Roar keeper’s A-League fear
POPULAR Brisbane Roar goalkeeper Jamie Young fears for the A-League’s future unless supporters can again make an “emotional attachment” with their clubs.
Young, the A-League fans’ player of the year for the 2019-20 season, is concerned with the state of the competition ahead of December’s start to the new campaign.
He said COVID-19 should not be used as an excuse for the A-League’s current state.
“It’s obvious that the league has been in decline for a number of years previous to COVID,” the veteran gloveman said.
“It’s not just about the football, it’s about the product, it’s about engaging people, it’s about engaging communities, it’s about corporate dollars, sponsorships, it’s about holding people’s attention, through making an emotional attachment and these are the things that can help raise the league’s standard.”
Young, 35, said women’s football and popularity of the
Matildas was an example of the quality of football not being the key to off-field success.
“We’ve seen that in women’s football where they are physically not as capable as men but the product can be just as lucrative,” he said.
“It’s not necessarily about the standard of the game but the whole product itself, and that’s inclusive of the game experience.”
Brisbane-born Young returned from a long English career to join the Roar in 2014.
“Everyone at that time was saying it was a league that was on the up and up with a great style of football being played, crowds were coming to games
– there seemed to be a lot of interest in the game,” he said.
“We see a lot of marketing in the AFL and the NRL, and we want to see that in the ALeague as well.
“It’s all there to be done but the people who drive those avenues need to execute.”
His comments came as players union Professional Footballers Australia released its annual A-League report.
Findings include that Australian players under 21 enjoyed a 66 per cent increase in match minutes after the ALeague’s restart in July following the competition’s COVID19 enforced suspension.
Emerging players are set to again be showcased this season due to a salary cap cut by $1.5 million to $2.1 million which has contributed to a host of experienced players leaving.
“We’ve seen players leave the league and we’ll probably see other players having to fill their spots so that will give opportunities,” Young said.
“It’ll be interesting to see what impact that has in four or five years time. That might ne the silver lining.”