollongong would have been good choices.
They’re trying to get more local derbies but it could just end up ruining the good thing they have going now by making them too common.
Nobody in south west Sydney was saying I’m not going to support either Sydney team because they don’t okay their games in Campbelltown.

The derbies drive interest like nothing else. The best way to boost attendances is to get both sets of fans going to games. Just like NRL and auskick, half the league should be based in the big two cities. Commercially, broadcasting, attendance is all boosted by proximity.

And therell most likeky be a 4th Syd team in the future, in which case Wollongong would be the obvious choice.

 

[Jamberoo]

Lol. You have forgotten the AFL has two clubs in most major cities . Ten in Melbourne. The tyranny of distance compels a football code to concentrate it's numbers wherever the fans are. Major cities happen to be where the fans are. I do concede that Wollongong and Canberra are decent population centres and dots on the map though! Wise administrators put clubs where the people are. If they happen to be longtime established clubs even more vital to maintain as they have gained generational support along with a loyalty/cultural factor often ignored by some of the 'experts' on this site.

I am well aware of where the AFL clubs are. But soccer is not AFL. Tarneit is in the middle of nowhere. Derbies aside, WMG will average well under 5k per game, and Victory crowd will drop by a few thousand as a result. And I will believe in a privately funded stadium once it is open. Who in their right mind would invest $100m in a soccer stadium in this country.

 

[Pommy]

The derbies drive interest like nothing else. The best way to boost attendances is to get both sets of fans going to games. Just like NRL and auskick, half the league should be based in the big two cities. Commercially, broadcasting, attendance is all boosted by proximity.

And therell most likeky be a 4th Syd team in the future, in which case Wollongong would be the obvious choice.

I hope your right but I think if they become too common place they won’t drive the interest like they have previously.
Only time will tell I guess.

 

[The Great Dane]

Meh, I knew exactly what they'd do from the moment that expansion came up again, and as I said before all it's going to achieve is splitting their fan bases in Sydney and Melbourne.

They don't really care though cause it's not really about expansion to the FFA, it's about the extra money from Fox and the license fees, so long as the pay checks come through they don't care that they've just carved a little bit off the WSW and SFC fan base and plopped it into the Macarthur teams lap, and they don't care they've done the same to Victory with Western Melbourne.

 

[flippikat]

Meh, I knew exactly what they'd do from the moment that expansion came up again, and as I said before all it's going to achieve is splitting their fan bases in Sydney and Melbourne.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if FFA take the license off the Wellington Phoenix & hand it to Canberra. There's long been some unhappiness with the Phoenix's performance (on AND off field), and my understanding is that another review is due in 2020.

If that happens, FFA gets "best of both worlds" (more derbies in Melbourne & Sydney PLUS a new Australian market), yet only having to expand to 12 clubs. That leaves them with a lot more options for the next step to 14 clubs.

 

[The Great Dane]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if FFA take the license off the Wellington Phoenix & hand it to Canberra. There's long been some unhappiness with the Phoenix's performance (on AND off field), and my understanding is that another review is due in 2020.

If that happens, FFA gets "best of both worlds" (more derbies in Melbourne & Sydney PLUS a new Australian market), yet only having to expand to 12 clubs. That leaves them with a lot more options for the next step to 14 clubs.

I wouldn't be surprised either, however I also wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they stripped Wellingtons license then tendered it excursively to potential Brisbane bids or pulled a Wanderers and just started their own Brisbane club then sold it on to the highest bidder once the club was established.

 

[Coparugby]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if FFA take the license off the Wellington Phoenix & hand it to Canberra

That’d be a great way to burn even more money..

 

[King hit]

Expanding the A-League with 2 teams that are unlikely to get a following isn't the wisest move and the competition isn't a great one so Dave could well over blow it.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

If we get a second A League team here in Brissy before a second NRL team I'm flying to Sydney to protest at the front door of NRL HQ - absolutely rediculous that we haven't sewed this city up as a RL city forever effectively putting the final nail in the Lions and Reds coffin at the same time.

 

[Perth Red]

Wished Perth had got the second club, with no NRL imminent and Force clinging on by their finger nails NIB needs more tenants. I reckon a pseudo expat English Aleague club in Perth could be massive.

Very impressed with the way Aleague has gone about its expansion business. Created a competitive market and then in order to expand before the next TV deal they have effectively sold the two licenses and will use the money to pay for the two new clubs inclusion. Very smart by them. Meanwhile we'll wait a year for another report then have a couple of years debate before Ch9 & Fox tell us whether we can expand or not in 5years time!

 

[Stallion]

Wished Perth had got the second club, with no NRL imminent and Force clinging on by their finger nails NIB needs more tenants. I reckon a pseudo expat English Aleague club in Perth could be massive.

Very impressed with the way Aleague has gone about its expansion business. Created a competitive market and then in order to expand before the next TV deal they have effectively sold the two licenses and will use the money to pay for the two new clubs inclusion. Very smart by them. Meanwhile we'll wait a year for another report then have a couple of years debate before Ch9 & Fox tell us whether we can expand or not in 5years time!

At last some constructive comment. A long as you don't wish to carve up established clubs genuine expansion should and must occur with additional new clubs in targeted areas around Australia with good population bases. Finally we agree!

 

[jim_57]

At least they're trying it, don't know much about the successful bids so can't speak as to likelihood of sucess. Sad thing is I can see them getting to 2 Brisbane clubs before NRL which is laughable on our behalf. Shit, they may even beat us to 18 teams..

 

[Stallion]

At least they're trying it, don't know much about the successful bids so can't speak as to likelihood of sucess. Sad thing is I can see them getting to 2 Brisbane clubs before NRL which is laughable on our behalf. Shit, they may even beat us to 18 teams..

Great comment! The NRL have been sitting on their hands for far too long. It's embarassing ! Understand the Broncos greed has not helped but it's simply disgraceful and is doing the code no favours.

 

[Perth Red]

At last some constructive comment. A long as you don't wish to carve up established clubs genuine expansion should and must occur with additional new clubs in targeted areas around Australia with good population bases. Finally we agree!

The process would be sped up with the removal of a couple of clubs from an oversaturated market. Aleague doesnt have that issue.

 

[Stallion]

The process would be sped up with the removal of a couple of clubs from an oversaturated market. Aleague doesnt have that issue.

You just stuffed up. As stated ad nausium: a prudent organisation does not eliminate establishment assets. The Sydney based clubs are established assets which have fundamentally and historically lead the growth of the NRL. They are the impetus and credibility of the NRL! Strength going forward is with such important clubs in place and satisfying their fans of many of years.Otherwise the competition when questioned will fold like a deck of cards. It's whole substance will not be in place with a massive abandonment of rusted on fans that already have a club to support. It's more than just dots on a map. It's a cultural thing.

 

[Perth Red]

Yes we know your opinion, youve spouted it a thousand times, my opinion is different. Each to their own. Neither of us run the nrl and can make the call so stop getting so irate about other people’s opinions or you’ll have a stroke!

It’s pretty embarrassing the nrl has come out at this exact moment In Time and talked about expansion the same week as Aleague announces it’s actually happening.

Whilst Aleague is announcing its expansion nrl is announcing yet another 12 month review, whilst Aleague has set in place a system to pay for its expansion in this tv cycle nrl feels it can’t do anything until after 2022,the comparisons between a broke arse Aleague who is a Making it happen and a super rich nrl who still has no idea what it wants to do are dead set embarrassing.