Welcome!

By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.

Sign Up Now!

The Australian Championship 🇦🇺🏆

💰 The $500k bank guarantee was refunded in recognition of the significantly lower costs of a champions league model vs full H/A season

🏟️ Our source had been given no indication the competition was ending because of the refunded guarantee
📊 H/A season cost was estimated at over $1mil. Champions league model well below $500k for a season.

➕ Another RFP will open with the goal of adding more clubs in 2 years’ time

📺 Broadcaster announcement is close, we were told within 2 weeks, and it will be on a streaming service

💵 No entry fee this season, next season is expected to be under $50k

♻️ FA will create a transfer window after the NPL season for AusChamp clubs to sign players

So, we had no league launch in 2024, no league in 2025, no league in 2026, and as the next RFP phase will be in 2027 so there will be no league that year either. They absolutely don't want this thing to launch and dragging their feet towards 2034.

I can't see how the foundation 8 automatically qualify for next year's tournament now that their guarantee has been returned, they're entitled to nothing now, I assume. I'd say they qualify this year for a number of reasons, like FA keeping the interest payments on the $500k, being too late to pull out after the league was cancelled, and just general goodwill for screwing them over.

I reckon we're heading for at least three years of this group format. But from next year the 16 teams should come from the top of each fed, two each. Then use these results to base the third season's and future spots on coefficients.

And I think the $50k entry fee is ridiculous. FA should be funding this tournament, the clubs will be paying their own players and staff.

I'm so pissed off. To paraphrase Eric Bana in The Castle, "May I say how disenchanted I am in our football system".
 
HG Nothing surprises anymore when it comes to AU football. Worse still when its weighed up with the money still owed by aleague to FA, more than enough to have funded the whole championship for the first years but lets leave that alone also! Now that she has got 'the job done' maybe the gig will remain with her permanently with the blessing of some very relieved overlords ofcourse!

The FA's desire to require the equivalent of 2 football sides to run a league is the icing on the cake when it comes to costings.. that is other level incompetence! @grazorblade That fantastic sunshine coast interview needs to be followed up with the owners and the info leaks/rumours then set tobthe F8 clubs..

And with that very incompetence and distrust in place we can all understand the logic of SMFC continuing to push its desire simultanously (or perhaps solely at this rate) for the OFC!

Shambles!
 
So, we had no league launch in 2024, no league in 2025, no league in 2026, and as the next RFP phase will be in 2027 so there will be no league that year either. They absolutely don't want this thing to launch and dragging their feet towards 2034.

I can't see how the foundation 8 automatically qualify for next year's tournament now that their guarantee has been returned, they're entitled to nothing now, I assume. I'd say they qualify this year for a number of reasons, like FA keeping the interest payments on the $500k, being too late to pull out after the league was cancelled, and just general goodwill for screwing them over.

I reckon we're heading for at least three years of this group format. But from next year the 16 teams should come from the top of each fed, two each. Then use these results to base the third season's and future spots on coefficients.

And I think the $50k entry fee is ridiculous. FA should be funding this tournament, the clubs will be paying their own players and staff.

I'm so pissed off. To paraphrase Eric Bana in The Castle, "May I say how disenchanted I am in our football system".
I understand that you are pissed off - but maybe you are reading this incorrectly.

Another RFP will open with the goal of adding more clubs in 2 years’ time

I take that as adding clubs in 2 years time - not opening a RFP in 2 years time.
 
I understand that you are pissed off - but maybe you are reading this incorrectly.

Another RFP will open with the goal of adding more clubs in 2 years’ time

I take that as adding clubs in 2 years time - not opening a RFP in 2 years time.
Ahh yes, you could be right there. A number of pods have discussed it, and it came across as the RFP will be in two years. But I hope/think you're right.
 
I understand that you are pissed off - but maybe you are reading this incorrectly.

