Robbie Slater: Big-name imports absolutely crucial to reviving A-League to former glory

The next A-League season may not start until March, but in the meantime the competition is facing the most pivotal off-season in its history, writes Robbie Slater.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 30: Alex Wilkinson of Sydney FC lifts the A League Trophy after the 2020 A-League Grand Final match between Sydney FC and Melbourne City at Bankwest Stadium on August 30, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

After winning its war with the FFA, the onus is now on the clubs to revive the A-League ahead of the most pivotal off-season in the game’s history.

Having navigated through great uncertainty before the season restarted, it was a triumph for the game that we got to finish it with an outstanding grand final between Sydney FC and Melbourne City.

But the real hard work starts now, because since then there’s been silence and more silence, similar to when COVID-19 hit back in March when we heard nothing from the game’s bosses until the very last minute.

It cannot be stressed enough how important the next nine months are for football in this country.

Champions: Rhyan Grant, Steve Corica and Alex Wilkinson pose with the A-League Premiers' Plate and A-League Trophy. Picture: Getty

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What is painfully obvious to me is that we need to recognise the reality of where we are as a sport and as a competition, and we need to reinvent ourselves.

How do we do that? It’s pretty simple. The league has to embrace the independence it fought so hard to get.

The clubs won their war against the FFA and it’s now up to them to take the bull by the horns and move the game forward in the direction it needs to go.

The owners wanted this, they fought with the FFA and the game got dragged through the mud for years.

So come on, it’s your time to shine. Because if you don’t, we’re doomed.

And the way out of this mess is for owners to dig deep into their pockets and go back to what made the competition a success when it was at its most powerful.

It’s not long ago that the A-League was surging, with packed houses.

I do realise club owners have put a lot of money into the game already, but if they want the game to survive they’re going to have to do it again.

It’s great that the COVID situation gave us a chance to see the young Australian players perform so well at this level — proof that there’s truth to the idea that if you give them gametime they can excel.

But let us make no mistake — it would be a dangerous road to go down to think that’s how the competition will be relaunched and reinvented.

We know what works, and it did from the very start when Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke arrived at these shores: the league needs star power.

English superstar Dwight Yorke made a big splash when he joined Sydney FC. Picture: AAP

We have to look at the reality that we’re not the major code in this country and we’ll never be … but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have a strong professional league.

In the recent finish to the season, all everyone was talking about was Alessandro Diamanti, who produced a handful of goals that went global. The kids are attracted to star power and we need to acknowledge that.

It is a great paradox that Sydney’s greatest period of success off the field came when they didn’t enjoy much glory on it — but the best time for the competition as a whole was when Alessandro del Piero was here.

Western Sydney Wanderers’ Shinji Ono, Newcastle Jets’ Emile Heskey and Sydney FC’s Alessandro Del Piero brought star power. Picture: Brett Costello

You can look back when Sydney had the marvellous Brazilian Juninho, you had Emile Heskey at Newcastle, Shinji Ono at the Wanderers — the owners are going to have to look at going down that road again.

Bringing foreigners who are unknowns, but become star players once they arrive? I’m sorry, but that’s just not enough to drag that population of football supporters that will come when there’s star power.

I’ll say it again: the onus is on the clubs.

And it’s the big four of Sydney FC, Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers who need to lead the push. They’ve got to drag the rest of the league with them.

This is a message to all of you, in the whole game. To the fans, I have to ask — do you want a professional league or not? If you do, then buy a ticket and go to the game.

Because the new season has to kick off with a bang. The future of the professional game in this country depends on it.

Originally published as Robbie Slater: Big-name imports absolutely crucial to reviving A-League to former glory