As we enter the final round of A-League’s 11th season, the debate of how to make the action as exciting as possible is ignited once again.
Traditionalists would have every game played at the same time for the final round of the season. For both financial and competitive reasons, the finals series is not going anywhere, but the round 27 debate is certainly worth having. Sure, Damien De Bohun wants to keep the staggered start times as it is the Australian way, but him suggesting what to do next year is like having a substitute teacher at school telling you what they want to happen tomorrow, when everyone knows they will not be in the classroom then.
For the A-League the key is producing a product that resonates with the Australian audience, while still representing the global nature of football. So why not compromise, we crown our champion through the uniquely Australian (and kind of American) finals series which has produced some of the signature moments for the competition thus far. When crowning a Premier then, is it really so outrageous to consider the European league model of simultaneous kickoffs? Some years it may turn out to be a dud, as is the case with a grand final by the way, but other times it could help advertise the sport to an undecided audience. After all (and this is not a shot across the bow) one will likely never see the NRL, AFL or Super Rugby doing something like this.
Take this year for example, four teams across three games are in contention for the Premier’s Plate. It would be a great spectacle to have these games kicking-off simultaneously and fans getting to see the race unfold over 90 minutes, rather than 48 hours between Friday night and Sunday evening. That being said though, there are a few issues that would need to be resolved to make this a realistic option in Australia.
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First things first, the FFA would need to find a time to play all the games. Assuming the schedule from this year stays in place with the regular season ending on the second weekend of April (there is probably another argument to be made about establishing schedule regularity but we can save that for later), a bit of forward planning can solve that issue. Before releasing the schedule, the FFA needs to commit to a time at the start of the year.
Friday night games would be optimal as it gives the teams in the final the maximum amount of recovery time and there is already an established free to air broadcast window with the game on SBS. Unfortunately, with teams playing Champions League fixtures midweek this just is not an option. Melbourne Victory would face a FIFA manager mode style turnaround of two days, including a flight back from China before playing a potentially pivotal role in the Premiership race in their game against Brisbane. Plus there is no doubt Graham Arnold would find something unfair about his side also playing in the Champions League.
Saturday afternoon or night would make the most sense for the games, however, the other football codes may not want to concede centre stage for a time like this. Add into that the fact that local club seasons around the country are in their early stages, there is a chance of a crowd drain due to fixture overlap.
The final option would be to have the games kicking off in the late afternoon or early evening on Sunday. It fits in with the grand final beginning at 4pm Sunday and establishing that point of the weekend being when a champion is crowned. Any earlier would not work, as games in Perth would be starting at midday so it may be worth considering starting the games as late as 6pm on the east coast and allowing for an 8pm start in Wellington. Perhaps the only issues that may come up are for the teams that share a ground with the other codes. The last thing you want is a torn up pitch at Suncorp Stadium having seen the Broncos play on Friday night and the Reds on Saturday. A similar principle applies in Melbourne, Sydney and even Perth, yet some negotiating by the new A-League boss would hopefully cover the bases there and make sure that these pitches are not experiencing too much wear and tear.
From a TV perspective we have seen coverage of simultaneous kickoffs work in the FFA Cup, when Fox would have one feature match and single camera highlights from suburban grounds around the country. It should go without saying but hopefully they would have the facilities to provide slightly more than one camera angle for these games. If resources for them are an issue then they can do what NFL broadcasters do and send fewer cameras to the meaningless games, Central Coast against Newcastle this year being the relevant example.
As is the case every weekend, Fox Sports would have rights to show all five games with one being simulcast on SBS. But with each game taking place at the same time, there needs to be channels available to show the action. With five channels on offer plus the option of Fox Sports News, there would be space for at least three games to get on the TV. It is unlikely they would give up exclusivity over one of the games to SBS so the two other games can be made available through streaming or the red button.
There are four main commentary options across Australia with three on Fox Sports and one on SBS. While they each have their share of positives and negatives to the way they call games, they can each hold their own. Simon Hill and Andy Harper will handle the top game of the weekend with David Basheer calling the SBS simulcast secondary game and surely there would be no dramas with loaning him out for a game and one of SBS’s rotating cast of colour commentators teaming up with him (a personal preference would be for Clint Bolton). From there Mike Cockerill and Brenton Speed can call the other two games with Ned Zelic and Robbie Slater. The fifth and final game, which will only be watched by a handful of fans most likely, might be opened up to a new face such as Richard Bayliss working with Jamie Harnwell. With the regular studio team anchored by Adam Peacock, this has the potential to become a true spectacle that can draw an audience.
Most games will average about 70,000 viewers on Fox Sports, with the bigger games pushing 100,000. To make this work the broadcast as a whole will need to bring in 350,000 to Fox Sports plus another 50,000 to SBS to make it a worthwhile venture for advertising. If big drawcard teams such as West Sydney and the Victory have something to play, for the viewership would spike.
Not every season will play out like this one with so many variables in place for the final round, there is a risk it may turn into a dud if most teams have nothing to play for. Well frankly the only response to that criticism is sometimes things do not work out the way they should. Even the Grand Final sometimes turns out to be a dud, last year being the most recent case of a big event falling flat. Chances are that at least finals seeding will be decided on the final day so there will be a couple of games with some intriguing storylines to follow.
It is on the A-League to make this change, while it is not going to be straightforward, it certainly is possible. There are certain kinks that need to be ironed out over a couple of years of trial and error but it is certainly reasonable to hope that in 12 months we are preparing for a special Sunday evening as the Premiership Race is decided.
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