Jump to content
Melbourne Football

City Football Group (CFG) [Owner of Melbourne City]


Torn Asunder
 Share

Recommended Posts

The problems with the current set up of the league is it must be improved before looking at expanding. Poor refereeing decisions, the salary cap increased and also the number of marquees must be looked at. Because in its current form the league is an unfinished project and lacks the polish to make it bigger. We see dwindling crowd figures each week with many fixtures so until the current league is grown within itself I fail to see any point in continuing to dilute the league with more teams.

While I'm all for getting rid of or increasing the salary cap, I don't see why the salary cap is an argument against expansion. If anything expansion decreases the need for the salary cap to be increased as the talent is diluted. It also creates more marquee spots. Refereeing will only improve once we have professional referees, and that's exactly why we need to pursue new commercial opportunities, such as Singapore, to bring in the money to make referees professional. I'd also argue more teams and games makes the idea of professional referees more viable. When you only have 135 games a year plus finals, there really isn't much scope for fully pro refs. Add 2 teams and that becomes 198 plus finals. Dwindling crowd figures also highlights the need to exploit new markets and attract new people to the league. Its not an argument against expansion, it's a question of priorities. Yes the league must be expanded at some stage, but does that take priority over improving the league in its current state? My point was "it must be improved before expanding."

Regarding crowd figures, dwindling is probably the wrong word to describe them. More so crowd figures a lot of times are not good enough on average and this should be addressed through improving the league with increased salary cap, marquess, referees etc. Make the league in its current state better before looking to bring in teams from overseas.

Edited by n i k o
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A greater emphasis on the Asian Cup should be the focus if wanting to expand into Asia.

Another option base a Singapore owned team in Darwin build a small ground ~7k.

Darwin is one  hour ahead of them in time zone - broadcast into Singapore.

It is the wet season in Darwin during the aleague season which is not ideal.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure that FFA has even worked out how many clubs/franchises it sees as the ultimate target for the league. That's the first step, even before you work out how you can reach that target.

 

IMO the league does need more clubs to keep the interest in it up. Let's face it, it's hard to get enthusiastic when the next match is the third time you'll play Central Coast or Newcastle in a season. And that lack of enthusiasm filters its way to potential investors and sponsors, so it's a circular situation.

 

IMO we should be aiming for 14 or 16 clubs. A whole lot of other parameters also need to be reviewed as already mentioned - salary cap, squad numbers, foreign players etc. etc. ATM the way it is the league risks becoming sterile.

The highest rating and attended games are derbies. Even though there are many new places that deserve franchises, I'd be looking at a 3rd Melbourne and Sydney team and a second Brisbane team first. An alternative to expanding the League though is working out an effective promotion/relegation system

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if expanding into Asia is such a good idea why do ACL games either home and way draw the proverbial 2 men and their dog as crowds?

 

I dispute it would be a financial success, in fact I suspect its far more likely to be a financial disaster.

If you read a summary of what Jon Smith (consultant employed by Mike Charlesworth, owner of the Mariners) he says the opposite.

 

I suppose the answer is that the success or otherwise of such a venture is no longer decided by the actual match-day attendances, but rather by TV, advertising etc. And expansion of the league to include say a team from Singapore and a team from Jakarta playing every week is not quite the same as the ACL where the participating clubs change every year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Need more Aussie and NZ teams and make that work first.

Canberra, Wollongong, Hobart, Geelong or Ballarat, Fremantle, Auckland, Townsville.

Get these sides into the league and lift the standard. Invest the next money into professional standards in all aspects. Get mainstream television involved like a Channel 10.

We need to get the league right. In our own backyard first. Expanding into Asia isn't what's needed at this point.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Need more Aussie and NZ teams and make that work first.

Canberra, Wollongong, Hobart, Geelong or Ballarat, Fremantle, Auckland, Townsville.

Get these sides into the league and lift the standard. Invest the next money into professional standards in all aspects. Get mainstream television involved like a Channel 10.

We need to get the league right. In our own backyard first. Expanding into Asia isn't what's needed at this point.

Spot on. Exactly the point I was making.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Need more Aussie and NZ teams and make that work first.

Canberra, Wollongong, Hobart, Geelong or Ballarat, Fremantle, Auckland, Townsville.