Another RFP will open with the goal of adding more clubs in 2 years’ time

I take that as adding clubs in 2 years time - not opening a RFP in 2 years time.
We would like to hope so but this is what we have to date:
1. FA secrecy and only news being that the comp runs as is for 2 years.. we ignore that and focus on some supposed commitment from FA, ok!.
2. APL against it!
3. Clubs despite clearly elegible being denied on the most rediculous reasons (sunshine coast).
4. FA not dealing with football qld or football tasmania who have elegible clubs to put them in place and get clubs cemented in.
5. The requirement of minimum state participation from get go, despite the logistical nightmare!

All these and more are what lead to being sceptical... along with a loooong history of distrust!
 
We would like to hope so but this is what we have to date:
1. FA secrecy and only news being that the comp runs as is for 2 years.. we ignore that and focus on some supposed commitment from FA, ok!.
2. APL against it!
3. Clubs despite clearly elegible being denied on the most rediculous reasons (sunshine coast).
4. FA not dealing with football qld or football tasmania who have elegible clubs to put them in place and get clubs cemented in.
5. The requirement of minimum state participation from get go, despite the logistical nightmare!

All these and more are what lead to being sceptical... along with a loooong history of distrust!

@ patjennings, thats just looking at it just as the FA, wait wait wait there's more RFP's to do ?!
Like how much more white paper docs is needed - all you have to do is listen to the latest GG pod - all our governance does is waste another year and another for NSD or whatever, what ? to wait that more Clubs will be viable whilst in the meantime a comp could start with 8 10 or 12 idgaf as NGalatas mentions build it and they will come - lets smooth the cracks as it grows there is NO garantee's unless you at least start and go from there.
The big stumbling block is having this frigging Franchise model BUT the FA themselves who are meant to foster enhance build our game are the obstical first and foremost holding us back more than ever the way I read it.
I'd luv to sack the lot of them !
 
@ patjennings, thats just looking at it just as the FA, wait wait wait there's more RFP's to do ?!
Like how much more white paper docs is needed - all you have to do is listen to the latest GG pod - all our governance does is waste another year and another for NSD or whatever, what ? to wait that more Clubs will be viable whilst in the meantime a comp could start with 8 10 or 12 idgaf as NGalatas mentions build it and they will come - lets smooth the cracks as it grows there is NO garantee's unless you at least start and go from there.
The big stumbling block is having this frigging Franchise model BUT the FA themselves who are meant to foster enhance build our game are the obstical first and foremost holding us back more than ever the way I read it.
I'd luv to sack the lot of them !
No - that is exactly what Nick Galatas said on the GG podcast.

Before the podcast we knew that the next two years would be the current model. That is still the case. He is pissed off that it has taken so long, as he should be. He is pissed off that the standards have been imposed from above and not from what the clubs could offer. He seemed happy with multiple states being a condition but thought the standards were to high and that comment on build it and they will come seemed to be harking back to a time when he was advocating lower standards.

However, he did say that the FA will be working with clubs from other states to help them get over the line. He seemed upbeat that it would be in 2 years time in spite of the others on the podcast trying to point to a longer timeline. His main beef seemed to be with the PFA rather than the FA.

So basically he confirmed what we already knew but included for people that didn't know the processes, timelines and obstacles that have been undertaken. Some of the delays were Cov-id related, some were Federation related, some were FA related, some were club related.

He basically told the people on the podcast that there is no reason not to believe there will be a home and away in 2 years.
 
