Hopes of new TV deal and bringing in an extra club mean A-League fixtures list still on drawing board

The new A-League season is edging closer but the draw is still not finalised. Find out why here.

Mark Bridge of the Wanderers is challenged by Sydney's Joshua Brillante during the Round 25 A-League match between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Saturday, April 13, 2019. (AAP Image/Steve Christo) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

• Sky Blues ready to go back-to-back
• Why the A-League is exciting again

The most complicated draw in the history of the A-League is still not completed, as competition bosses hold another round of talks with clubs this week to make final adjustments less than three months before the new season kicks off.

Issues over ground availability and continued hopes that Channel Ten will agree to broadcast games on free to air next season have added to the original complications of accommodating one new team next season.

Clubs have been told the draw is at least a week away from being released, more than a month after the stage a year ago when the whole draw had been agreed and published.

Sydney FC players celebrate their grand final win. Picture: Getty Images

Already grappling with myriad factors, officials designing the draw have sought to spread the blue-chip fixtures in a way to satisfy both Fox Sports and Ten should the latter sign a deal to show games and promote them to its whole audience.

For the previous two seasons games were shown one of Ten’s subsidiary channels under a deal with Fox, but they received little or no marketing and returned meagre ratings.

Competition bosses hope a new free-to-air TV deal can be struck now that the structure of an independent A-League run by the clubs has been agreed.

Western United coach Mark Rudan. United’s entry to the A-League means an expanded fixture list. Picture: AAP

Western United’s admission to the A-League next season has created both more fixtures to be scheduled and a bye included every round, plus an uneven number of games between certain clubs thanks to the decision to keep the league at the same length as preceding seasons.

The aim has been to give the teams in the Asian Champions League byes around the weeks they play ACL games, while also making sure that no club has significant numbers of concurrent home or away fixtures.

Under arrangements for this season, until Macarthur United is introduced in a year’s time, teams will play six opponents three times and the other four twice.

Clashes with other codes have also caused headaches in terms of ground availability for venues such as Marvel Stadium in Melbourne and the SCG.