Get these sides into the league and lift the standard. Invest the next money into professional standards in all aspects. Get mainstream television involved like a Channel 10.

We need to get the league right. In our own backyard first. Expanding into Asia isn't what's needed at this point.

You won't get it right by planting clubs in places such as Hobart, Geelong, Ballarat, Fremantle or Townsville. Jesus, we can't even get a crowd in a city of 4 million. No owner in their right mind would want to set up in one of those places - completely unsustainable.

 

Canberra and Wollongong perhaps. But you can forget the rest.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Need more Aussie and NZ teams and make that work first.

Canberra, Wollongong, Hobart, Geelong or Ballarat, Fremantle, Auckland, Townsville.

Get these sides into the league and lift the standard. Invest the next money into professional standards in all aspects. Get mainstream television involved like a Channel 10.

We need to get the league right. In our own backyard first. Expanding into Asia isn't what's needed at this point.

You won't get it right by planting clubs in places such as Hobart, Geelong, Ballarat, Fremantle or Townsville. Jesus, we can't even get a crowd in a city of 4 million. No owner in their right mind would want to set up in one of those places - completely unsustainable.

 

Canberra and Wollongong perhaps. But you can forget the rest.

Agreed.

 

South Sydney+Wollongong and Auckland+Waitakere have to be the next two expansion teams...1m population+

 

Maybe a South-East Melbourne team can eventually work (based anywhere between Moorabbin, Oakleigh and Dandenong) since both Melbourne Clubs right now are kinda based in the north/north-west...even if it's South Melbourne FC allowed back in...by that phase of expansion (13th & 14th teams) we'll be averaging 20k crowds  ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Need more Aussie and NZ teams and make that work first.

Canberra, Wollongong, Hobart, Geelong or Ballarat, Fremantle, Auckland, Townsville.

Get these sides into the league and lift the standard. Invest the next money into professional standards in all aspects. Get mainstream television involved like a Channel 10.

We need to get the league right. In our own backyard first. Expanding into Asia isn't what's needed at this point.

You won't get it right by planting clubs in places such as Hobart, Geelong, Ballarat, Fremantle or Townsville. Jesus, we can't even get a crowd in a city of 4 million. No owner in their right mind would want to set up in one of those places - completely unsustainable.

Canberra and Wollongong perhaps. But you can forget the rest.

Why? Cause our management fucked up it means these city's or towns can't make it work?

Ballarat doesn't have a professional outfit. If done right there's no reason we can't get good crowds and interest down there.

Hobart has brought in good crowds for most sports down there. Again, no professional club other than 20 20 cricket, good management could make it work.

We need to expand. The league can't be taken seriously if we continue with 10 teams. It's a Mickey Mouse league then. These cities or towns are examples.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There'd be greater total HAL attendance by making this team competitive and lifting the crowds then adding a third team here and Sydney. This would also be more likely to result in greater TV revenue with more hotly contested derbies than starting a Ballarat version of the Mariners even though Ballarat, Canberra etc can make a good case for a team

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Need more Aussie and NZ teams and make that work first.

Canberra, Wollongong, Hobart, Geelong or Ballarat, Fremantle, Auckland, Townsville.

Get these sides into the league and lift the standard. Invest the next money into professional standards in all aspects. Get mainstream television involved like a Channel 10.

We need to get the league right. In our own backyard first. Expanding into Asia isn't what's needed at this point.

You won't get it right by planting clubs in places such as Hobart, Geelong, Ballarat, Fremantle or Townsville. Jesus, we can't even get a crowd in a city of 4 million. No owner in their right mind would want to set up in one of those places - completely unsustainable.

Canberra and Wollongong perhaps. But you can forget the rest.Why? Cause our management fucked up it means these city's or towns can't make it work?

Ballarat doesn't have a professional outfit. If done right there's no reason we can't get good crowds and interest down there.

Hobart has brought in good crowds for most sports down there. Again, no professional club other than 20 20 cricket, good management could make it work.

We need to expand. The league can't be taken seriously if we continue with 10 teams. It's a Mickey Mouse league then. These cities or towns are examples.Look it's theoretically possible for a small town to draw good crowds and it happens in things like American Football in Texas where you can have towns of 20k getting 10k to a high school game.

