The dream of a national second division running parallel with the A-League is inching closer to reality after a new round of financial modelling was unanimously endorsed by a meeting of clubs.
The Australian Association of Football Clubs is now pushing ahead with a plan to launch the competition – tentatively named ‘‘The Championship’’ – by 2020 or even sooner if possible.
Second division on horizon: Archie Fraser fronted what he said was a hugely constructive briefing of the AAFC.Credit:Marissa Calligeros
Exactly 12 months to the day since the AAFC launched their initial blueprint for a second-tier league, more than 20 clubs from around the country gathered in Melbourne yesterday to be looped in on the latest developments and provide their own feedback.
Former A-League chief Archie Fraser, who was appointed earlier this month by the AAFC to spearhead the plans, fronted what he said was a hugely constructive briefing.
‘‘We’ve got a lot of work to do after today,’’ Fraser said. ‘‘But generally in the room there was a strong commitment to move this forward as fast as we can, but make sure we do it right.’’
The AAFC would not provide any specific details regarding proposed club budgets or operating costs for the league. But broad agreement was reached on a number of issues, including that it should be staged in summer.
Criteria for entry has not yet been defined, but Fraser believed a 16-team competition was a realistic goal. While it’s widely accepted in the soccer community that a second division is needed to create more opportunities for young Australian players, the clubs at the meeting largely rejected the notion of requiring each squad to have a certain number of players under a given age.
‘‘The room was telling us very much that it’s not a feeder competition, or a development competition,’’ Fraser said. ‘‘It’s about delivering the best product that we can at that level. If you’re 16 and you’re good enough, you get a game.’’
Fraser was confident the AAFC would eventually reach agreement with Professional Footballers Australia over wages. The PFA believes any national second division should be fully professional, but few NPL clubs have the capacity to pay full-time salaries.
‘‘The minimum wage, we’re going to have to work with the PFA on what that looks like but I think everyone here wants to expand football … I think we can work through that,’’ Fraser said.
Potential broadcasting options were also discussed, although Fraser said the AAFC is yet to speak to any networks about television rights. A digital subscription model, in which the AAFC could sell online access to games directly to the consumer, is a possibility.
‘‘There has to be some sort of broadcast deal for any sport to succeed and prosper, and I would think we could deliver good enough content to contribute towards the running of the league substantially,’’ Fraser said.
The AAFC intends for their plans to tie in with the ‘‘new leagues working group’’ which has been formed to create a new model for an independent A-League. That group will also examine how
Australian football could move towards a model of promotion and relegation, FFA chief David Gallop said last week.
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