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The Australian Championship Thread

grazorblade said:
I think this can go 1 of 2 ways

1) new teams are announced before kickoff and the cl has a bit of a buzz as an appetizer for the real thing. 11 months to pull that off
2) no new teams are announced and it becomes a damp squib that lasts a couple of seasons tops
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The forces from within are designing this to be number 2, both according to your list and figuratively speaking
 
www.smh.com.au

Football Australia will launch a national second division in 2025. Here’s what you need to know

The long-awaited competition will finally begin in 2025 - but only as a post-season tournament.
www.smh.com.au www.smh.com.au

Football Australia’s long-planned national second tier will finally be launched in 2025 – but as a Champions League-style post-season tournament going head-to-head with the opening rounds of the A-League Men.

The national federation announced on Thursday that the 16-team competition would kick off in October 2025 and involve the eight previously approved “foundation” clubs for the second division and eight premiers from Australia’s NPL state leagues. As previously revealed by this masthead, hopes of a full home-and-away league of up to 14 teams were derailed due to financial concerns, paving the way for this compromise model.
 

Will there be promotion and relegation?​

No, and not for the foreseeable future – and at least not until the second division becomes a full-blown standalone league and fully professional. And there is no timeline on that, either; FA said in a lengthy document that only once “minimum thresholds” are achieved would the competition’s expansion be contemplated, without clarifying what they actually are.

A-League clubs would likely resist any push for relegation regardless, even though there is a widespread view that it is the long-term goal for the game here.
 

The format​


FA has confirmed 16 teams will take part over nine rounds between October and December. The teams will initially be split into four groups of four and play six matches each, home and away, before an elimination finals series. The top two in each group would qualify for the knockout phase, consisting of quarter-finals, semi-finals and then the final.

The eight foundation clubs are: APIA Leichhardt, Avondale, Marconi, Preston Lions, South Melbourne, Sydney Olympic, Sydney United 58 and Wollongong Wolves. All bar the Wolves are based in Sydney or Melbourne and all eight clubs passed a rigorous tender process, which included provision of a large bank guarantee.
 

Will this satisfy the clubs?​

It remains to be seen, but past evidence suggests the answer is probably not. Some clubs were furious with FA following this masthead’s report in July, which predicted Thursday’s announcement, and believed they were “shifting the goalposts” by not committing to a league format.

This masthead has seen a letter from South Melbourne’s president and chairman, Nicholas Maikousis and Bill Papastergiadis, sent to FA chief executive James Johnson on August 29, in which they said: “Any failure by [FA] to honour its previously announced schedule & ignore the will of the Foundation clubs would be a total abrogation of its role as the custodian of the great game … it will set football in Australia back decades and jeopardises a NST [national second tier] from ever being established.”

The clubs have since worked in consultation with FA to develop the compromise format.
 

Why is it on at the same time as the A-League?​

It’s unfortunate that the second tier will compete for eyeballs and sponsors at the same time as the A-League, which begins each new season in late October – but it is also unavoidable. The NPL season runs through the winter months and, in NSW at least, wraps up in early September.

There are no other suitable windows for the competition to run; FA said the spring period was “strategically selected” after consultation with the foundation clubs.
 
Thanks for sharing Muz
Thoughts
1) yes it makes sense for no p&r before it is a full h&a. But why does it have to be fully pro first? Unless they mean p&r between a league and 2nd tier (rather than npl)
2) the lack of transparency on minimum thresholds is another bugbear
3) don't care about relegation from a league. Need promotion first until both leagues have enough clubs
4) Spring is better to build towards p&r with a league, winter better for p&r with npl
 
Warren Buffett who for those that don't know is a highly successful investor in the US.

On a number of occasions, he has said he prefers things that grow steadily rather than big boom jumps...

The league has been steadily growing over the past two to three years off quite a low....

This year to date growth is well up...

This announcement after many months OK years of analysis is the epitome of slow and steady wins the race and we can't have this fail as the chance may not come again for a long while...

Further I am always reminded of what the late great Johnny Warren said and that was we need financial stability more than anything else so we can grow.
 
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Muz said:
www.smh.com.au

Football Australia will launch a national second division in 2025. Here’s what you need to know

The long-awaited competition will finally begin in 2025 - but only as a post-season tournament.
www.smh.com.au www.smh.com.au

Football Australia’s long-planned national second tier will finally be launched in 2025 – but as a Champions League-style post-season tournament going head-to-head with the opening rounds of the A-League Men.

The national federation announced on Thursday that the 16-team competition would kick off in October 2025 and involve the eight previously approved “foundation” clubs for the second division and eight premiers from Australia’s NPL state leagues. As previously revealed by this masthead, hopes of a full home-and-away league of up to 14 teams were derailed due to financial concerns, paving the way for this compromise model.
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The way this bullshit gets spun really gets my goat sometimes.

The FFA has been agitating for this compromised bullshit from the very start.

It became a self fulfilling prophecy. Clubs outside the 8 had no incentive to make the jump because all the signals were that the FFA would force the 8 to compromise and nobody else had to make the effort.

That's what we got. 8 clubs put up a bank guarantee for something they don't want so 8 extra clubs didn't have to put in the effort, the money, and walk away with the same reward.

When the salesman tells you "yeah that's expensive option A nobody likes it SO ANYWAY, CHECK OUT OPTION B. MY WIFE JUST LOVES IT." what do you go for. Either option B or option fk off

Further, I think it's incredible that this gets framed as unfortunate that they're on the same time of year as the aleague. I mean seriously. By this logic, the EPL competes with... oh.... 10 divisions. I don't watch the ALbut not because of the EPL/championship. I don't watch the AL because it competes with itself and is losing.
 