The difference being that those are towns where the sport is huge. In Australia we don't have towns where Soccer is naturally big. Maybe an AFL or NRL team could succeed in a small town, because the sport has a natural following in many, but the fact that neither code touches the small towns and instead we see the AFL has gone purely for population rather than how popular the sport is should tell you something. I haven't followed the AFL in years but I reckon a Ballarat team could get better attendances than West Sydney do.

Even if you get a good crowd to games, the problem is the TV market is tiny. A 90k population town like Ballarat isn't going to give you any new TV audience, especially if you have a significant portion of the population attending the game in person. They'd be adding no value to the competition and it would be a complete failure.

And what about the commercial opportunities? How many big sponsors are lining up for a team in Ballarat?

Apart from Wollongong and Canberra, expansion can only be successful in bug cities (more teams in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, maybe Perth at some point, and a new team in Auckland).

The only reason we would even go to Wollongong, given its population, is because it's about as close to a 'soccer town' as we're going to get.

Edited by Tesla
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

Need more Aussie and NZ teams and make that work first.

Canberra, Wollongong, Hobart, Geelong or Ballarat, Fremantle, Auckland, Townsville.

Get these sides into the league and lift the standard. Invest the next money into professional standards in all aspects. Get mainstream television involved like a Channel 10.

We need to get the league right. In our own backyard first. Expanding into Asia isn't what's needed at this point.

You won't get it right by planting clubs in places such as Hobart, Geelong, Ballarat, Fremantle or Townsville. Jesus, we can't even get a crowd in a city of 4 million. No owner in their right mind would want to set up in one of those places - completely unsustainable.

Canberra and Wollongong perhaps. But you can forget the rest. Why? Cause our management fucked up it means these city's or towns can't make it work?

Ballarat doesn't have a professional outfit. If done right there's no reason we can't get good crowds and interest down there.

Hobart has brought in good crowds for most sports down there. Again, no professional club other than 20 20 cricket, good management could make it work.

We need to expand. The league can't be taken seriously if we continue with 10 teams. It's a Mickey Mouse league then. These cities or towns are examples. Look it's theoretically possible for a small town to draw good crowds and it happens in things like American Football in Texas where you can have towns of 20k getting 10k to a high school game.

The difference being that those are towns where the sport is huge. In Australia we don't have towns where Soccer is naturally big. Maybe an AFL or NRL team could succeed in a small town, because the sport has a natural following in many, but the fact that neither code touches the small towns and instead we see the AFL has gone purely for population rather than how popular the sport is should tell you something. I haven't followed the AFL in years but I reckon a Ballarat team could get better attendances than West Sydney do.

Even if you get a good crowd to games, the problem is the TV market is tiny. A 90k population town like Ballarat isn't going to give you any new TV audience, especially if you have a significant portion of the population attending the game in person. They'd be adding no value to the competition and it would be a complete failure.

And what about the commercial opportunities? How many big sponsors are lining up for a team in Ballarat?

Apart from Wollongong and Canberra, expansion can only be successful in bug cities (more teams in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, maybe Perth at some point, and a new team in Auckland).

The only reason we would even go to Wollongong, given its population, is because it's about as close to a 'soccer town' as we're going to get.

 

 

Where are you putting the two new expansion teams in the next few years then? 

 

I agree with everything you've said, small towns shouldn't be looked at until promotion/relegation comes into play. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I'm not sure that FFA has even worked out how many clubs/franchises it sees as the ultimate target for the league. That's the first step, even before you work out how you can reach that target.

 

IMO the league does need more clubs to keep the interest in it up. Let's face it, it's hard to get enthusiastic when the next match is the third time you'll play Central Coast or Newcastle in a season. And that lack of enthusiasm filters its way to potential investors and sponsors, so it's a circular situation.

 

IMO we should be aiming for 14 or 16 clubs. A whole lot of other parameters also need to be reviewed as already mentioned - salary cap, squad numbers, foreign players etc. etc. ATM the way it is the league risks becoming sterile.

