Expansion Thread 🪜

[erogenouszone]

NOPE, I believe the Aleague is a death sentance to a club like mine

Yep. Don't do it. APL and FA & their Silver Lake hedge fund overlords are snakes.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

APL and FA & their Silver Lake hedge fund overlords are snakes.

APL more so than Football Australia because their mismanagement is running the A-Leagues into the ground, and Silver Lake also because they still have a place on the board despite not doing anything to help the sport and are not going to contribute any more money in addition to what's already been blown over the years since they made their investment.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Hows the expansion going?

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

Hows the expansion going?

I don't think either the A-League Men or the Dub is going to expand in time for season 2026-27 but we can hope it'll be done ahead of the following season.

 

[libelous]

Hows the expansion going?

I doubt that there be any expansion just the status quo with South Melbourne taking over the Western United licence and Christchurch taking the Mariners place.

 

[HappyGuus]

Hows the expansion going?

My gut is expanding faster than A-League. Will they add two clubs or will I add two belt notches?

 

[libelous]

I don't think either the A-League Men or the Dub is going to expand in time for season 2026-27 but we can hope it'll be done ahead of the following season.

We’re still ‘wishing and hoping’.
That’s the story of the last 50 years of me following football.

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

I doubt that there be any expansion just the status quo with South Melbourne taking over the Western United licence and Christchurch taking the Mariners place.

The Dub would still be contracting because Canberra United's fate is uncertain though whilst the A-League Men follows the status quo with South Melbourne Hellas and a Christchurch team in the comp instead of Western United and Central Coast Mariners.

 

[Football us life]

Calling APL, FA and Silver Lake "snakes" might be emotional, but the frustration is very understandable.

The A-Leagues were sold a vision of growth, innovation and commercial success. Instead, fans have seen declining relevance, financial struggles, poor strategic decisions and a widening disconnect between administrators and supporters. APL deserves the most scrutiny because it has been running the competition day-to-day. FA isn't blameless, but its responsibilities extend beyond the professional leagues. As for Silver Lake, many expected a transformative partner; so far, supporters have seen little evidence of that. The real issue isn't conspiracy or malice it's whether the people in charge have delivered on the promises they made to Australian football.

Although to play devils advocate as far as Silver Lake goes is that private equity investors are not football administrators, more they are there to provide capital and board oversight, but execution remains largely the responsibility of league management.

Although tell that to Chelsea fans....

The next 2–5 years are probably going to determine whether the A-Leagues stabilise or continue their decline...

To be brutally honest, for me the biggest question isn't whether Australian football has talent because it clearly does. The question is whether the administrators can reconnect the professional game with its supporters. If they can, the league can recover and eventually thrive. If they can't, the A-Leagues risk becoming a developmental competition whose best players and biggest stories leave for overseas markets as quickly as possible.

 

[LFC]

Calling APL, FA and Silver Lake "snakes" might be emotional, but the frustration is very understandable.

The A-Leagues were sold a vision of growth, innovation and commercial success. Instead, fans have seen declining relevance, financial struggles, poor strategic decisions and a widening disconnect between administrators and supporters. APL deserves the most scrutiny because it has been running the competition day-to-day. FA isn't blameless, but its responsibilities extend beyond the professional leagues. As for Silver Lake, many expected a transformative partner; so far, supporters have seen little evidence of that. The real issue isn't conspiracy or malice it's whether the people in charge have delivered on the promises they made to Australian football.

Although to play devils advocate as far as Silver Lake goes is that private equity investors are not football administrators, more they are there to provide capital and board oversight, but execution remains largely the responsibility of league management.

Although tell that to Chelsea fans....

The next 2–5 years are probably going to determine whether the A-Leagues stabilise or continue their decline...

