A-League: The big kick-off

The Australian league is back. Football, or ‘soccer’ is more popular than ever Down Under. The fantastic display at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on home soil coupled with the incredible start to Premier League life by Melbourne’s favourite son Ange Postecoglou has revitalised interest in a traditionally unpopular sport. So, what to expect from the top tier of the Aussie league? In the land of cricket, AFL and surfing, let’s look at some real football instead …

There is a hunt on for the next big star of the Australian league. The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) have a pot of money set aside to lure big names to Australia in a bid to replicate the effect Italian star Del Piero had when he played for Sydney FC from 2012 to 2014. In the time since the APL assumed control of the ALM from Football Australia in 2021, the top-draw signings have flopped rather than flourished. The emergence of the Saudi league as a major force has further complicated matters. Australian soccer has always struggled to lure talent from Europe’s finest leagues and lacks the ‘wow’ factor the MLS can offer on the other side of the world. The MLS attracts larger names due to a longer relationship with their less favourite form of football, dating back to the NASL in the 1970’s. Australian soccer still has a way to walk to match the drama of other leagues.

Spending power pales into significance when compared to the big dollar on offer in the Middle East, where superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, N'Golo Kante and Jordan Henderson have rocked up. Australian clubs have reacted and their international recruits reflect their standing in the global transfer market, signing players with potential rather than those in search of a holiday or an opportunity to be in the limelight as their careers culminate. Meanwhile, producing the next Tim Cahill is always difficult as funding diverts to other sports. The country doubling up as a continent further complicates proceedings. The MLS initially struggled to engage every part of the nation, with the New York Cosmos famously having great success in the late 70’s, but the LA Galaxy being irrelevant until the late 00’s as West caught up with East.

A-League commissioner Nick Garcia said in an interview the league now viewed itself as a "development " with the pursuit of "hit" marquees signings becoming less feasible. Cristiano Ronaldo said he was approached to play football in Australia after his exit from Manchester United, but ultimately joined Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia instead as a recent example. It’ll be a while, probably decades, until the Australian teams can afford a $200,000,000 a year contract like that of CR7. However, the promise is there. Good things take time and there is a belief Down Under that the game is growing in terms of quality and popularity, especially for young girls as well as boys. Grassroots still needs investing in, and the league must be restructured. Time will tell if the effects of the Matildas and ‘Big Ange’ will make a notable difference. It’s certainly an interesting subplot to follow outside of European football and her predictable big money dealings.