The highest rating and attended games are derbies. Even though there are many new places that deserve franchises, I'd be looking at a 3rd Melbourne and Sydney team and a second Brisbane team first. An alternative to expanding the League though is working out an effective promotion/relegation system

 

 

 

 

Need more Aussie and NZ teams and make that work first.

Canberra, Wollongong, Hobart, Geelong or Ballarat, Fremantle, Auckland, Townsville.

Get these sides into the league and lift the standard. Invest the next money into professional standards in all aspects. Get mainstream television involved like a Channel 10.

We need to get the league right. In our own backyard first. Expanding into Asia isn't what's needed at this point.

You won't get it right by planting clubs in places such as Hobart, Geelong, Ballarat, Fremantle or Townsville. Jesus, we can't even get a crowd in a city of 4 million. No owner in their right mind would want to set up in one of those places - completely unsustainable.

 

Canberra and Wollongong perhaps. But you can forget the rest.

 

 

Personally, I think Geelong could work. I think the only thing that can be gleaned through Heart/City's problems in generating interest in the early years is that it's tough to sell a new team that has an established in-city rival that wins a lot more games, has twice as many members and routinely gets 3-4 times as many supporters to its games. The problem is that there has been little to sell this team to new supporters (except for those that naturally gravitate towards an underdog), apart from the odd big name marquee. The two Melbourne teams haven't really been split along geographic lines and they can't be split along ethnic/religious lines, so what's left? Geelong doesn't have that problem; there is an instant differentiation between it and either Melbourne side: it's a different city. And yet, it would still lend itself to blockbusters against both existing Melbourne teams, making it six a year: three home blockbusters for each team.

 

If an expansion Geelong team was a rabble, sure, it might struggle to stay afloat. But if it was instantly competitive, I think it would quickly draw a relatively large (by A-League standards) and loyal supporter base around Geelong, the surf coast and Western Districts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its not hard to sell a new team in a market like this but the market is sophisticated enough to void mediocrity. Look at our history compared to WSW - established by FFA, sold successful and strong. That's how it should be done instead of leaving the critical first few years to clueless amateurs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Need more Aussie and NZ teams and make that work first.

Canberra, Wollongong, Hobart, Geelong or Ballarat, Fremantle, Auckland, Townsville.

Get these sides into the league and lift the standard. Invest the next money into professional standards in all aspects. Get mainstream television involved like a Channel 10.

We need to get the league right. In our own backyard first. Expanding into Asia isn't what's needed at this point.

You won't get it right by planting clubs in places such as Hobart, Geelong, Ballarat, Fremantle or Townsville. Jesus, we can't even get a crowd in a city of 4 million. No owner in their right mind would want to set up in one of those places - completely unsustainable.

Canberra and Wollongong perhaps. But you can forget the rest.

Why? Cause our management fucked up it means these city's or towns can't make it work?

Ballarat doesn't have a professional outfit. If done right there's no reason we can't get good crowds and interest down there.

Hobart has brought in good crowds for most sports down there. Again, no professional club other than 20 20 cricket, good management could make it work.

We need to expand. The league can't be taken seriously if we continue with 10 teams. It's a Mickey Mouse league then. These cities or towns are examples.

Look it's theoretically possible for a small town to draw good crowds and it happens in things like American Football in Texas where you can have towns of 20k getting 10k to a high school game.

The difference being that those are towns where the sport is huge. In Australia we don't have towns where Soccer is naturally big. Maybe an AFL or NRL team could succeed in a small town, because the sport has a natural following in many, but the fact that neither code touches the small towns and instead we see the AFL has gone purely for population rather than how popular the sport is should tell you something. I haven't followed the AFL in years but I reckon a Ballarat team could get better attendances than West Sydney do.

Even if you get a good crowd to games, the problem is the TV market is tiny. A 90k population town like Ballarat isn't going to give you any new TV audience, especially if you have a significant portion of the population attending the game in person. They'd be adding no value to the competition and it would be a complete failure.

And what about the commercial opportunities? How many big sponsors are lining up for a team in Ballarat?

Apart from Wollongong and Canberra, expansion can only be successful in bug cities (more teams in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, maybe Perth at some point, and a new team in Auckland).

The only reason we would even go to Wollongong, given its population, is because it's about as close to a 'soccer town' as we're going to get.

