Football Australia (FA) and The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have been discussing forever the prospect of a National Second Division (NSD) – with or without promotion and relegation (P/R).

There are numerous complexities to this issue – not least the licensing issue. All Australian A League clubs have licenses to the end of 2034, although there are (apparently) circumstances where those could be terminated early.

I think most people do agree on what would be the best vision for football in this country, but are passionately divided on how best to get there. Maybe the best way out of the complexity is to agree on the vision, and then work out the pathway.

So – here’s the vision as I understand it…

We want a football pyramid which is fully connected from grassroots all the way up to the A Leagues (men and women). That must mean promotion and relegation between all tiers (at least professional and semi-professional tiers). We also want at least 30 matches per professional season, which means 16 teams – home and away.

Such a structure would mean all clubs within the NPL system would have the opportunity – through merit – to climb as high as the A League itself. The A League would no longer be a closed shop and all clubs would have to fight for their place to stay in the top competition – just like every other country in the world.

This would have enormous benefits for Australian football.

From a dedicated fan or casual viewing perspective, it would massively increase the stakes in every AL and NSD match. The threat of relegation is a disaster for clubs (and their fans) so no longer would we see a bunch of dead rubbers towards the end of any season. All games would matter.

The harder competition means more pressure on players, so stronger incentive to improve their skills (and thus the quality of the product on display). If the quality rises then more eyeballs will be attracted to screens, more bodies through the turnstiles, more column inches in the media and more money in the game.

Better players also improves the level of transfer fees Australian clubs would get – again, more money in the game. All boats would rise on the financial tide.

But some boats might rise faster than others.

I’ve heard it suggested that the long existing NPL (and ex NSL) clubs have far deeper roots in their communities than AL clubs and have, therefore, more passionate support.

Clearly, this sentiment doesn’t apply to all – but it may apply to some. The Central Coast Mariners, for example, are a really good example of a community club, despite being a comparatively new club. Glory and Adelaide also were NSL clubs reinvented in the A League. They have passionate, old-school support.

But there are others that didn’t make the AL cut but are also well supported. The likes of South Melbourne, Sydney United, Melbourne Knights, Olympic, Heidelberg, Wollongong, and plenty more were born within their communities rather than put together as a series of ticked boxes on a prospectus.

Does this mean their fans identify more strongly with their culture and history than AL fans do? Quite possibly, although the level of passion must vary with the individual fan.

If a National Second Division was mainly comprised of existing clubs (there is the possibility that some new entities may be created) then there will immediately be a longstanding tradition of tribalism – genuine tribalism, not market-confected tribalism – that will be harnessed and applied to the new league.

If that league has P/R and the AL doesn’t, then all the energy, focus and interest described above will find its way into the NSD, and also the NPL, potentially to the detriment of the A League which – potentially – could seem pale and passionless by comparison.

The AL might also miss the wave of quality inspired by P/R and find itself very much on the back foot when P/R inevitably arrives. The AL, conceivably, might even become the B League by default if all the genuine fan interest transfers to where the real drama is happening.

On the other hand, if the AL joined the party (at least reasonably quickly) and accepted the benefits AND the dangers of P/R, then the AL clubs would probably be the ones most to benefit as they already have the structures and finances in place to do well.

Ultimately, we all want the best for football in this country, and that has to mean a unified pyramid improving the product, raising quality and increasing the money pool.

It might even mean cheaper fees at the grassroots and (gasp) a stronger national team.

It’s the Holy Grail for Oz football so make it happen James.

 

Adrian's books can be purchased at any good bookstore or through ebook alchemy. His first sci-fi novel (Asparagus Grass) will be published by Hague Publishing in early 2023.