Adelaide United to retain three meetings with rival Melbourne Victory in restructured A-League

Retaining a trio of clashes with bitter rival Melbourne Victory and potentially hosting less Sunday night games are on the agenda for Adelaide United in next season’s revamped A-League.

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Adelaide United will retain its three matches against traditional rival Melbourne Victory and can expect less Sunday night home games in next season’s restructured A-League.

Concerns had emerged the Reds’ high-profile meetings with their Victorian adversary might be reduced, as they prepared to face all teams twice and only select sides on three occasions.

But league chief Greg O’Rourke said the 11-team competition, which had been revamped to accommodate new franchise Western United, would include a trio of the anticipated clashes.

Speaking after United’s business breakfast on Thursday, O’Rourke said maximising TV ratings and crowds would largely shape the make-up of the third fixtures.

He said solely relying on derbies, while leaving non-Sydney and Melbourne clubs to play among themselves in less-commercially lucrative contests, would not be the approach.

Head of A-League Greg O'Rourke says Adelaide United will retain its three fixtures with traditional rival Melbourne Victory. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

“There will be another Melbourne derby (next season) ... but there will also be other marquee match-ups,” said O’Rourke, who was a guest at the Reds event.

“You think about Adelaide United, they have a very strong rivalry against Melbourne Victory.

“That game will be one of them (third fixtures) and there’s a few others.

“It will be a combination of marquee matches, but also importantly based on the ranking of where the teams finished in the prior year.

“With that combination, there will be the integrity of people getting to play certain fixtures based on their standing.”

The 26-game, 29-round format, which featured three byes for each club, had drawn criticism for its lopsided nature, given sides would play just six opponents three times.

O’Rourke said it struck a balance between a 30-match season pushing further into AFL and NRL seasons, and a reduced 22-game home and away model.

George Blackwood scores Adelaide United’s winner against Melbourne Victory at Hindmarsh Stadium last season. Picture: AAP Image/David James Elsby

He said it might include less Sunday night fixtures at Hindmarsh Stadium, after the Reds had hosted five home games in the unpopular timeslot last campaign.

“We’re going to share it around a little bit more evenly,” O’Rourke said.

“You’ve got to note, that’s the largest and the best broadcast audience.

“But I understand the fan experience on a school night.

“You need to balance it off with the crowds.”

O’Rourke confirmed a 14-team A-League, composed of a 26-round regular season, remained Football Federation Australia’s vision.

He would not rule out further Adelaide representation in the competition in the long-term, but said it was unlikely in the coming phases of expansion.

O’Rourke said SA clubs would feature prominently in a proposed national second division, which the governing body was expected to make an announcement on in the coming days.

Newly-installed director of football Bruce Djite wants Adelaide United to better engage with local clubs and schools. Picture: AAP/Mike Burton

Reds greats Travis Dodd, Marcelo Carrusca and Bruce Djite also spoke at the breakfast, held at Southern Cross Austereo headquarters.

Djite, who was this week installed as Adelaide’s new director of football, said using United players to re-establish links with local clubs and schools was among his priorities.

“We’ve got to get back connected with the community – it’s a massive thing and something that’s very important,” Djite said.

“We’re not the AFL. We’ve got to do that little bit extra to get that same level of engagement.

“We actually want to be legitimately united.

“It has been in the past and it hasn’t been in the past. But I think we’re on that trajectory.”