The 2nd Division Thread (proposal)

Should Australia have a second Division to the A-League?

  • Yes

    Votes: 37 74.0%
  • No

    Votes: 11 22.0%
  • Don't Care

    Votes: 2 4.0%

  • Total voters
    50
Jun 24, 2011
26,141
16,337
Adelaide
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
ΠΓΣΣ LFC Sturt Steelers Nix
Some great clubs in this mix attended last night - great to see so many SA teams too.

Interesting, no Adelaide Olympic though, however relegated West Adelaide came 🤔
Screenshot_20200826-073519_Dropbox.jpg


Click here to get to the Powerpoint presentation they used (amateurish, but then again, so are all their graphics...)
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
Last edited:
Jul 5, 2011
14,859
23,788
Melbourne
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Geelong
Other Teams
Victory,Napoli,Liverpool,Penguins
Anyone else notice that the promised plans and financials on how this gets done wasn’t released

For a group that says they have done the work and it’s viable and financial etc etc etc they won’t show the details will they.

yeah reading through that powerpoint I couldn't find it either. Perhaps this was just a show and tell presentation and they will realise a proper finacial model in future.
 

jd2010

Well done boys. Good process, carry on
Feb 1, 2010
38,572
19,636
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Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford FC
So I've got a few questions....

Do these 30 clubs no longer play in their state leagues?

Is there relegation from the 2nd division of this competition back to state leagues?

If this works surely the A-League dies off.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
So I've got a few questions....

Do these 30 clubs no longer play in their state leagues?

Is there relegation from the 2nd division of this competition back to state leagues?

If this works surely the A-League dies off.

This is for a 2nd division not the top division.

ALeague is yet to have a crowd average as low as the NSL in its best years so these clubs won’t kill off the ALeague.
 

jd2010

Well done boys. Good process, carry on
Feb 1, 2010
38,572
19,636
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford FC
This is for a 2nd division not the top division.

ALeague is yet to have a crowd average as low as the NSL in its best years so these clubs won’t kill off the ALeague.
So a 2nd and 3rd division that doesn't promote to the 1st division?

Going to be tough to fund financially if it's 2nd and 3rd tier football with all that travel. Probably why there's never any financial info behind this.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
So a 2nd and 3rd division that doesn't promote to the 1st division?

Going to be tough to fund financially if it's 2nd and 3rd tier football with all that travel. Probably why there's never any financial info behind this.

No the idea is they would promote to the 1st division.

Exactly about the financial side of things. AAFC have talked a good game but shown no figures or stats.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS


Football Federation Australia chief executive James Johnson says it's no longer a case of if but "when and how" an A-League second tier will begin, but reminded aspiring clubs that the ultimate power rests with the governing body.

Johnson's comments came after a collection of NPL clubs from almost every state and territory were unveiled as a 'partner group' that will assist the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) in devising a model for the proposed competition.
The 30 clubs named on Tuesday have raised more than $100,000 in funding that will go towards modelling for a second division called 'The Championship', aimed at one day connecting with the A-League through promotion and relegation.

The Championship's tagline is 'Football as we know it' - a dig at the A-League's inaugural marketing slogan, 'It's football, but not as you know it'.

Among the NPL clubs to have contributed to the fund are more than a dozen former National Soccer League teams including Sydney Olympic, Sydney United 58, APIA Leichhardt, South Melbourne and Melbourne Knights, as well as FFA Cup specialists Bentleigh Greens and the reborn Gold Coast United. The only region of Australia not represented is the Northern Territory.


AAFC and the 'partner group' intends on finalising a blueprint for a second tier that will then be submitted for "for ultimate FFA Board approval" - a presumptive turn of phrase that, according to sources, raised eyebrows within FFA on Tuesday.

"From the FFA’s perspective, it’s not a question of if there will be a second-tier competition, but a question of when and how," Johnson told the Herald.

"It is important that we move the discussion from the conceptual level to a practical level but we do so collaboratively and in unison.

"This would include, for example, the consideration of proposals for a national second-tier competition in the context of our current circumstances, the strategic objectives of the XI Principles and practical financial modelling at both competition administrator, and club level.

"We encourage the AAFC to work collaboratively with FFA who, ultimately, will need to sanction any such competition and its composition."

Back in March, FFA chief executive James Johnson declared the federation was ready to "test the market" to gauge the interest levels and financial capacity of clubs keen to play in a second tier.

But once the COVID-19 pandemic halted the progress of those plans, AAFC took matters into its own hands and informed the federation it would begin consulting clubs and continue modelling itself.

"We're progressing what we were going to do. We'll do our bit and hopefully we will be presenting an irresistible case. That's the aim of the game," AAFC chairman Nick Galatas said.

"We're working under the umbrella of FFA, we want to give them something that is tangible and considered so they say 'OK, this what these clubs can do, this is the research they've done'. The clubs are putting their money where their mouth is."

