In the constantly shifting landscape of Australian football, two of the A-League’s most storied clubs find themselves mired in unprecedented struggles. Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory, powerhouses of the competition’s golden era, now languish at the foot of the table, their seasons reduced to avoiding further ignominy. But the ramifications of their decline extend far beyond just this campaign, casting a shadow over the future of the sport in Australia.
From Roarcelona to Record Lows
It wasn’t long ago that Ange Postecoglou’s “Roarcelona” were lighting up the A-League, embarking on a record 36-game unbeaten run and setting a new mark with 10 straight home victories. Their scintillating play ushered in an on-field renaissance for the competition. Perth, for their part, were labeled a “living model” for clubs in the post-NSL era after securing two championships.
Fast forward to the present day, and the two clubs are unrecognizable from their glory years. The Roar are on track to claim the ignominious record for the worst-ever start to an A-League season, while Glory have just snapped a seven-game losing streak at home. Comparisons to the defunct New Zealand Knights, previously a byword for footballing failure in Australia, are no longer far-fetched.
Symptoms of Deeper Issues
For fans of the struggling clubs, the poor results are concerning enough. But they also point to broader systemic challenges facing the A-League and Australian football’s development pathways. Both Roar coach Ruben Zadkovich and Glory boss Richard Garcia have spoken about their current woes being part of a necessary “bottoming out” to facilitate a future rebuild.
However, for supporters who have already witnessed false dawns and unfulfilled promises of renewal under previous regimes, patience is understandably thin. With each new defeat, not only does the pressure ratchet up on the coaches, but the bond between club and fans becomes ever more strained.
A-League Growing Pains
It’s a predicament symptomatic of the A-League’s uneasy position in the Australian sporting landscape. Lacking a promotion and relegation system, clubs like Brisbane and Perth effectively hold a monopoly on professional football in their states, regardless of on-field performance.
The way that the sport has been structured in Australia means that Roar and Glory’s struggles can’t be seen in a vacuum.
This insulation from consequences, while providing stability, can also breed complacency. It’s telling that both Zadkovich and Garcia have highlighted the urgent need to overhaul the clubs’ academy structures and pathways – an acknowledgment that youth development has fallen by the wayside during their teams’ declines.
Grassroots Impact
The ramifications extend beyond just the A-League. As the largest participation sport in the country, football relies on its professional clubs to provide aspirational goals for young players. If the pathways to the top are seen as blocked or dysfunctional, promising talents may be lost to other sports or pursuits.
- Queensland and Western Australia rank 3rd and 4th for participation numbers
- Extended dysfunction affects grassroots access to facilities, coaching, and opportunities
While some elite youngsters will always find a way to the top, the next generation of Socceroos stars like Matt McKay or Adam Taggart could slip through the cracks, their potential untapped. For a national team still striving to establish itself as a consistent force in world football, this is a troubling prospect.
Lessons for the Future
There are no easy answers for Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory as they look to arrest their slides. Wholesale cultural and structural change will take time, even with the best of intentions.
But their current predicaments should serve as a cautionary tale for the rest of the A-League and Australian football as a whole.
Sustained success is not a given, and even the most illustrious of histories provide no protection from the pitfalls of mismanagement, neglect, or simple misfortune. As the Roar and Glory strive to build new foundations, the league must ask itself some hard questions about its own infrastructure and the kind of football future it wants to build towards.
The alternative is to risk more clubs falling into the same tailspin, their declines reverberating from the professional ranks down to the grass roots of the game. For the sake of the next generation of Australian footballers and fans, that’s a fate that must be avoided at all costs.
Fast forward to the present day, and the two clubs are unrecognizable from their glory years. The Roar are on track to claim the ignominious record for the worst-ever start to an A-League season, while Glory have just snapped a seven-game losing streak at home. Comparisons to the defunct New Zealand Knights, previously a byword for footballing failure in Australia, are no longer far-fetched.
Symptoms of Deeper Issues
For fans of the struggling clubs, the poor results are concerning enough. But they also point to broader systemic challenges facing the A-League and Australian football’s development pathways. Both Roar coach Ruben Zadkovich and Glory boss Richard Garcia have spoken about their current woes being part of a necessary “bottoming out” to facilitate a future rebuild.
However, for supporters who have already witnessed false dawns and unfulfilled promises of renewal under previous regimes, patience is understandably thin. With each new defeat, not only does the pressure ratchet up on the coaches, but the bond between club and fans becomes ever more strained.
A-League Growing Pains
It’s a predicament symptomatic of the A-League’s uneasy position in the Australian sporting landscape. Lacking a promotion and relegation system, clubs like Brisbane and Perth effectively hold a monopoly on professional football in their states, regardless of on-field performance.
The way that the sport has been structured in Australia means that Roar and Glory’s struggles can’t be seen in a vacuum.
This insulation from consequences, while providing stability, can also breed complacency. It’s telling that both Zadkovich and Garcia have highlighted the urgent need to overhaul the clubs’ academy structures and pathways – an acknowledgment that youth development has fallen by the wayside during their teams’ declines.
Grassroots Impact
The ramifications extend beyond just the A-League. As the largest participation sport in the country, football relies on its professional clubs to provide aspirational goals for young players. If the pathways to the top are seen as blocked or dysfunctional, promising talents may be lost to other sports or pursuits.
- Queensland and Western Australia rank 3rd and 4th for participation numbers
- Extended dysfunction affects grassroots access to facilities, coaching, and opportunities
While some elite youngsters will always find a way to the top, the next generation of Socceroos stars like Matt McKay or Adam Taggart could slip through the cracks, their potential untapped. For a national team still striving to establish itself as a consistent force in world football, this is a troubling prospect.
Lessons for the Future
There are no easy answers for Brisbane Roar and Perth Glory as they look to arrest their slides. Wholesale cultural and structural change will take time, even with the best of intentions.
But their current predicaments should serve as a cautionary tale for the rest of the A-League and Australian football as a whole.
Sustained success is not a given, and even the most illustrious of histories provide no protection from the pitfalls of mismanagement, neglect, or simple misfortune. As the Roar and Glory strive to build new foundations, the league must ask itself some hard questions about its own infrastructure and the kind of football future it wants to build towards.
The alternative is to risk more clubs falling into the same tailspin, their declines reverberating from the professional ranks down to the grass roots of the game. For the sake of the next generation of Australian footballers and fans, that’s a fate that must be avoided at all costs.