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I prefer spring anyway. It's better for the NST season, fans, publicity etc. It could be a very good thing having an accessible mountain of football (P+ advertising working on me) on each weekend with A-League and NST. More football shows covering both leagues, massive highlights and talking points.

We should look to keep adding clubs to the NST that meet criteria, not straight up promotion from below. Build the NST up to a strong competition with the goal of pro/rel with A-League first, not pro/rel with below. This might appease the APL, and it's in their best interests to pump up the NST because some of their clubs will end up there one day.

I've gone through a lot of pyramids, and we don't have to look much further than Japan's for inspiration. Plenty of people have suggested it. Add manually on criteria, grow the leagues, split, grow etc. It will be a fluid work-in-progress for many years to come based on our own strengths. When we have enough depth below, then open it up to NPL (but that's AGES away, unless we have a proper 3rd division as well). I know it's not in the spirit of a fully functional pyramid, but we need to take the baby steps to get there first.

Having the bottom of the NST being a revolving door won't have us moving forward. They need security (like the A-League did), putting more money towards the club and it's facilities instead of throwing money away on trying to survive against relegation with little chance of returning to the NST. Aligning with the A-League and it's season is the way to go IMO, I think the second tier would be more successful this way. I've only just come to this stance tonight hahaha.

The J1 didn't have relegation for it's first 6 seasons. J2 took 14 seasons before relegation came in! In J3 it took 10.
 
HappyGuus said:
I prefer spring anyway. It's better for the NST season, fans, publicity etc. It could be a very good thing having an accessible mountain of football (P+ advertising working on me) on each weekend with A-League and NST. More football shows covering both leagues, massive highlights and talking points.

We should look to keep adding clubs to the NST that meet criteria, not straight up promotion from below. Build the NST up to a strong competition with the goal of pro/rel with A-League first, not pro/rel with below. This might appease the APL, and it's in their best interests to pump up the NST because some of their clubs will end up there one day.

I've gone through a lot of pyramids, and we don't have to look much further than Japan's for inspiration. Plenty of people have suggested it. Add manually on criteria, grow the leagues, split, grow etc. It will be a fluid work-in-progress for many years to come based on our own strengths. When we have enough depth below, then open it up to NPL (but that's AGES away, unless we have a proper 3rd division as well). I know it's not in the spirit of a fully functional pyramid, but we need to take the baby steps to get there first.

Having the bottom of the NST being a revolving door won't have us moving forward. They need security (like the A-League did), putting more money towards the club and it's facilities instead of throwing money away on trying to survive against relegation with little chance of returning to the NST. Aligning with the A-League and it's season is the way to go IMO, I think the second tier would be more successful this way. I've only just come to this stance tonight hahaha.

The J1 didn't have relegation for it's first 6 seasons. J2 took 14 seasons before relegation came in! In J3 it took 10.
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interesting info on the j league

I agree with promotion for a period before relegation
 
Adelaide City president Angelo Carrozza on their NST movement (skip the first minute):



In summary, they were in from the start, but then had some hierarchy changes that halted things and they weren't ready for 2025. But they want to be in for 2026.
 
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HappyGuus said:
Adelaide City president Angelo Carrozza on their NST movement (skip the first minute):



In summary, they were in from the start, but then had some hierarchy changes that halted things and they weren't ready for 2025. But they want to be in for 2026.
Click to expand...

Thats fantastic thanks for sharing. If ad city are ready really just need one more state covered. Easier said than done mind u
 
So additional clubs to get a proper H/A season weren't ready for 25 and needed an extra year, and JJ's solution is to go early one year with this frankenstein bullshit and try and kill it off early.
 
This was what JJ wanted from day 1 without listening to anybody. Actively railing against the clubs and forcing this down our throats.

Clubs: "we're thinking of do...."

JJ: OOOO big job mate...... BIIIIG job...

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Never wanted a fucking bar of a H/A season.

The question is: is it for old times sake with CFG, or is he this much of a defeatist? Either way, fuck him off from FFA and start the search again.
 
Forgetting about H&A for a moment. What would've been cool to see instead of this CL is a League Cup.
Eventually you want to have 16 A-League teams and 16 NST teams in 8 groups of 4, classic World Cup format.
But they could've kicked this off next year with 14 A-League teams (inc. NZ), 8 NST, 8 NPL winners, and 2 extras maybe from whoever made it the furthest in Aus Cup. You'd have three tiers (or more via Aus Cup) coming together! Seed the teams and off ya go. Might've been a bit more meaningful.
 
HappyGuus said:
Forgetting about H&A for a moment. What would've been cool to see instead of this CL is a League Cup.
Eventually you want to have 16 A-League teams and 16 NST teams in 8 groups of 4, classic World Cup format.
But they could've kicked this off next year with 14 A-League teams (inc. NZ), 8 NST, 8 NPL winners, and 2 extras maybe from whoever made it the furthest in Aus Cup. You'd have three tiers (or more via Aus Cup) coming together! Seed the teams and off ya go. Might've been a bit more meaningful.
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yeah or even included the a league teams to extend the season. At least then it is achieving something in the short term

I can't knock people who have waited 20 years who are ticked off, but I'm curious to see what happens in the next 12 months

If Adelaide couldn't pay the fee and now can, that seems a real concrete change
 
What difference does 5 weeks make?

We're getting 6 weeks of nonsense then 3 weeks added on for 9.

Starting off with 8 teams and doing H/A FPP would've been 14 weeks.

Or they could've done 8 weeks for 21 rounds. Not perfect but about a light year closer than this nonsense.

8 teams and 21 rounds sound familiar? That's HAL season 1. It was good enough then, but isn't now. Move the goalposts, do whatever you have to do to stop an NST.
 
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