Another option for pyramid structure changes is to straight out copy the NBL One zones. The numbers stack up, it is by far the cheapest option that’s I’ve simulated of merged federations, and efficiently weeds out a few of the lower feds (sorry!).
Basically, Victoria and Tasmania merge to make NPL South, and NSW, NNSW and ACT merge to make NPL East. Chances are there would be little to no Tassie teams able to compete at that level with the Vics, so the NPL South will pretty much be Vic teams, in other words, the same cost as NPL Vic. Same thing for the NPL East. If one or two ACT or NNSW are good enough to compete with NSW, then those costs would be absolutely minimal, a bus trip.
This gets us down to five regions. Two from each (10) to playoffs. Two groups of five compete, then 1st plays 2nd from the other group for two promotion spots. Or we could also include two clubs from the relegation zone in the Championship, creating two groups of six or three groups of four (depending on how much we want to spend).
Anyway, it seems a good way to smooth the regions in the pyramid a little from 9 > 1 to 5 > 1. There are a lot more options for merging feds into conferences, again it just depends how much cashola is available to run it.
But why reinvent the wheel? NBL One have done the work (as have I haha), it's a disconnected second tier with MUCH more travel than our leagues would have. NBL Queensland includes Darwin, Mackay, Rockhampton, Cairns and Townsville. NBL NSW includes Canberra, Newcastle, Albury. NBL Victoria includes Hobart, Ulverstone and Mount Gambier. NBL WA includes Geraldton and Kalgoorlie.
I really don’t understand how we can’t afford a proper pyramid. How are these other Australian national leagues surviving? AIHL and AWIHL ice hockey, ABL baseball, AHCC handball, AVSL volleyball, WNBL basketball, WNCL cricket, SRW union, H1 hockey etc… some of these even include international teams from NZ and Fiji!
How can we not afford it? Does soccer just have the worst financial planners employed?