No - that is exactly what Nick Galatas said on the GG podcast.
Got to admit I haven't heard all the pod yet - got to around the 40min mark, will finish up later tonight.
Before the podcast we knew that the next two years would be the current model. That is still the case. He is pissed off that it has taken so long, as he should be. He is pissed off that the standards have been imposed from above and not from what the clubs could offer. He seemed happy with multiple states being a condition but thought the standards were to high and that comment on build it and they will come seemed to be harking back to a time when he was advocating lower standards.
Yes I'm glad he's pissed/frustrated my point is its the bloody FA changing the goal posts, agreed originally the standards were far too high this comp didn't need such high $ ceilings and how can any of the Clubs chase funding when they couldn't talk to each other let alone express for fundings to potential sponsers with no clue what format or amount of Clubs in the comp, again on the FA utter farce.
However, he did say that the FA will be working with clubs from other states to help them get over the line. He seemed upbeat that it would be in 2 years time in spite of the others on the podcast trying to point to a longer timeline. His main beef seemed to be with the PFA rather than the FA.
Oh too right I hadn't mentioned the PFA yet, for where I was up to they were only just starting being mentioned, I figured they were another stumbling block some years back.
So basically he confirmed what we already knew but included for people that didn't know the processes, timelines and obstacles that have been undertaken. Some of the delays were Cov-id related, some were Federation related, some were FA related, some were club related.
Putting covid aside for that was out of anyones control obviously BUT we sure know the combination of every other body is a ongoing stumbling block, this is where the FA need to put their foot on some necks so to speak.
He basically told the people on the podcast that there is no reason not to believe there will be a home and away in 2 years.
Remember your post few weeks back why can't it start from next season ? (even though thats asking/expecting too much from this lot) just that I feel the same, these mugs keep dragging their knuckles on the ground.
They don't know that saying the quick and the dead eh.
 
Remember your post few weeks back why can't it start from next season ? (even though thats asking/expecting too much from this lot) just that I feel the same, these mugs keep dragging their knuckles on the ground.
They don't know that saying the quick and the dead eh.

I can't find the post you are referring to. I suspect it was a musing about combining the ALM and the Foundation 8 and play a little like the Scottish SPFL. That immediately covers multiple states and I thought I did presume/ask whether the Foundation 8 could make the step up to such a system.

Not sure - could be wrong.
 
I can't find the post you are referring to. I suspect it was a musing about combining the ALM and the Foundation 8 and play a little like the Scottish SPFL. That immediately covers multiple states and I thought I did presume/ask whether the Foundation 8 could make the step up to such a system.

Not sure - could be wrong.
yes it was in that summary from memory that I thought does have merit pj.
The point was to me in the end yer I agreed, lets get on with it - you will never have all the ducks in line to start a new model/comp - just as Galatas mentions in brief I have heard you deal with the curve balls as they appear.
 
Found it - Western United Thread

But to me I think the problem lies in being weak. And now may be the time to make another bold move.

The implementation of some things under Lowy was not great but it had the chance of being transformational. The A-League was formed relatively quickly when the decision was made. Teams were announced November 2004 and early in the New Year they were playing in the OFC club qualifiers before kicking off in August 2005. The implementation should have had two teams in Melbourne and Sydney at least from the get go.

I know on the other thread about the World Cup bid for 2022 you thought it was a mistake. But the money for the bid was miniscule in terms of sports spending by the government. It seemed from then that they became spooked and retreated.

Maybe now is an opportunity. Rewrite the script. Is the Western United demise a sign of impending doom or an opportunity to rewrite the landscape.

If the Foundation 8 of the Australian Championship are ready to go in a H&A league and ALM needs to expand join them together. A_League license until 2034 are useless if there is no A-League so start P and R from the get go.

The top 10 remaining ALM for an 18 round home and away season. The bottom two plus the Foundation 8 from the Championship do the same.

After the 18 rounds the teams play the other tier for 9 games.

Top of Championship moves up if they are confident of the extra wages bill and the bottom team moves down. Second can maybe have a playoff against the second bottom. Both divisions can have a final series as well if they want but promotion should be based off league position

Introduce a tier below the Championship of maybe a further 24-32 divided into conferences below that that don't have to meet the strict criteria that the top 2 tiers have to. When clubs can reach the criteria then they can be eligible for promotion to the more regulated tiers.

Now this couldn't be done for this year - but why not next?
 
  • Like
Reactions: LFC
Back
Top