Since the A-league’s inception, there has been rigorous debate over the creation of a second tier in Australian football. A promotion/relegation system, alongside the inclusion of many pre-established teams with fanbases, resources and desire to succeed, has been cited as a way to lessen the pervading issues within the top flight of Australian football. On the latest episode of the “Round Table”, a panelist show discussing various topics surrounding Australian Football, the concept of a second division was brought up amongst other things. While discussing the idea of a second division and A-league reserves tier, the idea of a reserves league was introduced by former EPL player Mark Bosnich. Sports journalist Adam Peacock replies to his idea by stating that a reserves league and a second-division are “one in the same.” This idea that the two leagues are in someway linked is never outright disagreed with, and most panelists (Bruce Djite, Luke Wilkshire, Andy Harper) remain in agreement or neutral on the matter. While other points were brought up about income for these ventures and what confidence interval is required for backers to invest in such matters; the idea still stuck: either a hybrid league between NPL and A-league reserve teams or a reserves team created in lieu of a second division for the time being.
In a country already starved of creativity when governing football leagues, and arguably unable to nail down the basic structure to begin with, to propose such an idea spells disastrous consequences for the future of Australian football. In this piece, I’d like to briefly go through the comments made on the show, and explain how, in an unstable period of Australian football, misplacing our efforts (even with good intentions) can only lead to a collapse of this sport in our country. This isn’t an attack on any particular person, but rather an idea (and a poor one at that).
After making the comment, Bosnich somewhat agrees with Peacock’s sentiment, citing our main focus when structuring our league should be “the future”;
“They need to have pathways to the game… It’s the future of our country, it’s the future of our game.”
As I outlined in the introduction, the idea of a reserves division isn’t inherently negative. It would provide youth players with a more streamlined method of development, and some stability when it comes to receiving game-time. However, the two biggest issues stifling opportunities in Australian football are the size of our first division, and the gaping hole in-between it and the next tier of Australian football. There are already A-league reserves in high divisions of the National Premiers League (Melbourne City in NPL2, Melbourne Victory were in NPL in 2016), and while Bosnich’s worry of a lack of options in Australian football is completely valid, a reserves league is far from the solution.
The issue with our Football system is not a lack of pathways, for every team under the A-league brings with it a form of pathway, working your way up the leagues until you make it to the top flight, as well as many providing their own youth systems. It’s a lack of destinations. A league possessing only eight teams already brings with it a string of issues, ranging from lack of quality control to lack of intensity. But for there to be no consequences for such an outlook lowers interest, lowers standard and stifles the overall product. Ultimately, preventing other prospective teams who possess the desire, and in some instances the skill to compete/earn a spot at the top is the most effective way in choke future footballers, and the future success of Australian clubs.
If anything, a reserves league will widen the gap for aspiring players; if they don’t play for an A-league reserve team, career prospects dwindle even further, as this system would hinder the opportunities for state teams (and their players) to prove themselves. Currently in Australian football, it is not just the youth that require pathways, but clubs. Provide teams with the ability to establish themselves in the professional tier, and opportunities for players will cease to be “bottlenecked”, as Bosnich put it when describing the career security of youth players.
Now, it makes sense that A-league clubs would want to hold such a monopoly; allowing more teams the opportunity to find themselves in Australia’s top flight would be a threat to their quiet existence. Particularly for some of the lower tier clubs, who have been in the bottom-half of the table for half a decade. Again, certain clubs should not be able to bend Australian Football to their will. Further, and from a more economic point of view, new teams may drum up more interest. Particularly when you have previously established teams with a established fan-base. Bringing these teams up provides a whole team’s worth of opportunities, and through the potential development of their youth, creates a self-sustaining system of football development (like most functional football leagues).
Another questionable statement made by Peacock was that this sort of thing, that being the inclusion of reserve teams at high level leagues is “done in European leagues”, which holds merit into why we should do the same. While this may be the case, these European leagues already have a linked tier system, unlike the poorly flowing leagues of Australian football. Further, reserves teams make up one or two squads in a league, and so the prospect of promotion still beckons. Having a majority of reserves teams in a second league, with only a few being from state divisions will lead to less promotions, stifling not only opportunities for senior players, but one of the most important aspects of a promotion/relegation system. And that doesn’t even factor in that the top leagues have a high quality top league to begin with, containing at least twenty adept teams who provide some form of competitive viewing.
Even if this reserves league is intended to be an “interim” option for young players in lieu of a second division, as Bosnich has written on Twitter in response to their discussion, that in itself suggests that there are severe issues with the structure of Australian Football. We don’t have the time or resources to commit to a band-aid solution with minimal long term benefits when a (granted, more complex) solution captures the sentiments of this solution and then some. It may seem like a bizarre point to get caught up on, but we’re at a point in time where suggesting something on the contrary, even though it may have a similar goal, will only continue to hinder the development and success of Australian football.
In summary, creating a hybrid between a second football division and a reserves league, or to opt for a reserves league in itself;
- Does not solve any pervading issues within the top flight of Australian football
- Hinders NPL club opportunities, whose success allows for the possibility of further youth teams
- Provides less destinations for prospective players
- Widens the gap between the top Australian football tier and its lower divisions
- Creates a monopoly on top football by a select few A-league teams
- Stifles promotion/relegation potential
- Will not bring with it the interest that may be seen with the inclusion of previously established teams
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