Australian Football Stuff - not worthy of a thread

[Stuartmcateer]

Watch for a whole lot of intern positions being advertised to do the work.

 

[Insertnamehere]

APL are scrapping keepup... Guess that paper bag is long gone.

 

[midfielder]

Article in Courier Fail by Monteverde apparently APL are cooked and sacking everyone.

From News​

https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/apl-to-consolidate-operations-as-financial-problems-lead-to-redundancies/news-story/12c3d6564c51dbfe405f9d64d95303c0

APL to ‘consolidate’ operations as financial problems lead to redundancies​

Horror crowds across the A-League’s Unite Round in Sydney compounded financial issues which have prompted huge job cuts to streamline operations.

The A-League is in financial turmoil, with the Australian Professional Leagues undergoing an “organisational restructure” that has led to mass redundancies on the back of horror crowds at last weekend’s Unite Round in Sydney.
The APL, which has run the A-League men’s and women’s competitions for the past three years, has confirmed staff cuts in an attempt to “consolidate” the business with suggestions as much as 75 per cent of staff had been made redundant on Tuesday.

In a statement without attribution to A-League commissioner Nick Garcia, the APL stated a need to “create efficiencies through consolidation” as poor crowds continue to be a problem for the men’s and women’s competitions.

“In the three years since unbundling (with Football Australia), APL has implemented a strategy that has seen a period of rapid growth across our business,” an APL statement said.

“With the original three-year strategy coming to an end, a planned full strategic and commercial review has taken place over the last several months.

“The review has identified significant opportunities to create efficiencies through consolidation and this necessitates an organisational restructure that is now underway.

“APL’s priorities remain the same – to deliver commercial growth and sustainability by creating the most exciting competitions possible for our fans – with strong teams producing great young players across Australia and New Zealand.”

Last weekend’s “Unite Round” – in which all 12 A-League men’s and women’s matches were played in Sydney – attracting a cumulative attendance of less than 48,000 people.

Despite the popularity of the Matildas after their stunning run to the World Cup semi-finals, only one of six A-League women’s matches last weekend attracted more than 2000 people. The total attendance for those games was just over 11,000.

However, A-League commissioner Nick Garcia was confident of a stronger “United Round” next year.

“This is just the start of a unique tradition in our game,” Garcia said.

“We’ve already begun planning for Unite Round next season, and will take on feedback from fans, clubs, players and partners, as we look to build on this success in years to come.”

There have serious been questions raised about its broadcast deal with Paramount/10, with sagging ratings set to put pressure on that continuing.

There was also significant fan backlash over the decision to sell the grand final to the New South Wales government (taking hosting rights away from the top placed team) , a decision which was reversed after just one year.

The APL has also been forced to fund the struggling Perth Glory, with the Newcastle Jets have required the financial assistance of other club owners to remain afloat.

The men’s league is supposed to expand next season with the addition of a second New Zealand team and a new Canberra based club.

 

[turbo]

Give it back to FA. They were inept but mostly harmless.

They oversaw the falling attendances, neglected expansion then gave us WU and Macarthur and signed off on the Foxtel deal including clauses or lack of clauses that allowed them to use covid to bin the deal early. Inept but mostly harmless is very generous

 

[midfielder]

Would it not be funny if APL wanted to go back under FA, given FA's expected new broadcast deal.

 

[turbo]

Fox sports on to this story quickly. How surprising

 

[turbo]

Another summary by Rugari: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer...eague-financial-concerns-20240116-p5exm5.html

Still a major shake up and lots of job losses but its a little less sensational than what Gatt said on twitter. I dont have much faith in the APL but if we're being pragmatic we can't complain about Keep up being a waste of cash and then also be shocked if they pull the plug and that will mean job losses. Hopefully we look back at this as a turning point between DT getting a quiet nudge to ride off into the sunset, operations reviewed and the competition expanded.

 

[Insertnamehere]

They oversaw the falling attendances, neglected expansion then gave us WU and Macarthur and signed off on the Foxtel deal including clauses or lack of clauses that allowed them to use covid to bin the deal early. Inept but mostly harmless is very generous

All true. However JJ to me has shown himself to be a truly excellent administrator.

Its a vexed issue. CFG in charge at APL HQ now. P+ deal likely to end at the 3 year mark. There'll need to be some swift decisive decisions made for the games future.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Sweeping up the DT disaster by the sound of it.
Spunked cash on a vanity project and someone else has to fix it.
Looks like he was pushed and after Christmas block out period the axe falls.
Fairly standard corporate behaviour

 

[LG__]

Keep Up being scrapped already after costing $30-40 million?

Seriously up there as one of the worst howlers of all time, what’s it gonna take for the game to stop shooting itself in the foot?

 

[Stuartmcateer]

what’s it gonna take for the game to stop shooting itself in the foot?

Won’t happen in my lifetime.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Keep Up being scrapped already after costing $30-40 million?

Seriously up there as one of the worst howlers of all time, what’s it gonna take for the game to stop shooting itself in the foot?

Outsource it to someone else. They can't even manage a draw that is home followed by away like every other league down to under 6's
A sheltered workshop is better than the cluster f**k Danny oversaw.

Sweep the decks clean and go again without all the rugby types with media degrees trying to play at business with keepup.

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

FA can't run the game.

APL is a failed experiment.

Honestly, it's a minor miracle we still have the A-league....

It's a shame to loose keep-up. It was an attempt to deal with the lack of media interest.

 

[Big Al]

I deleted keepup after 2 weeks it was atrocious

 

[Stuartmcateer]

It's a shame to loose keep-up. It was an attempt to deal with the lack of media interest.

Making your own platform doesn’t really solve the problem of lack of media interest.

 

[Insertnamehere]

FA can't run the game.

APL is a failed experiment.

Honestly, it's a minor miracle we still have the A-league....

It's a shame to loose keep-up. It was an attempt to deal with the lack of media interest.

In fairness, FA have gone nicely under JJ.

 

[FFC Mariner]

FA can't run the game.

APL is a failed experiment.

Honestly, it's a minor miracle we still have the A-league....

It's a shame to loose keep-up. It was an attempt to deal with the lack of media interest.

I got it. Realised it just repeated everyone else's content and deleted it.
Are you Fotmob? No? Delete
Club news I can get on FB or X

 

[Insertnamehere]

Shaun Evans doing Shaun Evans things at the Asia Cup last night.

 

[Omni]

Shaun Evans doing Shaun Evans things at the Asia Cup last night.

I was on my lunch break watching this shambles. It was incredible

 

[Insertnamehere]

I was on my lunch break watching this shambles. It was incredible

I shouldn't be surprised and it was more so the VAR fault on the offside but it was Shaun fkn Evans involved of all people.