FFA plans for the future

[EdDog]

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news/260652,a ... itter.aspx

Increased subs bench and the possibility of an extended season is what caught my attention. Roll on HAL.

[sevengoals]

Increased bench is a must.
Cup competition is very important for bringing all Australian football together.

As long as we go forward.

[ZANZIBAR]

if we get a cup comp will we make it first past the post of season for premiership? or keep finals series aswell?

[sevengoals]

^
I doubt they will change the finals system.

It's as Aussie as the meat pie.

[shinAUFC]

if it wasnt for the finals system this season would be dead and buried for most clubs and an absolute yawn fest.

With a cup competition and extra players on the bench, guys like melling, barker-daish, Mabil etc would get considerably more game time and most likely develop much faster. Think about it a few years ago, what if we never suffered from injuries and was forced to give leckie a run? What if playing Nabbout was to much of a risk.

How many potentials are sitting back having not got their chance and are thinking they may be better off chasing a trade then to play football.

It also gives guys who are out of favour a chance to prove themselves and put pressure on the starting 11 .

Absolute freaking must!!

[Old Gregg]

^
I doubt they will change the finals system.

It's as Aussie as the meat pie.

Yeah. It's part of the football culture here, trying to force a change doesn't make sense.
However, with a Cup competition as well, I would hope they alter the format of the A-League finals a bit. Top 4 or top 5 at most.

[Interloper]

A Top 5 finals series like the SANFL uses is the best system for a 10 team competition if you aren't going to play 2-leg rounds. It's what was (and still is in some cases) used by most sporting competitions in Australia of similar size.

A cup would be awesome but I don't trust the FFA not to turn it into a "pre-season cup" which everyone knows is the greatest abomination known to man.

[ZANZIBAR]

i'm excited by the FFA cup idea, but does anyone know the general idea, is it still to involve state league teams? i want a knockout not a group phase and then knockout.

[EdDog]

I can't see it being anything other than a preseason cup to begin with unfortunately. Whether its able to grow organically into something more, I have no idea, but I'm definitely hoping. If they give it decent prize money for winning and a third ACL spot then it will be interesting (obviously we first need to manage to get a third spot after going down to 1.5 earlier this year).

As for the format, I think it was supposed to have state league teams and I can't see how they could run a decent cup without them. With only 10 teams, a knockout comp would only last a few rounds and would be uneven with 5 teams left after the first round.

[sevengoals]

Ideally the national cup of Australia, would include all state league teams.

It would run alongside/during the national competition. (State leagues are winter leagues I think,therefore problem.)

It would be knock out, otherwise you have the "rich" clubs dominating the group stages like in the champions league.

[Stuckey]

Once all the state sides are under FFA control with the new APLs being rolled out in every state I think we'll start to see some growth of the FFA cup. As all said the extra bench spots are critical IMO. I wouldn't mind but its not 100% needed a rule for the extra bench spot to be only a player under 23 or so. Also I hope FFA look at changes to roster rules so clubs who develop talent in the NYL are able to hold onto the kids they spend so much time and money on past the season they are currently in.