 

Where are you putting the two new expansion teams in the next few years then? 

 

I agree with everything you've said, small towns shouldn't be looked at until promotion/relegation comes into play.

I think Ipswich/Brisbane and Canberra could put up the best case, but Auckland could be up there too. I really would like to see a Canberra team.

However, the most likely decision that the FFA will make is Ipswich/Brisbane and another Sydney team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

FWIW those advocating for small town football team, Bendigo has an estimated population of 100k and they could not make the Bendigo Bombers work. The club returned its VFL license last year.

To be fair, Bendigo's foray into the VFL was doomed from the start really. They burnt their bridges with the Bendigo FL almost immediately and supporters of those clubs really wanted nothing to do with them from there on.

 

But I agree, Ballarat, Bendigo and even Geelong just aren't feasible expansion clubs in my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Went to the Heidelberg Hellas derby last weekend and after all is said and done the only logical next team is Sth Melbourne followed by Knights.

Would undermine all the ethnic cleansing of the last decade but to me its the only logical next progression.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some sense coming into this debate at last, at least on the "small town" issue. Further, promotion and relegation to and from the A-League won't ever be feasible in a country such as Australia. We don't even have it in Australian Rules or Rugby League.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some sense coming into this debate at last, at least on the "small town" issue. Further, promotion and relegation to and from the A-League won't ever be feasible in a country such as Australia. We don't even have it in Australian Rules or Rugby League.

I assure you it will happen.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Went to the Heidelberg Hellas derby last weekend and after all is said and done the only logical next team is Sth Melbourne followed by Knights.

Would undermine all the ethnic cleansing of the last decade but to me its the only logical next progression.

 No way they will ever allow ethnic clubs to enter the competition. Yes they would get an automatic membership base but they will want to avoid all the ethnic tension issues of the past 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Club: West Melbourne FC

Home Venue: Epping Stadium ( following a new grandstand being built around the back and side of the pitch)

Capacity: 15,000

Club: Melbourne Knights FC

Home Venue: Knights Stadium

Capacity: 12,000 Yes similar besides the more than obvious difference. A club similar to wsw for the whole West of Melbourne for all ethnicities.

Edited by n i k o
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Went to the Heidelberg Hellas derby last weekend and after all is said and done the only logical next team is Sth Melbourne followed by Knights.

Would undermine all the ethnic cleansing of the last decade but to me its the only logical next progression.

 No way they will ever allow ethnic clubs to enter the competition. Yes they would get an automatic membership base but they will want to avoid all the ethnic tension issues of the past 

 

After the Asian Cup there was so much positive good will generated from the coming together of so many different communities but of course it does depend on which ethnic groups we are talking about. Southern Europeans will remain excluded from any discussions at the detriment to the game. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Club: West Melbourne FC

Home Venue: Epping Stadium ( following a new grandstand being built around the back and side of the pitch)

Capacity: 15,000

 

Why would you have a West Melbourne club based at Epping? Melbourne City is closer at Bundoora.

Good question. You probably wouldn't, if you did have a west Melbourne club, which stadium would be used?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Club: West Melbourne FC

Home Venue: Epping Stadium ( following a new grandstand being built around the back and side of the pitch)

Capacity: 15,000

 

Why would you have a West Melbourne club based at Epping? Melbourne City is closer at Bundoora.

Good question. You probably wouldn't, if you did have a west Melbourne club, which stadium would be used?

 

 

TBH I don't know of any such facilities. Certainly Maribyrnong City Council does not appear to have any such facilities and perhaps it may be possible to use the Whitten Oval if some arrangement can be had with FFC and the VFL.

Brimbank does have facilities in Keilor but I believe those are only for local club/amateur use only. Ditto Wyndham.

As I mentioned elsewhere there is an argument for the FFA to spend some money in producing better facilities.

Of course I would also presume that all matches would still be played at AAMI.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Some sense coming into this debate at last, at least on the "small town" issue. Further, promotion and relegation to and from the A-League won't ever be feasible in a country such as Australia. We don't even have it in Australian Rules or Rugby League.

I assure you it will happen.

