The A-League Is Back! Starts July 17th 2020!!!

[peternorth]

Wait there.

FFA must now apply for government exemptions to ensure the season can resume as planned.

 

[acm21]

Wait there.

FFA must now apply for government exemptions to ensure the season can resume as planned.

The weather in Canberra was problematic so flights got delayed and they were unable to get into Canberra (or anywhere else) till after midnight (and thus got stuck due to the border being closed). Applying for an exemption which would likely be relatively easy to get.

 

[giggler99]

Typical amateur hour by the FFA.

 

[Greenery]

Mirror image of the Wellington Victory situation before the total shutdown, pretty funny in that regard.
Can't be too harsh on the FFA, not long to move and their flight got delayed by fog.
They'll get an exemption. Feel bad for the Victorian players in limbo atm.

 

[giggler99]

Mirror image of the Wellington Victory situation before the total shutdown, pretty funny in that regard.
Can't be too harsh on the FFA, not long to move and their flight got delayed by fog.
They'll get an exemption. Feel bad for the Victorian players in limbo atm.

yeah I suppose but they still should have been aware in advance wasn’t hard to work out what was about to happen considering the AFL were making preparations well in advance.

 

[giggler99]

Details..

FFA to seek exemptions for the Victorian Hyundai A-League Clubs to enter NSW

Following yesterday’s announcement by the NSW Government to close the NSW border to Victoria, Football Federation Australia (FFA) today confirmed that it will be applying for exemptions to allow the Players and High Performance coaching staff from Melbourne City FC, Melbourne Victory and Western United FC to enter NSW for the remainder of Hyundai A-League 2019/20 Season.

FFA Head of Leagues, Greg O’Rourke, said that every effort was made to relocate the clubs out of Victoria before the closing of the borders, but unfortunately, despite all the players boarding a plane to the ACT, weather closed Canberra Airport which then made it impossible to leave Victoria before the borders closed.

“As a result, we will now begin the process to seek exemptions from the NSW Government to allow the teams to enter NSW for them to continue their season,” said O’Rourke.

“If we find it necessary to revise the match schedule we will do so accordingly and will announce once confirmed, however at this time the schedule remains the same,” concluded O’Rourke.

FFA to seek exemptions for the Victorian Hyundai A-League Clubs to enter NSW | Melbourne Victory

Following yesterday’s announcement by the NSW Government to close the NSW border to Victoria, Football Federation Australia (FFA) today confirmed that it will be applying for exemptions to allow the Players and High Performance coaching staff from Melbourne City FC, Melbourne Victory and Western...

www.melbournevictory.com.au

 

[dwwaino]

Hopefully all 3 of our remaining squad make it.

 

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

Mirror image of the Wellington Victory situation before the total shutdown, pretty funny in that regard.
Can't be too harsh on the FFA, not long to move and their flight got delayed by fog.
They'll get an exemption. Feel bad for the Victorian players in limbo atm.

I'm sure they'll get an exemption too but FFA could have moved on this earlier than the last possible hours of the night in case there was an issue with the one charter flight. A little bit more forward thinking wouldn't hurt with this league sometimes. A swift border shutdown was always a possibility.
Different story if the governments spoke to other codes telling them to get over quickly but ignored us. I guess that's a possibility for why other teams cleared out of Victoria swiftly too. But I'm leaning more towards just poor organisation from the A-League at this stage.

 

[Quivorir]

I was watching the Dan Andrews press conference and the little scrolling ticker thing down the bottom said the 3 melbourne clubs had been granted an exemption.

 

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

Yeah so the hub might be off again. Players heading back home because they will have to quarantine for 14 days after leaving Victoria. How have we got this so wrong and another night of them thinking they will be leaving to then not get anywhere

 

[gaskin]

Yeah so the hub might be off again. Players heading back home because they will have to quarantine for 14 days after leaving Victoria. How have we got this so wrong and another night of them thinking they will be leaving to then not get anywhere

The A-League is amateur hour. That is how.

 

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

The A-League is amateur hour. That is how.

This a whole new level of amateurism. Can hardly call yourselves professional when 2 nights in a row players have packed their bags and headed to the airport to be sent home.

