ANALYSIS: Can a National Second Division fix Australian football's 'broken' system?
abc.net.au/news/national-second-division-next-step-connecting-correcting-austral/102061990A few weeks ago, after Dwight Yorke's messy exit as head coach of A-League Men club Macarthur FC, the Manchester United legend gave an interview that has reignited conversations around why professional football in Australia has stagnated over the last decade."There is so much talent in Australia, but it's being killed by the system.
"Then you've got a salary cap and a safe haven where the owners of the 12 teams all come to agreement. Ante Milicic and Tony Popovic , who went on to manage A-League teams, both played for Sydney United in the National Soccer League. The A-Leagues are also "closed leagues," meaning there is no promotion or relegation built into its structure. As a result, there are fewer incentives for clubs to make the kinds of strategic and financial decisions that those in "open" leagues would do. There is no risk in failing, because there is nowhere to fall once you do.
"The reality is we've got to keep taking steps forward, and in terms of the evolution of club football in Australia, the next step after the A-League and the reorganisation of the NPLs is a second tier."The NSD will be a fully professional, home-and-away competition that sits in between the state-based National Premier Leagues and the national A-Leagues.
After several months of financial modelling, FA has established a clear threshold — "to the dollar" — clubs must meet if they are to be considered for the next stage of applications. It will be more expensive than the current NPL, but cheaper than the ALM.
One of the primary functions of the NSD is to create more opportunities for emerging Australian footballers who, multiple studies have found, do not play enough competitive match minutes across various age ranges.
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