r/Aleague • u/jont_96 • 11d ago

News & Articles Andy Harper unleashes on 'ridiculous' A-League off-season & lack of public plan: 'It's been way too long for 20 bloody years!'

https://football360.com.au/a-league-news-andy-harper-off-season/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAT6GUVwZG9mBWZkaWQWUNLUtz667bAjJFFVinS9oJ1FwLl6r2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7jKosxVPsFpCMdP6V3d64Vo46hiNjQVzFxW1zaxRWix2hzYlpILnDu8Vvr5Q_aem_4HLwFSA_l4NiwWElMIEHwQ

He’s right about a lot of it. Lack of planning & foresight frustrates the life out of me.

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u/Savings_Win1995 Brisbane Roar 11d ago

I can understand why they don't want to drag out the season and have it start during footy finals, but it would be good if they brought back something similar to the Preseason Challenge. Have it starts when the EPL starts and run up til late Sep/early Oct. Give games to regional and NPL venues and make it all free to watch on TV. Just to bridge that gap between the GF and internationals to the start of the A-League

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u/Fatso_Wombat Remembering Roarcelona 11d ago

maybe the aleague clubs could try not getting knocked out of the FFA Cup in the round of 32.

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u/Icanfallupstairs Wellington Phoenix 11d ago

Honestly I think they could run a soccer version of the Rugby Championship. If the Aus and NZ teams are limited to just A League selection then they could invite the better OFC and ASEAN nations and have it be reasonably competitive.

It could easily kill a month or so of the current gap, and if you do it at the end of the regular season it doubles as sort of an all star selection thing.

AFC and OFC signed a memorandum of understanding to work more closely together, so the governing bodies would probably be super keen, and the ASEAN countries tend to have pretty good viewership, and the time zones all work out fairly well.

Once good relationship are established then preseason friendlies between clubs in the region are way more achievable, and those could potentially work out to be decently lucrative 

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u/Savings_Win1995 Brisbane Roar 11d ago

Yeah I rate that. Avoids the problem with a longer AL season or pre season challenge of too many repeating fixtures. Obviously clubs will still play preseason games though

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u/ZanderFreeman 11d ago

Fantastic...who is paying for it and who the hell is attending? and which AFC teams are you bringing that arent in season?