Opinion

How the finals could save dismal A-League season

Love 'em or loathe 'em, the A-League finals could not have come at a better time for a competition that is stagnating under a level of indifference that is reaching epidemic proportions.

Toivonen, Honda

Ola Toivonen (L) and Keisuke Honda Source: Getty Images

And it is important that the series kicking off this week restores to our game the confidence and belief that have been eroded due to multiple, well-documented factors.

Even the overall quality of football - which has often been the saving grace of a league that has more weaknesses than strengths - has left a lot to be desired.

This has not been a memorable A-League season from whichever angle you look at it.

And to make matters worse, apathy is rearing its ugly face.

This could be disastrous to the competition's image because, as we all know, the only thing worse than people demanding more from our game is people caring so little about it that they cease to complain.
The A-League is struggling to co-exist in a sporting landscape dominated by the AFL and NRL behemoths, and the metrics are showing this clearly.

But the A-League has time to salvage a dismal season by providing a fitting climax that will give the domestic game the shot in the arm it badly needs.

Which is where the finals come in.

Champions Melbourne Victory kick off proceedings with a home elimination final against Wellington Phoenix on Friday and Adelaide United entertain Melbourne City on Sunday in another knockout clash.

Coaches and players will do all in their power to emerge victorious from a series that rewards its winning team with direct entry to the AFC Champions League.

And to be realistic, none of the six coaches and the teams they pick would place entertainment at the top of their priority list when it comes to finals football.

Winning is everything in sport and it would be unrealistic to expect anything different.

Yet in these particularly difficult times for the A-League, the high-profile elements within the game have a massive responsibility to portray the competition as a vibrant and healthy part of the country's sporting landscape.

It would be not just the reputation of the competition they would be protecting, but their own livelihoods too, after all. They won't need reminding that without fans there can be no game.

Coaches and players should bear this in mind when the finals kick off.
Their idea that 'marketing the game is not our responsibility' is prevalent everywhere in the world but such attitudes can be very damaging in places such as Australia where football is not the main sport.
Particularly at the tail end of a season that promised so much and delivered so little.

And while we're at it, the referees should bear this in mind too and play their part with sensible and consistent control.

A successful finals series would not solve our football's plethora of problems but it would go a long way towards restoring faith in the product we are trying to sell.

It would give the game the encouragement and a sound base from which to tackle its many issues.


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3 min read
Published 29 April 2019 5:27pm
By Philip Micallef


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