On The Attack: Broadcast deal could leave A-League in tatters

Socceroos great Robbie Slater and Marco Monteverde tackle the biggest issues in football in ON THE ATTACK, with none bigger than the deafening silence from APL headquarters.

Robbie Slater laments the mess Danny Townsend, the former A Leagues CEO, has left Australia’s premier league in. Picture: Getty Images

Socceroos great Robbie Slater and Marco Monteverde tackle the biggest issues in football, with none bigger than the deafening silence from APL headquarters.

Still waiting for answers

RS: The silence out of APL headquarters continues to be deafening.

We still want answers to why the A-League is in such a shambolic state, and we’re still not getting them.

Whatever happened to the audit into the APL’s woeful financial operations that many have been calling for?

No doubt, they’re too embarrassed about what they’ll find, and are scared about stuff that’s a lot more serious than just embarrassment.

MM: I know that clubs want answers about how much money they’re going to get in their annual distribution from the APL. It makes it hard to plan for next season when you don’t know how much money you can spend.

APL independent chair Stephen Conroy is among the team which has plenty of work to do to salvage the A-League. Picture: Getty Images

RS: From what I’m hearing, clubs are only going to be getting just over a million dollars compared to the $2.35 million they got for this season.

I don’t know how some clubs are going to be able to survive.

It’s a horror show.

We can’t just keep rolling along like this.

MM: The APL say those figures are not accurate, but you’re right, we can’t keep going on this way.

And we also need answers on what’s happening with Newcastle and the Canberra bid for entry into the A-League men’s competition next season.

RS: You can forget about Canberra. It’s too late for that to happen in time for next season. Apart from Auckland, there’s not going to be expansion. If anything it’ll go the other way.

MM: Well at least it seems the Canberra United women’s team will still exist next season but any more immediate expansion in the men’s competition, apart from the addition of Auckland, doesn’t seem to make sense considering the perilous financial state of the whole competition.

RS: Where are the two guys that need to be held accountable for the state of the APL? They’ve ridden off into the sunset.

Danny Townsend, the former A Leagues CEO, has left the league in a mess. Picture: Getty Images

The former CEO Danny Townsend said “give me the keys, I’ll show you how to drive this” when the unbundling of the A-League from Football Australia occurred.

What he’s done is drive it to the edge of a cliff.

MM: Yeah, someone needs to be held accountable for the mess we are in.

RS: That mess includes the broadcast deal between the APL and Network 10/Paramount +.

I’ve been in contact with someone very high up in the industry, and that deal is regarded as one of the worst in the history of Australian sport.

Network 10 and Paramount don’t care because under the ridiculous terms of the deal, they don’t have to pay as much because the APL has been able to deliver on the KPIs they promised.

And to add insult to injury, 10 and Paramount are going to be “rewarded” with new deals to cover the Socceroos and the Matildas.

While we’re at it, don’t get me started on the production debacle.

There’s a long way to go in that saga as well because I’ve been told that the production company that went bust, Global Advance, is demanding money from the APL, who are still demanding money from them.

It’s all to play for

MM: It’s just so messy, but let’s hope for an exciting finish to the season so we at least have something to celebrate.

There’s a huge game on Saturday at CommBank Stadium between Western Sydney and Melbourne City that could very well determine which of those two teams takes the sixth and final spot in next month’s finals series.

Terry Antonis scored a screamer for Melbourne City in their last clash in March. Their next game could determine who makes the finals. Picture: Getty Images

RS: It’s all to play for. The finals have come early for both these teams.

If the Wanderers win, they’re in the top six for sure, but if Melbourne City wins, it’s going to be pretty hard to see them missing a finals berth.

MM: If momentum counts for anything, City will win this game. Confidence must be sky high after they thrashed Perth Glory 8-0 last Sunday.

In saying that, the Glory were so bad that some ask how much should be read into that game.

Still, City is in better form going into the match, with the Wanderers having lost two in a row.

Western Sydney Wanderers have themselves to blame if they don’t finish in the top six. Picture: Getty Images

RS: The Wanderers could have already sealed their spot in the top six, and will only have themselves to blame if they don’t play finals football.

City will definitely have momentum, regardless of how bad the Glory were, but the good thing for the Wanderers is that they will have all their fans back at their home ground.

They could make a huge difference, and will hopefully help provide a fantastic atmosphere.

It was great seeing them all back at the Sydney derby last weekend, even if their team did end up losing the game.

Tasty plate tussle

MM: We shouldn’t forget the ongoing battle for the Premier’s Plate. Wellington can put pressure on the Mariners by beating Newcastle on Friday night.

RS: Yes, the Phoenix can move three points ahead.

It’s probably worked out well for the Mariners that their scheduled game on Sunday against Adelaide has been postponed because of their late arrival back from Kyrgyzstan, where they did what they had to do to keep alive their hopes of winning the AFC Cup.

Originally published as On The Attack: Broadcast deal could leave A-League in tatters