To be brutally honest, for me the biggest question isn't whether Australian football has talent because it clearly does. The question is whether the administrators can reconnect the professional game with its supporters. If they can, the league can recover and eventually thrive. If they can't, the A-Leagues risk becoming a developmental competition whose best players and biggest stories leave for overseas markets as quickly as possible.

though this is the bigger issue at hand, its not just about the APL surviving and carry on as such for all we will have is the same same of the last 20yrs of separation/bottle necks/less spots for the copious amount of talent that is screaming to be released and play Pro and have a vision/desire to succeed.
It is not just about them, its about for whole eco system and open fair play.
All we'll be is a code that is very good at joking itself staying in 1st gear.
.

 

[Football us life]

though this is the bigger issue at hand, its not just about the APL surviving and carry on as such for all we will have is the same same of the last 20yrs of separation/bottle necks/less spots for the copious amount of talent that is screaming to be released and play Pro and have a vision/desire to succeed.
It is not just about them, its about for whole eco system and open fair play.
All we'll be is a code that is very good at joking itself staying in 1st gear.
.

You have hit the absolute nail on the head there mate.

What you are describing is the fundamental, exhausting paradox of Australian football.

For the last two decades, the sport in Australia has operated like an engine stuck in a perpetual bottleneck. There's an abundance of raw talent, lots of young players who are technical, hungry, and ready to go to war for a professional career....

But unfortunately they are fighting over a tiny, closed shop of available roster spots.

When you look at the wider ecosystem, it becomes clear that survival isn't enough. The issue isn't just about whether the APL can keep the A-League afloat but it's about changing the structural DNA of the game so it stops choking its own potential.

If someone asked me the best case scenario then I'd suggest this....

The ultimate success is a fully connected, open pyramid. The Australian Championship launches smoothly, proving financially viable and driving massive fan engagement. This forces a merger with the A-League, establishing true promotion and relegation. The bottleneck breaks....

And investment pours into academies, thousands of hidden talents get professional pathways, and Australian football leagie system finally shifts into top gear firstly on the Asian stage and then eventually evolving into a fully recognised global football competition.

Could this realistically happen?

Yes, but with a massive, asterisk-heavy "if."


And that "if" is getting everyone who cares about football in bed together...(not literally mind)


I mean it's no longer a pipe dream because the second tier is finally operational, meaning the bridge exists. But shifting the code completely out of first gear will require a decade of financial survival, immense political compromise, and a unified vision that Australian football has historically struggled to maintain. It's possible, but it will be a dogfight.

 

[LFC]

well many of us have been beating the drum for years.
Its not half obvious what a road block FA have put themselves in, firstly Lowy AL later separating control when they could have should have kept it........
For we are stuck more so and I have NO faith or trust this agreed new arrangement between them.
I'm suss of Ex Stan Kugeler, he's yet to prove his worth and absorbing the APL loss he surely has agreed something with them that I would consider protection possibly.
You mentioned dogfight - well absorbing their dues I'd have them by the short and curlies my friend, business is business and I'm also responsible to all who pay their regos season in season out.....
We as forever paying devoted share holders of the game should apply massive pressure on the FA to either put up or shutfu.
Long overdue FA had some feckin balls and rattled many cages and did their feckin job properly - <<< that isn't hard.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

You have hit the absolute nail on the head there mate.

What you are describing is the fundamental, exhausting paradox of Australian football.

For the last two decades, the sport in Australia has operated like an engine stuck in a perpetual bottleneck. There's an abundance of raw talent, lots of young players who are technical, hungry, and ready to go to war for a professional career....

But unfortunately they are fighting over a tiny, closed shop of available roster spots.

When you look at the wider ecosystem, it becomes clear that survival isn't enough. The issue isn't just about whether the APL can keep the A-League afloat but it's about changing the structural DNA of the game so it stops choking its own potential.

If someone asked me the best case scenario then I'd suggest this....

The ultimate success is a fully connected, open pyramid. The Australian Championship launches smoothly, proving financially viable and driving massive fan engagement. This forces a merger with the A-League, establishing true promotion and relegation. The bottleneck breaks....