While the 30 clubs would be regarded as obvious aspirants to play in a second division, Galatas said being included in the partner group did not amount to any sort of advantage or guarantee that they would be involved when it was up and running, with the composition of the league also likely to be at FFA's discretion.

The partner group will meet for the first time on Thursday night and is likely to grow in number, Galatas said, with the knowledge base and financial capabilities of the clubs to inform AAFC's modelling.

AAFC is aiming for a second division to commence in 2022, with A-League promotion and relegation to be introduced at a later date, but Galatas admitted circumstances around the pandemic may mean that is too ambitious a target.

Johnson said AAFC's working title of 'The Championship' for the league was a "secondary aspect of the strategy which also requires further consideration and alignment with FFA’s overall brand strategy and ultimate competition structures."

The developments come during a critical period for the A-League, which itself does not have a start date locked in for next season or broadcast deal secured beyond mid-2021, while clubs and Professional Footballers Australia are in the middle of a pay dispute regarding a new collective bargaining agreement.

The PFA, though a league-wide vote on Tuesday, officially rejected a proposal from A-League clubs which the union said would "provide clubs with the ability to unilaterally impose salary reductions on players, with the players’ only recourse to reject such a reduction being to terminate their employment."

It is likely to lead to players being stood down at several A-League clubs and will amost certainly trigger FFA intervention, as flagged over the weekend by Johnson if the two parties were unable to reach an agreement over a new CBA.
 

Munga

Brownlow Medallist
Jul 2, 2003
12,631
20,270
AFL Club
St Kilda
The Championship's tagline is 'Football as we know it' - a dig at the A-League's inaugural marketing slogan

I see that and immediately think "what a bunch of w***ers". Hopefully that's not a sign of their (un)professionalism.

I'd love to see all clubs having access to the A-League. Whether or not the supporter/financial base is there at those clubs for sustained success... Sponsors and TV rights, that's what keeps it all alive, will people keep tuning in to see the smaller clubs getting belted because their players can't get near it? Some complained when more clubs were introduced to the A-League as it "diluted the local talent pool". Will smaller clubs have the dollars to sign quality players and play attractive winning football? I can only hope so.

What won't be accepted in the A-League are the clubs tied to ethnic lines. Proven failure, archaic club culture that assisted killing the old league. Clubs in the top tiers should be available for all to follow. That, and it's just a damn ugly look on TV, people roll their eyes and say "here we go again". TV is paying the bills! There's been a concerted effort to keep those clubs out of the A-League even though they are some of the biggest outside of it.

I hope a second tier takes off. The travel costs would be nuts!
 
Dec 22, 2009
62,366
36,502
South End, AAMI Park
AFL Club
Hawthorn
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Matildas/Socceroos/LFC/MVFC/RCStrasbourg
Firstly, this has to be given the go ahead by the FFA for it to be legit. Secondly, this is a good idea in theory. Right now isn't the time to be launching it with COVID hitting all sports financially hard.


This needs to be be a long term plan with the end goal being 12 clubs in the A League and 12 clubs in the "Championship" with 2 clubs up/down each season. Unless we get mining magnates on board this isn't happening fully for probably 20 years or so.
 
Dec 22, 2009
62,366
36,502
South End, AAMI Park
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Matildas/Socceroos/LFC/MVFC/RCStrasbourg
Because the A league is utter sh*te.... its an epl copy, anglo only copy... no culture.
Its reverse racism.

As someone who followed both competitions it really isn't. The NSL was never better with its political infighting, clubs that mostly only wanted to appeal to their local ethnic communities. The A League is inclusive for everyone, having experienced crowds at both I can say A League crowds were far more diverse and multicultural. This statement is just wrong in so many ways.
 
The A-League was formed to get away from all the ethnic clubs

fixed this outrageous statement for you, how can people even think like that? read too many newspapers or something

is "racist ethnic clubs" an oxymoron?
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS
fixed this outrageous statement for you, how can people even think like that? read too many newspapers or something

is "racist ethnic clubs" an oxymoron?

Considering some of the battles between fans of certain sides no it isn’t.

A-League clubs were based off location not race.

Although I’m all for pro relegation and to mix it up.
 
Apr 12, 2012
45,988
41,667
AFL Club
GWS

An "affordable and feasible" national second tier that sits below the Australian A-League could be up and running as soon as 2022, a report commissioned by a group of aspiring clubs has found.
 

megadeth86

Team Captain
Jul 15, 2020
393
285
AFL Club
Carlton
The A-League was formed to get away from all the racist ethnic clubs - why would they want to give them a platform again?

Because all clubs deserve a chance to get into the top league, just like in 98% of countries in the world. And I say that as a proud Melbourne Knights fan.
 

megadeth86

Team Captain
Jul 15, 2020
393
285
AFL Club
Carlton
Considering some of the battles between fans of certain sides no it isn’t.

A-League clubs were based off location not race.

Although I’m all for pro relegation and to mix it up.

No, they weren't. Brisbane Roar is Hollandia Inala Soccer Club. It's only the Eastern and Southern European clubs which got banned.
 
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