A-League First Month Review 2016-2017

A-League

A-League First Month Review 2016-2017

Paul Williams

It's hard to believe a month of the A-League season has already disappeared. So much has already happened - Timmy's goal, the explosive derbies in Sydney and Melbourne and the walk out of Melbourne Victory's active supporters.

As the season gets into its groove we take a look at some of the talking points from the opening month.

Is City the real deal?

After two relatively mediocre and unsuccessful seasons as Melbourne City, it was time for the CFG-owned club to really stamp its authority on the competition and take the challenge to Melbourne Victory in the Victorian capital. Two derby wins in the space of 10 days, including the 4-1 hammering of Victory in Round 2 means there may just be a new top dog in town.

For the first time in their existence, either as Melbourne Heart initially or Melbourne City most recently, it finally feels like City are ready to take it to Victory. While they have always been able to win derby matches, they were always quite clearly the little brothers in town. And while Victory will continue to have the biggest fan base for quite some time, after the two derby wins to start the season, it feels like there has been a seismic shift in the Melbourne landscape. Time will tell if this is temporary, or whether we're seeing the beginnings of City's dominance.

Can Sydney FC maintain the rage?

If there is one team that is challenging City as the best team this season it is Sydney FC. Undefeated in the first four matches, without conceding a goal, Graham Arnold's team couldn't have asked for a better start. But can they keep it going? They started brightly last season before fading to miss the finals completely. Unquestionably, however, Sydney has a stronger and deeper squad than last season. The acquisitions of Bobo, Wilkinson, Brillante and Zullo have been a masterstroke and all have excelled in the first month of the season.

The key is maintaining this consistency for an entire season. That's the true test of a champion team and Sydney FC need to show they're capable of doing that before the doubters start believing.

Where are the Wanderers fans?

Having been temporarily relocated so a brand new stadium can be built at Parramatta, the question has to be asked - where are the fans? After attracting an A-League record 61,000 to the opening match against Sydney the fans have been MIA. Just over 13,000 and 12,000 attended the matches against Newcastle and Central Coast respectively. To be perfectly frank, that's not good enough for a club that likes to think of itself as one of, if not the biggest in Australia. Parramatta Stadium is being expanded to 35,000 largely on the back of the Wanderers success, but where are those fans who came out in numbers in Round 1? Do they not like Spotless Stadium? Are they more casual? Where are the 6000 members that aren't turning up?

Conversely, Brisbane Roar, a club who is often criticised for its poor crowds has started the season well with close to 16,000 in Round 1 and 13,500 last weekend. A crowd of close to 20,000 is predicted against Melbourne City.

The comparison between Western Sydney and Brisbane is all about perception. Because Brisbane plays in a 55,000-seat stadium, their crowds often look worse than they actually are. It shows how important boutique stadiums are. Western Sydney played at the 20,000-seat Parramatta Stadium, so crowds of 16,000 made the stadium look full. When Brisbane get 16,000 it looks empty.

Where to next?

Expansion is the buzzword at the moment. Suddenly everyone is talking about expansion. Even, at long last, FFA themselves. The competition badly needs an injection of fresh blood, something new to take us away from the sometimes monotonous nature of the home and away season, in which every team plays each other three times.

The first step is going from 10 to 12 teams. Head of the A-League Greg O'Rourke flagged a desire to reach 16 teams within the next decade. Finally some ambition.

But where?

Tasmania has emerged as a fascinating option, with two former Melbourne Victory directors, with very deep pockets, said to be behind the bid to take professional football to the Apple Isle. But will it suit FFA, who have been very clear in their demand for bids to meet certain football and commercial criteria? It appears almost certain South Sydney will be one of the teams that enters the fray, with FFA last year flirting with the idea of bringing them in for this season at the expense of Wellington Phoenix.

Wollongong, Canberra, Townsville, Southeast Queensland and Geelong are all options on the table. That shows a desire is there. FFA just need to make sure they get it right. After the failures in Townsville and the Gold Coast, the A-League can ill-afford another failed expansion.

Copyright © Paul Williams and Soccerphile.com


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