Ladies and gentlemen, would I be so wrong in saying that this song is utter rubbish? Forgive me for thinking that most of you would agree with me here.
I guess there is no one to blame,
We're leaving ground.
Will things ever be the same again??
It's the final countdown...
The final countdown...
- The Final Countdown, Europe
Now that we've established that truly remarkable fact, could I be so bold as to assume that the A-League finals series in its current form is also less than desirable? Okay, yes - Sydney and Melbourne fans are now sharpening their knives for me - but for the rest of us, who watched Sydney and Melbourne play for the 42nd time in a month, is it really so exciting? Not to mention adding in god knows how many weeks worth of "Sydney is crap!" "No, Melbourne is crap!" "Nooooo, Sydney is crap" ad nauseum. Children, please! Not that it matters - clearly, no football is played outside of Sydney or Melbourne, and the FFA had the match they've been hoping for since the league began.
First of all, I happen to think that the current system rewards mediocrity. Yes, I know that's all a bit rich coming from a Perth supporter - my club wouldn't have made a finals series if it were only four teams - but let's face it; over the full season of games, Perth were pretty mediocre. The best of a mediocre bunch behind the top four, but still mediocre! I would have been angry if we'd not made the finals - but if you recall, I was still kind of upset when we did.
So, I'm not the biggest fan of the current post-season format. "Well, genius" I hear you ask in a mocking tone, "What do you suggest?". Ah - I was hoping you'd say that. What's that? You didn't say that? Too bad, you're getting some alternatives anyway...
Option 1: From Six to Five
As stated previously, one of my major issues with the current system is that over half the league gets involved in the finals series - meaning that you can lose more games than you win and still get a chance to win the post-season trophy. To me, this seems like giving a kid a C despite the fact that he scrawled "I am a fish" all over his math paper and then spat on it before handing it in.
So, to try to reduce these sorts of situations, let's reduce our finals system from six teams to five. In an eleven team competition, I think that's fair enough. As such, this is how it would play out (home teams mentioned first):
You could perform these finals matches either as one-off matches or two-legged playoffs, but I think the one-match system works better. It encourages teams to go out and win the game, punishing any losers who have a second chance with no home final the week after. It's designed to make teams attack and give us entertaining finals football - which is what our crowds love to see. Finishing in the top two places is encouraged by a bye and home final for 1st and a home final for 2nd.
Option 2: Mix-and-Match
Our second alternative, which I'll call the Clark Final Six system after its genius creator, is a six-team playoff series similar to what we currently have. Putting aside my concern with rewarding mediocrity for a second, the Clark formula sees a bit of a switcheroo take place, with the best teams avoiding each other at the start of the finals series.
In this system, the top sides are rewarded with 'easy' matches in the first week. From here though, only 1st is guaranteed a second chance. If the first week saw a spread of upsets, with 4th, 5th and 6th all somehow winning their away finals, then 1st would become the 'best placed loser' and go onto play in the second week. For 2nd and 3rd - too bad; you had home advantage against an easier team... tough!
I think this system works well because we see 'cup-style' semi finals. It's simple - the winners of the two semis go through to the Grand Final. It makes it that bit more interesting, and keeps teams on their toes. To stretch it out to a four week system, the semis could also be made two-legged; which would give a more even footing both sides and ensure the 'best' teams played it out in the final.
Option 3: Giving all teams a 'fair go'
Okay, let's face it. Your team has finished seventh on the table, they've missed the finals, and now football is all over for another year. The playoffs hold absolutely no interest to you whatsoever. Or maybe they do.
This system - and it's even more left field than the other ideas, I'll admit - gives some league-wide interest in the finals. In fact, it makes the finals less of a hastily tacked-on afterthought to the season, and more of a separate competition. Let me explain:
Confusing much? Well, it's basically a cup competition for the A-League teams. You obviously can't squeeze 11 teams into a knockout format too easily, so we give the bottom four sides a chance to make that final playoff spot, which keeps all fans interested around the country. Once we're into week three, it's a straight knockout competition right up until the Grand Final. Is it more unfair on the top teams than our current system? Yes. But the higher you finish, the better seeding you get, so it's not all bad news.
It also takes away the likelihood of someone doing the double, as nobody gets a second chance and an opportunity to redeem themselves next week. Heck, it even provides a bit of romance - if the 7th placed team was to go on a run of good form, who's to say they couldn't win it? It gives the finals system a bit more credibility as a standalone competition for which a nice little trophy (and a place in Asia) is handed out.
Think DIfferent
Of course, these are just my views on the current finals format, and how we might improve it. You probably have a number of ideas yourself, and by all means let's hear about them in the comments section below. While I think the finals concept is something that resonates with Australians - mainly due to historical use across most sports in this country - I do think that our current format could do with some tweaking.
As a 'finals' note, it is with great amusement that I read the original pressing of the 2000 remix of 'The Final Countdown' came with a misprint on the front cover. The defect? The first 'o' in countdown happened to be missing.
Kind of says it all, really...
