A vision of Australian football with 15 million participants, 3,000 elite players and "hosting the women's World Cup was launched on Tuesday, as the game's leaders laid out a 20-year plan for the sport," according to Tom Smithies of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. A redirection of resources toward the grassroots "is key to it, with an aim to make the game 'top-down funded' and commercial revenues used to widen the base of its pyramid." The "unashamedly ambitious blueprint came without costings," with Football Federation Australia bosses adamant that they "had to articulate the vision first, and then lay out a strategy to pay for it." The first four-year segment of that will come later this year, "with an improved TV deal likely to be at the centre of it." It was claimed that the so-called Whole of Football Plan "followed consultation and polling of more than 20,000 supporters of the game, as well as major commercial partners" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 5/5). REUTERS' Ian Ransom reported Australia will bid for the women's World Cup in '23 as part of a "20-year vision." FFA CEO David Gallop said that football's "best years were ahead" in the
country, where indigenous Australian Rules football and rugby league
"still rule the roost in terms of crowds and broadcast dollars." Gallop said in a statement, "We know that growth will inevitably bring greater
revenues and new incomes streams, enough to fund the future." The World Cup bid would help drive "women's participation and professionalism" (REUTERS, 5/5). In Melbourne, Peter Rolfe reported FFA has set the goal of the A-League "becoming the most popular sporting competition in the nation." It has identified "world-class coaching academies, a push into schools to win over children considering other sports" and a bid to host the 2023 Women's World Cup as "key planks in its battle plan to become top dog." Australian Bureau of Statistics figures suggest more people played football nationwide last year than "Aussie Rules, basketball or cricket," but the Australian Football League believes it attracts more than 1 million participants. The FFA plan predicts an Auskick-style junior football program -- Miniroos -- will help "grow the game to an unprecedented level" (HERALD SUN, 5/5).
20-YEAR DREAM: In Sydney, Sebastian Hassett reported this was "not about the A-League but everything else" around it: grassroots, state leagues, junior football and women's football. Perhaps "the only pressing matter related to the A-League was the reiteration that promotion and relegation remains off the agenda." FFA Chair Frank Lowy acknowledged the aspiration was "lofty but necessary." Lowy said, "This will take many years to do. The most important thing, that is out of our control, is to have grounds, to have stadiums. The sport cannot provide it. This is really for governments. I think the governments are sympathetic. They don't have too much money to spread around but there is a budget." Head of Northern NSW Football David Eland said that government help would "only come when football made a unified approach." He said, "It's very positive, from the member federations, that facilities have been prioritized in the whole of football plan. But we have to be more strategic. We cannot rely on individual clubs -- we have to go to governments collectively to get the best bang for buck" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 5/5).
