As Australia basks in the afterglow of the Socceroos' miraculous World Cup campaign, thoughts are now turning to how the domestic game can capitalise on this white-hot moment and create a legacy that lasts longer than the fleeting feelings of belief and inspiration its players have sparked.
Australian football is familiar with the boom-and-bust cycle sparked by major tournaments, where the game crashes through the ceiling of mainstream public consciousness only to watch that enthusiasm slowly ebb away as different parts of the ecosystem fail to strike the glowing iron (hello, 2015 Asian Cup win).
Throughout it all, the golden question has remained: how do you translate the massive (if irregular) exposure created by the national teams into sustainable bums-on-seats support for the leagues that developed them?
