2013-14 DRAW RELEASED!

NUTS! 

MELBOURNE VICTORY PERSPECTIVE

So, the much anticipated draw for the A-League 2013/2014 season has been released.

While there are always going to be positives and negatives to the draw given there are so many factors, overall as a Melburnian in particular I personally am left with a sense of disappointment.

There was some added excitement to next seasons draw because in season 9 for the first time there will be some Free-To-Air (FTA) exposure on Friday nights on SBS.

The SBS schedule is here

Full schedule is here on FFA’s website

First of all considering the fixture list as a Melbourne (Victory) fan, somewhat paradoxically the fact we have two ‘away’ ‘derbies’ to the Heart franchise (to be played on December 21^st 2013 and March 1^st 2014) is actually a big plus. 

While we will have to put up with Melbourne Victory fans lifting Hearts average attendance up by a few thousand and hence consequently see the end of season statistics misrepresent this as progress. That's without mentioning having to listen to Heart CEO Scott Munn clutching at straws while everyone tries to pretend the Heart franchise isn’t the fourth Buckley era failed franchise that's dead on its feet. This is all made up for though by being able to have the fantastic experience of a full “away” stand of active fans at AAMI Park given the NT and ST are combined for these fixtures.

Another plus is the large stretch of games at AAMI Park during December and then late February-early March, it should be a highly enjoyable stretch as we play Western Sydney at home (‘atmosphere rivalry’), followed by Adelaide at home, then the Heart ‘away’ derby at the same venue and then possibly a home game to Central Coast could be an important top-end of the table clash depending on how everyone’s going form wise.

The big downside is the general fact that the big three away games for the season as far as Melbourne are concerned are all played by round 6. These are the Adelaide away (Round 2), Sydney FC away (round 5) and the Western Sydney away (round 6) matches. 

Firstly, the mistake of putting the Sydney away and Western Sydney away trips within the same month has occurred again. This is problematic as it significantly diminishes the away support able to make both ties. 

This is actually bad for the game from the perspective that the football fraternity has a desire to stimulate large away support followings in such a big country to increase the atmosphere at games.

This is particularly disappointing as a Melbourne fan because, despite travelling in large numbers to Adelaide and Sydney consistently over the years, our away support potential has never had the opportunity to shine. 

Added to that when finally one of the four NSW based teams actually develops a team with fans who finally have a similar ethic and actually make the effort to go travel in numbers to see their team play against an opponent only a couple of hours away, we have to endure the spectacle of the Sydney based football media carrying on and on in some kind of jerk-fest about the great phenomenon when really it was a case of showing how poor the travelling ethic of the existing NSW teams was prior to the introduction of the Wanderers.

I will be a happy man the day we get a geographically distinct Victorian team, if there was a team based in Geelong for example Melbourne fans would have turned up in numbers easily on a par with Western Sydney fans efforts against Central Coast and the Jets.

Personally I had been looking very forward to having just one home game away to Western Sydney at Parramatta Stadium this time, and having Western Sydney fans have the obligation of having two trips but face the option of only choosing one of them. If only to put the excessive jerk fest that occurred in the wake of their away support into some proper perspective, after all, it’s not like they have more than one major interstate rival now is it?

 Melbourne fans away to WSW November 2012

This has happened two seasons in a row now, if I didn’t know any better I would say there is a pattern emerging and that this is even a deliberate move. Why would the FFA want to do this? The mind wonders aloud if it has something to do with a deliberate attempt to lower the numbers of the "big, bad Melbourne fans" travelling to big away games. 

Regardless, it won’t be before it’s time the day the FFA finally develop the courage to stop letting fear of the media hysteria stop them from nurturing some great atmosphere and fan-dynamic at big A-League fixtures. 

That all said though, putting my irritation at the FFA and the discourse of Sydney football media aside for a moment, the Melbourne Victory versus Western Sydney rivalry has the potential to become something quite special. Indeed there is the possibility that it may not only become bigger than the Melbourne versus Sydney FC rivalry (the media-coined “Big Blue”, needless to say that it is hasn’t really been adopted amongst fan circles).

Emphasis on the word ‘potential’ as much depends on whether the FFA like in the past ill-advisedly tries to suffocate it as it did all previous ‘marquee’ rivalries our of fear the media may try to write something negative. There’s a reason the so-called marquee fixtures declined in attendances and it wasn’t because of the bad headlines.

So, I am happy to see Melbourne have two home games against Western Sydney, both at AAMI Park.

In a sign of how the FFA and by extension the club are out of touch with the fans, unlike the Sydney FC game at AAMI Park last year, the club didn’t have the wit to grasp the fact that the fans consider this a big matchup and adjust the ticketing for the Western Sydney game, with the consequences being that there were 4000 empty seats and fans being turned away from the resultant “sellout”. Let's hope this never occurs again.

It is slightly disappointing that the January 26 Australia Day clash has been moved from AAMI Park to Docklands/Etihad Stadium. At least there is an AAMI Park game against Sydney on March 29.

 Melbourne fans away to SFC...also in November 2012...

On a personal note, I’ll actually be in England/Europe during October and most of November, so sadly won’t be able to attend any of the big away fixtures (will be hoping to catch a Toon game or two during that time though). I guess if I have to look at it philosophically it opens the door to make a first trip to a smaller or more obscure opponent, eg Wellington away on January 18^th.

More to follow...