A-Leagues grand final reversal was a welcome move but more must be done before next broadcast negotiation

A quiet sense of optimism has returned to the A-Leagues but more administrative own goals could be terminal, writes ROBBIE SLATER.

The reinvigorating of the A-Leagues is dependent on smart administration. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

The A-Leagues have entered the most important period in their history.

In recent years, a seemingly endless stream of administrative own goals plunged a once thriving league into a genuine existential crisis. And with thoughts turning to the next broadcast deal after this season, time is running out for the APL to turn the ship around and convince the market they have a product worth investing in.

Fortunately, the early signs are promising.

The A-League women launched to record crowds, capitalising on the momentum created by the Matildas during their brilliant home World Cup campaign. Paramount Plus have, at long last, confirmed they will improve their functionality to an acceptable standard. And the APL’s call to reverse its disastrous decision to award grand final rights to NSW for the next two seasons was correct and necessary.

The importance of this week’s grand final announcement can’t be overstated.

The APL ruined last year’s event – saved from total disaster only by the Central Coast Mariners’ fairytale run – and alienated a huge portion of a fanbase already fed up after years of bad decisions. To have doubled down on the unpopular Destination NSW deal would have risked losing those supporters forever – and that is something the league simply can’t afford as it enters its next broadcast negotiation window.

Last year’s bungled grand final showcase was only salvaged by the Mariners fairytale victory. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

The whole grand final saga was regrettable and the throwing under the bus of Danny Townsend was downright shameful. Some of the same people who voted the NSW deal into existence were the ones who ran for cover when, predictably, supporter outcry reached fever pitch. Townsend was left to front up to the public alone and the relentless pounding he subsequently copped might not have been the sole reason for him deciding to take another job overseas, but neither did it help.

Fans can now return to games knowing that, if their team is good enough, the ultimate prize of a home grand final is back on the table. This coincides with news that Perth Glory have found new owners and the Auckland expansion bid is advancing well.

That sensation?

It’s called optimism.

You’re forgiven if you forgot what it felt like.

Still, there is much for the APL to do to get its house back in order before it goes to market. The stakes are enormous and more wrong turns could have heavy, far-reaching consequences. To limp into the next broadcast negotiation with the dashboard flashing red – as it has been for the past few seasons – could push the league further to the margins and threaten its very existence in its current form.

The APL sold the silverware to Silver Lake and too much of that money has already been tipped into a digital play that has fallen well short of expectations. What funds remain need to be ploughed back into the clubs, many of whom are hurting financially, and invested into the kind of players fans want to watch and broadcasters want to pay for.

The passion of fans during the women’s World Cup needs to be replicated in the A-Leagues. Picture: Adam Head

More also needs to be done to win back disenfranchised supporters. The grand final move is a start, but it can’t be the end. Too many decisions in recent years – from the war with the FA, to the underwhelming Ten/Paramount deal and more – have served only to suck the soul out of a league that was once loud, colourful and vibrant.

We know the passion for the game exists. We saw it across the nation during the men’s and women’s World Cups. It now needs to be restored to the A-Leagues and that can only be done by listening to the game’s most important stakeholder – its supporters – and recapturing the momentum and popularity of a decade ago.

Many of my favourite memories of the A-Leagues have been the grand finals I’ve attended. The sea of orange at a packed Suncorp Stadium, the red sea in Adelaide, the Big Blues in Sydney and Melbourne.

Noisy crowds. Desperate football. The nation engaged.

That was the league at its best.

More of that, please.

Originally published as A-Leagues grand final reversal was a welcome move but more must be done before next broadcast negotiation