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Comment on The great debate: Is football now Australia’s national sport?

In women’s rankings we actually do quite well, we’re 10th ahead of nations with a rich footballing culture such as Portugal, Italy, Belgium and Argentina. That’s why we’re talking about it. Our women can make the semi finals as we’ve shown here, our men have no chance.

Another thing is that this is the closest we’re getting to a world cup in Australia. That’s why the support is where it is now. Would the support be the same if it’s held in Europe or South America? I think half the people won’t wake up at whatever o’clock it is to watch the games.

Yes we have interest in football, after all it’s the most popular sport by far in the world. The Europeans and the South Americans can play well, so why can’t we? I think the answer is as simple as the tyranny of distance.

It’s way harder for players based here with family here to be able to go to a good academy because it’s half a world apart. The best coaches, the best facilities aren’t in Australia. We can’t get any of the European teams to come and play any consistent games here because it’s just too far besides the token pre season friendly if we’re lucky.

Yes a struggling league isn’t due to a lack of interest in football you’re right. There is interest. I would call it untapped potential. Yes it’s got the highest participation rate but somehow there’s a missing link to turn the participation rate to form a quality league (I wouldn’t say quality players because we do get them as I mentioned but they all just leave).

The A league has a player retention problem. And here’s the problem - two players get offers one from an A-league team and one from I would even say EFL championship team, where will the player go most of the time? It’s brain drain.

Like I said we need more than a world cup every 4 years, we need quality teams that people can go watch after work. That’s why the AFL and NRL is so popular. These players are around, the clubs are down the road. The stadium is down the road.

Back to the women’s football, only courtnee vine and clare hunt play in Australia. This is similar for mens. Otherwise we’ll have this conversation every 4 years where football falls off the radar for the general population.

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Ilandar@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

The A league has a player retention problem. And here’s the problem - two players get offers one from an A-league team and one from I would even say EFL championship team, where will the player go most of the time? It’s brain drain.

I wouldn’t necessarily say this is always true - look at players like Goodwin, for example, who starred at the 2022 World Cup whilst captaining Adelaide United. You’re right that better players will generally look to move overseas, but I don’t consider this a problem as long as there are exciting young players to replace them (which is what we’ve been seeing more of in the A-League recently). As I said earlier, it is the norm in most countries around the world for the best players to seek opportunities outside of their domestic league. Players in nations like England are an anomaly in that sense.

Like I said we need more than a world cup every 4 years, we need quality teams that people can go watch after work. That’s why the AFL and NRL is so popular. These players are around, the clubs are down the road. The stadium is down the road.

I don’t understand your point here. You can watch the A-League after work too. The clubs are part of their respective communities and “down the road” as you say. If your argument is simply that they are not good enough, I disagree. The standard is constantly improving and more than good enough to enjoy as a spectator. There is a stigma that surrounds local football, which is why we refer to these people as eurosnobs, but it’s completely unwarranted. Local football is entertaining and filled with talented players.

Back to the women’s football, only courtnee vine and clare hunt play in Australia.

Not entirely accurate. We are in the off-season for the A-League, so if you look back to the most recent season you’ll see that several other Matildas were playing here.

This is similar for mens.

Again, not entirely accurate. Quite a few A-League players have represented the Socceroos recently.

Both national teams are also full of players who began in the A-League, and for many of them it wasn’t a sudden rapid increase in their ability that got them a move overseas. Tilio isn’t suddenly a significantly better player because he was signed by Celtic, for example. He has been great in the A-League for several years and local fans have been treated to that. If Bayern Munich eventually sign Irankunda, as has been rumoured, he won’t magically become too good for the A-League overnight. It’s a steady progression, which those who give local football a chance enjoy year after year.

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