We can still achieve promotion and relegation in a fully professional ten-team Dub without the need for contraction but the priority after full-time professionalisation should be implementing a women's Hahn Australia Cup first, then a women's Australian Championship before thinking about adding pro-rel.But without the excitement of pro/rel.
It would just cut off from the season before they introduce it I’d assume.
Then I can’t really see a reduced league working. Nobody would wanna give up their team and the APL can’t play favourites.
Not sure about the situation in the A-League Men but in the Dub Newcastle Jets haven't culled any players altogether and neither have Canberra United but we'd expect players to walk now that the latter's ownership transition has been sorted.
Adelaide surely
Adelaide United have only lost seven players across both their men's and women's sides so they could well be considered as having retained the most players heading into season 2026-27.
Eehhh even seven is a lot
It's across the entire Adelaide United organisation though and five of those players including the likes of Stefan Mauk, Luka Jovanovic, Ella Tonkin and Matilda McNamara have secured moves overseas.
And Yaya Dukuly.
Mauk was already on loan in Vietnam so kind of doesn’t really count.
Yaya Dukuly made the move overseas also but it hasn't been reflected in the A-League Men transfer centre for the offseason heading into season 2026-27 yet.
Stefan Mauk was still on the Adelaide United payroll until Cong An Hanoi took up the buy option though.
