In the early hours of Wednesday morning, two days out from Adelaide and Central Coast marking the start of the new season, the A-League Men was stuck in its usual cycle of pessimism and suspicion. There was, of course, some enthusiasm for the 2023-24 campaign, but it was tinged with caution – last season’s hugely controversial decision to sell off grand final hosting rights to Sydney had dramatically compounded the usual cynicism that permeates Australian football.
Then came the news of a U-turn. The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) had negotiated with the New South Wales government and Destination NSW to scrap the ill-fated deal, with the concept to be replaced by a “Unite Round” with immediate effect. The new plan, which had first been reported in September, was met with an almost universal, rapturous approval. It fostered an inescapable feeling that, in one moment, the entire narrative surrounding the beginning of the new season had shifted.
A year had passed since the initial deal was announced, yet the concept remained loathed by the ALM’s supporter base – even Sydney-based fans. But the change in tack removes an anchor from around the league’s neck, ahead of the latest in a long line of seasons that shape as crucial to efforts to stake a claim in a crowded Australian sporting market.
Whereas the A-League Women was able to use the reflected glow of the World Cup and the “Matildas effect” to shift the narrative ahead of its record-setting opening round last week, it bears remembering the APL had squandered a similar level of goodwill for the men’s league at the end of last year. It took just eight days from the Socceroos’ run to the knockout stages in Qatar for the bubble to be burst by the announcement of the deal, which was subsequently compounded by a violent pitch invasion at the Melbourne derby.
Beyond being unpopular in its own right – league officials were taken aback by the scale and ferocity of fans’ initial reactions – the sale also served to break the bonds of trust between the league and its fans. In a similar vein to how a voter can approve of their local member while insisting that government as a whole doesn’t work, loyalty to individual clubs remained but supporters became loth to give administrators the benefit of the doubt on any initiative amid ongoing protests.
Credit for the things they did get right was largely begrudging, if not outright withheld. Other, more popular league-wide initiatives were robbed of the impact they otherwise might have had. Not flashy, but important endeavours – little things that contribute to making a big picture – became lost.
A transfer market rapidly leaving Australian clubs’ budgets behind has seen a focus on developing young Australian talent over marquees prioritised – more Nestory Irankundas than Daniel Sturridges, with ageing foreign stars predominantly seen on tour rather than rosters. Pause and rewind has finally been added to Paramount+’s coverage and 3pm summer kick-offs are gone.
Expansion to 16 teams is coming and if Football Australia doesn’t overthink it, a national second tier is being introduced to help progress towards a connected pyramid. There are a new independent chair, fan advisory bodies and shifts in leadership – the commissioner, Nick Garcia, is the executive face of the new season.
But the league couldn’t afford to have its fans offside as it confronted the very real challenges still facing it. Mainstream and independent coverage and scrutiny remain sparse for the league, and crowds and television audiences remain significantly down on the league’s peak years. As for money, well, there’s never enough of it.
Reversing the grand final decision will not fix all ills, but it is an important step in the process. The genie that was let loose when the deal was first announced can’t just be put back in the bottle; the league can only receive so much credit for fixing something it broke itself and A-Leagues chief executive, Danny Townsend, who was made the deal’s face when clubs ran for cover, remains an unpopular figure among fans.
But the explosion of euphoria that greeted the latest news hinted at a path back to some level of accordance between those entrusted with the task of stewarding the competition and those who were relied upon to provide its lifeblood. Fans made their voices heard in a manner that could not be ignored and Townsend acknowledged that.
Moves made by administrators in recent months suggest they have recognised there are no quick fixes to the game’s ailments and that it is instead a long road back to recovery. Wednesday appears a laudable first step in that process, one that opens the door to them not necessarily walking that path alone.