 

[FreoRicci]

A League looking absolutely amateurish.
AFL got whiff of it before any code, obviously and got our easy.
Extremely embarrassing for the round ball code, and Eddie and co. In AFL headquarters couldn’t be happier

 

[giggler99]

Embarrassing for the A-League!
Why are they dicking around the airport all day when they could just charter a bus and head straight to the boarder! Lack of foresight? lack of insight? or just plain lazy? Or all three?

Another one to add to the peak A-League list!

 

[Colonial]

 

[giggler99]

FFA Statement in relation to Victorian Hyundai A-League clubs
Football Federation Australia release


Football Federation Australia (FFA) has confirmed that the three Victorian-based Hyundai A-League teams, Melbourne City FC, Melbourne Victory and Western United FC, will remain in the state, as it seeks to gain exemptions for the teams to enter NSW to continue their season.

After the NSW Government’s decision to close its border with Victoria, active discussions occurred throughout the day to seek to obtain an exemption under the NSW Public Health (COVID-19 Interstate Hotspots) Orders for the teams to enter NSW.

In addition to seeking an exemption to enter NSW directly, an alternative plan was developed to move the players and high-performance coaching staff to Canberra this evening, however, within the tight timeframes available ACT Government quarantine regulations could not be met.

Head of Leagues Greg O’Rourke said “We did absolutely everything we could to get the players and staff out of Victoria by midnight tonight, but in such a rapidly evolving situation, unfortunately it was just not possible.

“We are in discussions the NSW Government, and we will continue to seek the exemptions necessary for the teams to travel.

“Given the strict League and Club Protocols our Teams have been following since 2 June 2020, combined with the fact we have not had any Players or High Performance Staff return a positive COVID-19 testing result, we feel that we have a very good case to gain the exemptions and get the teams to NSW to complete the Hyundai A-League season, and we will make every attempt to do so.”

O’Rourke added, “I’d like to sincerely thank the players, their families and staff from the three clubs for their understanding and commitment this past 24 hours. The disappointment of getting prepared to travel out of Victoria to prepare for the restart not once but twice has been most frustrating for them and can assure them, the clubs’ members and fans that we are all committed to overcoming this evolving challenge and to play football again.”

FFA Statement in relation to Victorian Hyundai A-League clubs | Melbourne Victory

Football Federation Australia (FFA) has confirmed that the three Victorian-based Hyundai A-League teams, Melbourne City FC, Melbourne Victory and Western United FC, will remain in the state, as it seeks to gain exemptions for the teams to enter NSW to continue their season. After the NSW...

www.melbournevictory.com.au

 

[Quivorir]

Just end the season ffs.

 

[burge13]

Are international players still here? Any who left won't be allowed back in. Same with coaches

Absolute shambles. Why rush/force this season? No one is going to watch with AFL/NRL on so your best bet is having big games on Tuesday/Wednesday nights. Even then, without internationals is this even worth watching? No one went in summer to many of the games, what hope have they got midweek in the pissing rain at neutral venues?!

A-League is on its death bed but this will just about put a bullet in it...

 

[FreoRicci]

Are international players still here? Any who left won't be allowed back in. Same with coaches

Absolute shambles. Why rush/force this season? No one is going to watch with AFL/NRL on so your best bet is having big games on Tuesday/Wednesday nights. Even then, without internationals is this even worth watching? No one went in summer to many of the games, what hope have they got midweek in the pissing rain at neutral venues?!

A-League is on its death bed but this will just about put a bullet in it...

Worst situation for FFA AND A LEAGUE to be in. They moved to summer for this very reason in its inception. Now being forced to try and play out the season. I agree, unless they play mid week games for the larger audience (could work given anyone wants to watch sports, any way possible), this quite possibly means a death knell for the A league and a reconfiguration is needed.

You’d think with qualifying for World Cups consistently plus winning the Asian Cup, the league would be quite healthy. Instead it’s the opposite.

