In the previous Purple Nowhere we examined the FFA’s proposed revamp of the states’ premier football competitions, and some of the issues that have arisen from the National Competitions Review. Such a broad topic is difficult to cover in one sitting, and it was almost inevitable that we’d need to come back to finish the job – and some of the discussions I’ve had in the week since certainly suggest that there’s plenty more to be covered.

Summer Flings

One subject that escaped attention in the last article was the concept of having state competitions run in summer as a supporting tier to the A-League. The concept certainly has merit – whilst the A-League regular season happens, it seems the rest of Australian football goes on a summer holiday elsewhere. So shifting all the state leagues to be played during summer underneath the A-League season – as Football NSW once proposed – might certainly be an attractive idea. However, it’s important to take a step back and ask ourselves if this is really the best option for Australian football.

One of the best things about being a football fan in this country – as recently told to me by an Englishman no less – is that we get football all year round. You may not realise it, but at pretty much any time of year there is some form of top level competition happening near to where you live; something that few other countries can boast about. To be honest, obvious historical/political reasons aside, I’ve never understood why the FFA doesn’t promote this fact more. To move the current winter competitions would obviously compromise this setup; but what if we were to have a second state ‘season’ in summer? This would leave the winter leagues as the most important, but provide a tier under the A-League during the regular season, and all the benefits that could come with that.

A source close to the club tells me that in WA, Perth Glory nearly created this very scenario, to be funded out of their own pocket. Apparently, before Tony Sage was able to be convinced by the FFA that continuing to field a National Youth League side was the right thing to do, Glory were looking to fund an entire summer league in the Perth area. Citing the need to give match fitness to trialists and reserves, and develop their own youth players in a more cost-effective manner, Glory would have supposedly funded a competition that consisted of regional zones like North Metro, South Metro, Peel, East Metro, Hills, etc. plus the NTC side and their own youth team. As we all know, this never came to pass – but it’s still very interesting that the club were even considering this as an option.

Regional Conflict, Round 2

You’d have to think that if regionally-zoned teams were going to work at all, they would work in a brand new summer league that has no history attached to it. You’d still have the winter leagues as the main attraction, paying higher salaries and with arguably better players, but you would then have another league with which to develop youngsters and have A-League sides cast their eye over the progress of prospective signings. If it ended up being just a glorified youth development league, does it actually matter? In my mind, I’d allow ‘overage’ players to sign, but the teams’ wage cap (or points budget) would be low enough to ensure that the silly wages paid to some winter players can’t be replicated in summer. As for the players themselves, surely some would still like to play, even if only to keep fit. If not, then I despair somewhat about the state of modern football when even semi-professional state league players won’t play unless they receive unsustainable wages in return.

Of course, problems still remain in creating a region-based summer league. For a start, there is the matter of brand confusion. Bobby Smith plays for ECU Joondalup but also for Peel? It would be like 20/20 – as you are no longer a club man, or rather a state man, in cricket these days. Simon Katich played for both Perth Scorchers and New South Wales, for example. Granted in my mind 20/20 is a completely different sport to cricket anyway, but the question remains – would it make sense to have Floreat Athena, Western Knights, etc. during one season, only to see North Metro and Peel sitting below the A-League during summer? Or would it not matter to the average punter?

The Proactive Club

Leaving that question to one side, there are still lots of activities that existing clubs could be doing to head off any risk to their own future, putting in place plans that could also help the game of football in this country. To begin with, larger clubs could be looking to extend their grassroots programs by forming partnerships with smaller clubs in regional areas. Taking one example, let’s say a club like Sorrento FC in Perth’s northern suburbs could set up a partnership with a club in Geraldton, or even Geraldton’s Midwest Soccer Association, they would then be able to support football in regional areas of WA whilst providing an opportunity for talented youngsters in that area to come down and pursue a career with a top state league side (note: I have absolutely no idea of the footballing potential of Geraldton. It’s an example only.)