And investment pours into academies, thousands of hidden talents get professional pathways, and Australian football leagie system finally shifts into top gear firstly on the Asian stage and then eventually evolving into a fully recognised global football competition.

Could this realistically happen?

Yes, but with a massive, asterisk-heavy "if."


And that "if" is getting everyone who cares about football in bed together...(not literally mind)


I mean it's no longer a pipe dream because the second tier is finally operational, meaning the bridge exists. But shifting the code completely out of first gear will require a decade of financial survival, immense political compromise, and a unified vision that Australian football has historically struggled to maintain. It's possible, but it will be a dogfight.

And in response, to paraphrase Vince Rugari ....... "but what about all the money that foreigners have invested in their geographical marketing catchment areas (franchises)?"

 

[libelous]

I doubt that there be any expansion just the status quo with South Melbourne taking over the Western United licence and Christchurch taking the Mariners place.

Remember, you heard it was first.

 

[Robbos]

We’re still ‘wishing and hoping’.
That’s the story of the last 50 years of me following football.

This 100%.

 

[Robbos]

You have hit the absolute nail on the head there mate.

What you are describing is the fundamental, exhausting paradox of Australian football.

For the last two decades, the sport in Australia has operated like an engine stuck in a perpetual bottleneck. There's an abundance of raw talent, lots of young players who are technical, hungry, and ready to go to war for a professional career....

But unfortunately they are fighting over a tiny, closed shop of available roster spots.

When you look at the wider ecosystem, it becomes clear that survival isn't enough. The issue isn't just about whether the APL can keep the A-League afloat but it's about changing the structural DNA of the game so it stops choking its own potential.

If someone asked me the best case scenario then I'd suggest this....

The ultimate success is a fully connected, open pyramid. The Australian Championship launches smoothly, proving financially viable and driving massive fan engagement. This forces a merger with the A-League, establishing true promotion and relegation. The bottleneck breaks....

And investment pours into academies, thousands of hidden talents get professional pathways, and Australian football leagie system finally shifts into top gear firstly on the Asian stage and then eventually evolving into a fully recognised global football competition.

Could this realistically happen?

Yes, but with a massive, asterisk-heavy "if."


And that "if" is getting everyone who cares about football in bed together...(not literally mind)


I mean it's no longer a pipe dream because the second tier is finally operational, meaning the bridge exists. But shifting the code completely out of first gear will require a decade of financial survival, immense political compromise, and a unified vision that Australian football has historically struggled to maintain. It's possible, but it will be a dogfight.

This is not last two decades, this is the last 5 decades that I have been following this game in this country, like libelous says, we keep 'wishing & hoping' and so many false dawns & we keep shooting ourselves in the foot. If the game was not so fantastic, I would have given up years ago, but come Sunday afternoon I'll be cheering the Socceroos, like I did way back in 1974 as a little boy.

 

[Sutherlandbear]

This is not last two decades, this is the last 5 decades that I have been following this game in this country, like libelous says, we keep 'wishing & hoping' and so many false dawns & we keep shooting ourselves in the foot. If the game was not so fantastic, I would have given up years ago, but come Sunday afternoon I'll be cheering the Socceroos, like I did way back in 1974 as a little boy.

You can only talk about the past two decades on here, just like the Germans only like to talk about 1945 onwards.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Not sure if this is the thread for it but sort of about expansion... (and not just the past 20 years).

I had no idea NZ had a national league before we did.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

You can only talk about the past two decades on here, just like the Germans only like to talk about 1945 onwards.

Some Germans still talk about pre 1945.. generally the Aleague fans.

 

[LFC]

You can only talk about the past two decades on here, just like the Germans only like to talk about 1945 onwards.

not true, we or more so myseld have admitted pre AL the NSL was a shit show as well.
Trouble is now were in deeper poop ! whether you agree or not..
As robbos quotes and none deny it, any of us of similar vintage we've seen it all before since we were teens.