The chances are minimal. For starters, the present 10 "clubs" have licences to operate in the A-League for the next 20 years. I very much doubt that that licence canvasses the possibility that the A-League will be expanded to more than one division within that period. Secondly, we know full well that a "club" kicked out of the A-League, either by relegation or for some other reason, could not continue to operate in the manner that it had in the past; effectively it would fold because of lack of investment, sponsorship etc. We see from overseas how difficult it is to regain top league status once you have lost it; even the better contracted players have "relegation get-out" clauses because they don't want to play in a lower division. Many, many reasons. Forget it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Some sense coming into this debate at last, at least on the "small town" issue. Further, promotion and relegation to and from the A-League won't ever be feasible in a country such as Australia. We don't even have it in Australian Rules or Rugby League.

I assure you it will happen.

The chances are minimal. For starters, the present 10 "clubs" have licences to operate in the A-League for the next 20 years. I very much doubt that that licence canvasses the possibility that the A-League will be expanded to more than one division within that period. Secondly, we know full well that a "club" kicked out of the A-League, either by relegation or for some other reason, could not continue to operate in the manner that it had in the past; effectively it would fold because of lack of investment, sponsorship etc. We see from overseas how difficult it is to regain top league status once you have lost it; even the better contracted players have "relegation get-out" clauses because they don't want to play in a lower division. Many, many reasons. Forget it.

 

Spot on, can't see it ever happening. We just don't have the population or demand for a two tiered system.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Some sense coming into this debate at last, at least on the "small town" issue. Further, promotion and relegation to and from the A-League won't ever be feasible in a country such as Australia. We don't even have it in Australian Rules or Rugby League.

I assure you it will happen.

The chances are minimal. For starters, the present 10 "clubs" have licences to operate in the A-League for the next 20 years. I very much doubt that that licence canvasses the possibility that the A-League will be expanded to more than one division within that period. Secondly, we know full well that a "club" kicked out of the A-League, either by relegation or for some other reason, could not continue to operate in the manner that it had in the past; effectively it would fold because of lack of investment, sponsorship etc. We see from overseas how difficult it is to regain top league status once you have lost it; even the better contracted players have "relegation get-out" clauses because they don't want to play in a lower division. Many, many reasons. Forget it.

 

 

Give it 10-15 years. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

Some sense coming into this debate at last, at least on the "small town" issue. Further, promotion and relegation to and from the A-League won't ever be feasible in a country such as Australia. We don't even have it in Australian Rules or Rugby League.

I assure you it will happen.

The chances are minimal. For starters, the present 10 "clubs" have licences to operate in the A-League for the next 20 years. I very much doubt that that licence canvasses the possibility that the A-League will be expanded to more than one division within that period. Secondly, we know full well that a "club" kicked out of the A-League, either by relegation or for some other reason, could not continue to operate in the manner that it had in the past; effectively it would fold because of lack of investment, sponsorship etc. We see from overseas how difficult it is to regain top league status once you have lost it; even the better contracted players have "relegation get-out" clauses because they don't want to play in a lower division. Many, many reasons. Forget it.

 

 

Give it 10-15 years. 

 

 

 

Can't see it happening myself.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Some sense coming into this debate at last, at least on the "small town" issue. Further, promotion and relegation to and from the A-League won't ever be feasible in a country such as Australia. We don't even have it in Australian Rules or Rugby League.

I assure you it will happen.

The chances are minimal. For starters, the present 10 "clubs" have licences to operate in the A-League for the next 20 years. I very much doubt that that licence canvasses the possibility that the A-League will be expanded to more than one division within that period. Secondly, we know full well that a "club" kicked out of the A-League, either by relegation or for some other reason, could not continue to operate in the manner that it had in the past; effectively it would fold because of lack of investment, sponsorship etc. We see from overseas how difficult it is to regain top league status once you have lost it; even the better contracted players have "relegation get-out" clauses because they don't want to play in a lower division. Many, many reasons. Forget it.

 

That is exactly the problem, they aren't clubs they are private companies franchised by the FFA to operate teams in the HAL and NYL competitions. Dropping out of the HAL or even the possibility of dropping out of the HAL would affect the value of the franchise. It creates a problem for the FFA as it really needs to ensure the viability of existing franchises before expanding, yet its expansion that will most effectively the TV returns if its done carefully and successfully.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...