 

[burge13]

Worst situation for FFA AND A LEAGUE to be in. They moved to summer for this very reason in its inception. Now being forced to try and play out the season. I agree, unless they play mid week games for the larger audience (could work given anyone wants to watch sports, any way possible), this quite possibly means a death knell for the A league and a reconfiguration is needed.

You’d think with qualifying for World Cups consistently plus winning the Asian Cup, the league would be quite healthy. Instead it’s the opposite.

The league went backwards ever since AUFC won the title in front of 55,000 people at AO imo. Somehow they captured none of those casual fans and crowd sizes dropped
WSW was a tremendously supported club, upgraded stadium meant they moved and crowds since dropped.
MV active bay went walkabout
Now there's no atmosphere at any of these home games outside 1-2 'blockbuster' match-ups per season.

Constantly empty giant stadiums with no atmosphere in Brisbane, Wellington, and Sydney. Looks amateur league on TV

No spending on marquees. Zlatan, for example, was rumoured to be on about 2m a year at LA - WTF did no one offer 3, 4, 5 to come here?! Would have been huge.

Constantly recycling the same players through the league. Jamieson has played for how many sides? One of 50 examples.

Teams do well, then their squad gets raided by Asia/'bigger' a-league clubs and you start again. We lost 7 of our starting 11 from the GF. Why the hell would anyone invest in following that...

The league has 100's of problems & covid came at a convenient time to cover FFA mistakes and incompetence. Expansion is just laughable too, watering down a dull product even more. Idiotic

 

[Greenery]

The league went backwards ever since AUFC won the title in front of 55,000 people at AO imo. Somehow they captured none of those casual fans and crowd sizes dropped
WSW was a tremendously supported club, upgraded stadium meant they moved and crowds since dropped.
MV active bay went walkabout
Now there's no atmosphere at any of these home games outside 1-2 'blockbuster' match-ups per season.

Constantly empty giant stadiums with no atmosphere in Brisbane, Wellington, and Sydney. Looks amateur league on TV

No spending on marquees. Zlatan, for example, was rumoured to be on about 2m a year at LA - WTF did no one offer 3, 4, 5 to come here?! Would have been huge.

Constantly recycling the same players through the league. Jamieson has played for how many sides? One of 50 examples.

Teams do well, then their squad gets raided by Asia/'bigger' a-league clubs and you start again. We lost 7 of our starting 11 from the GF. Why the hell would anyone invest in following that...

The league has 100's of problems & covid came at a convenient time to cover FFA mistakes and incompetence. Expansion is just laughable too, watering down a dull product even more. Idiotic

50k at Perth grand final last year, although the surface wasn't up to scratch (players falling over left, right and centre).
So that potentials once a year, complete inability to capture ~60-70% of those fans throughout the year and the league season is the big issue.
More teams will assist, bit boring playing the same team for the 3rd time, and all the derbies lose intensity when that happens.

The A league needs MVC and WSW to be strong for crowd figures, same with Brisbane.

Mariners completely uncompetitive year in year out also hurts.

Do think they will begin to turn it around now (heaps of policy changes etc in the wings)

 

[burge13]

Do think they will begin to turn it around now (heaps of policy changes etc in the wings)

I don't. The product is too weak to capture the mainstream on an ongoing basis

Needed Beckham at the time for example, need a few ADP's. Something to draw the masses for an entire season, get them in the habit of going to the games. Once they're in the habit and it's part of their weekend ritual, they'll stay. What casual observer cares atm? Why would they?

Even a Rooney or Zlatan now is too little, too late. Need 3-4 genuine stars here and no one will invest that. Cahill came 3 years too late. No one comes because the standard is crap...

I've defended and promoted the league for ages but start writing the A-League eulogy. They aren't lasting much longer

 

[gaskin]

They can't get those big names while the salary cap is in place. At the same time, we need the salary cap or it will just become a Sydney/Victory monopoly every season and the league can't afford to have 2 teams killing everyone season after season. It is a bit of a catch-22.

 

[giggler99]

lol it just gets better

 

[JezzasOnTheAsphalt]

lol it just get better

All very reasonable requests in my opinion. Sad that it has to come to this actually and that FFA didn’t take the initiative to give basic details to the players before they left.