Whether Sorrento contributed money, time, or coaching advice to their regional partner wouldn’t matter – so long as they contributed something to the local game in return for potentially netting some new players. Such partnerships don’t just help the clubs involved; they also help the game overall as networks are built across the country. Likewise, state league clubs should look overseas to potential partner opportunities, especially given the current pittance offered by the FFA in terms of transfer remuneration with A-League clubs. It seems counter-intuitive to the growth of the Australian game to encourage this, but the simple fact is that this is one FFA policy that has to change, or we will simply see the death of a lot of state league teams – be they migrant-founded or otherwise.

It is simple economics to work out that years spent developing and training players is worth far more than a ludicrous token flat payment, especially when you consider how much some of these A-League sides get from later transfers. Thus I would encourage state league sides to look to Europe, and even beyond these traditional destinations to places like South East Asia, and attempt to cash in on transfers over and above what sides like Perth Glory and Adelaide United will be prepared to pay. If Persiba from Indonesia are prepared to give you $50,000 for your goalie, why shouldn’t you take it? Especially if this covers the cost of a much-needed upgrade to your bar, or your kit costs for the next season.

Finally, I would ask that if there is a murmuring that suggests that a summer football league would be the way to go in future, why can’t existing clubs pre-empt this at their local federation and propose one themselves? Not all teams might be able to afford it, or want to take part in it, but a ‘Summer Super8s’ competition featuring the best, biggest, and/or richest clubs in each state might have decent appeal, and provide for some quality football below the A-League in each major Australian centre. At the very least, it gives teams an opportunity to examine which of their 18s might make the seniors next season, and provide A-League sides (and anyone else) with a chance to do some further scouting at a local level. One might question whether the state bodies would like this sort of idea – or the FFA, who I’m sure would be even less comfortable with it. But the simple fact is that local clubs stand a better chance if they’re proactive about change, rather than sticking their heads in the sand and pretending that they’re still living the 1970s.

The Proactive Fan

Finally, this theme of being proactive rather than reactive brings us back to you and I, the rank and file of Australia’s football community. It is us who each week leaves our homes to watch or play, coach or volunteer, wash kits or cut oranges. We – and our money – keep this game moving. So, isn’t it right that we have a chance to voice our opinions about the future of the game? For me, it’s always been a struggle to work out how best to do this. I’ve consulted with Perth Glory in a variety of forums or fan councils, and I’ve covered a variety of topics in this very column for the last few years. I’ve also sent a number of emails to the public FFA mailboxes, info@footballaustralia.com.au and reception@footballaustralia.com.au.

Unfortunately – and this is an experience a few others have shared – nobody from the governing body has ever bothered to reply. I’m also not aware of any FFA-run forums or public meetings in my local capital. There are other addresses I’ve been given over time for people that work within the FFA, but these aren’t publicly available and thus I wonder how much success the so-called ‘little people’ have at reaching Messrs Buckley, Lowy, and now Gallop apart from through FFA-designed (and limited) surveys. In stark contrast, the similar addresses at my local level with FootballWest are actually manned, and promptly replied to within 24 hours or so.

So, how best to make a difference? Well, the first step thus seems simple enough – help your local club. There are plenty of people out there who have spent much longer in the game than I, doing things for no reason other than the love of the sport. These people are incredibly important to our game, and I tip my cap to every one of them. Beyond this, getting involved with club boards, league committees, and state federations seems a logical path to take. After all, if you’re wanting to effect change, it makes sense to get as close to the decision-making as possible. Of course, if the governing body at a national level believes it has a mandate to override decisions made at a state level, this could put all local efforts to waste; and this is yet another reason why it’s important that we can somehow have a conversation with those at the top of the game.

Change is certainly coming – as things stand, it seems inevitable. But there are tasks that individuals and clubs can do to prepare for and shape the new future of Australian football. So long as people at the top are willing to listen, then the onus is on us all to act to create the future that we want for the world game in our own backyard.