General A Leagues thread (Men and Women) 2025/26 season

[erogenouszone]

The PFA want 18 players on senior contracts in playing lists but the APL only want 16 contracted players in addition to no designated marquee players altogether as well as abolishing loyalty and homegrown players, and locking scholarship players to their club's farm system.

They really are broke.

 

[someguyjc]

They really are broke.

Previously the grant money would cover the salary cap. Now it only covers a quarter of the cap. Not surprising this is the situation.

 

[Football us life]

From a football perspective, abolishing homegrown and loyalty mechanisms could quite hurt clubs trying to build long-term identity with academy talent which is something supporters increasingly value more than your short-term imports.....

Financially, though, the APL is likely arguing sustainability first after years of losses and instability. The real question is whether cutting costs this hard would stabilise the league… or shrink its ambition.

What you might call a classic clash between romantic football identity and cold, hard balance sheets!

If you stabilise the finances but lose the entertainment value and the emotional connection of local heroes, you risk curing the disease but killing the patient.

 

[Hillbilly55]

So a kid at 10 is 4 times as likely to be a professional footballer in Australia if he chooses AFL? THATS sad.

Actually no, there are probably almost as many plying their trade outside Australia as at home. Whereas the AFL only have Australia. As has been said elsewhere, play football, the world is your oyster, play AFL, really?

 

[Jetsfan]

It's also been said that the first man to eat an oyster was a brave man, or stupid

 

[HonestSpursFan]

Ahead of the World Cup, Latin American influencers and streamers are picking who they think fans should back at the World Cup. One of the guys being shouted out is All Whites and Wellington Phoenix defender Tim Payne, who now has 543,000 Insta followers (by far more than any Kiwi player)!

 

[HonestSpursFan]

Sky Blue Ball!!!!

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Actually no, there are probably almost as many plying their trade outside Australia as at home. Whereas the AFL only have Australia. As has been said elsewhere, play football, the world is your oyster, play AFL, really?

Professional footballer IN Australia....

 

[rebelliousfeminist974]

Ahead of the World Cup, Latin American influencers and streamers are picking who they think fans should back at the World Cup. One of the guys being shouted out is All Whites and Wellington Phoenix defender Tim Payne, who now has 543,000 Insta followers (by far more than any Kiwi player)!

Tim Payne has now reached a million followers on Instagram, which is the largest following of any New Zealand football-related account.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

Tim Payne has now reached a million followers on Instagram, which is the largest following of any New Zealand football-related account.

Just saw that this morning! Bloody hell, he'd be one of the most followed Kiwis on the app!

 

[Hillbilly55]

Professional footballer IN Australia....

Yes, I got that, I was just being a pain, but obviously, if someone is a professional footballer, they would hope to play in the best league possible, which would be overseas. This should be our selling point to any young athlete/player.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Yeah mate, I agree. My point was more around the fact that there should be double/triple the amount of professional postilions in Australia for our players BEFORE they have to look at overseas second and third tiers as an option.

 

[Kitwally]

Yes, I got that, I was just being a pain, but obviously, if someone is a professional footballer, they would hope to play in the best league possible, which would be overseas. This should be our selling point to any young athlete/player.

Yes but in general unless you are Johnston or Harry Kewell, you need to become a pro footballer in Australia first before heading overseas.

 

[HappyGuus]

Macarthur FC bids to build $21 million sports-focused high school

An A-League football team has lodged plans for a sports high school so homegrown talent can train and learn in their own backyard, with a Centre of Excellence and soccer training facilities in southwest Sydney.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/macarthur/macarthur-fc-bids-to-build-21-million-sportsfocused-high-school/news-story/4d8804f412e5c0f5bcf80e1cf0d212ff

 

[CentreHalf]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/macarthur/macarthur-fc-bids-to-build-21-million-sportsfocused-high-school/news-story/4d8804f412e5c0f5bcf80e1cf0d212ff

This is smart. Very very smart. Well done to the Bulls.

 

[Barca4life]

Tim Payne now has more followers than the All Blacks, let that sink in lol.

 

[grazorblade]

we have numbers for how much streaming has increased

 

[Hellenic_blue&white]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/macarthur/macarthur-fc-bids-to-build-21-million-sportsfocused-high-school/news-story/4d8804f412e5c0f5bcf80e1cf0d212ff

A-League clubs slammed over taxpayer-funded $14.5m Football in Schools scheme

A damning external investigation has revealed major compliance failures, unverified attendance figures, and unjustified expenses within the Western Sydney Wanderers and Macarthur Bulls.

www.smh.com.au

Herald figured out how they are doing it!! Really living up to the taglines.