Why the quality gap is closing between the A-League and NPL
- Harry Bailey
- Oct 29
- 7 min read
The narrative surrounding Australian football's national pyramid has started to shift, primarily attributed to the recent success of National Premier League clubs in the Australia Cup. The once-clear quality differential between the professional A-League and the semi-professional NPL is now being challenged.
Heidelberg United shocked the Australian football landscape with an incredible run to the 2025 Australia Cup Final. (Image: Osman Sports Photography)
The case in point is Heidelberg United. This season, the NPL Victoria side achieved a historic campaign, winning the league and reaching the Australia Cup Final. They achieved this feat not merely by scraping past A-League opposition but by comfortably besting them.
Their journey to the final included a 3-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers, a convincing 4-0 victory over Wellington Phoenix, and a clinical 2-0 win against the reigning A-League Men premiers, Auckland FC. Despite their 3-1 loss to the Newcastle Jets in the final, the total aggregate scoreline against four top-flight clubs was a whopping 11-3, signifying more than just a few simple 'cupsets'.
The question this raises is whether this dominance reflects a significant and deserved rise in the NPL standard, or if it exposes a worrying regression in the A-League Men's?
While the NPL is a vast and varied landscape (containing nearly 100 clubs nationwide), the trend of NPL success is evident in the Australia Cup. Heidelberg follows a line of NPL clubs, including Sydney United (2022 Finalists), Avondale FC (2025 Semi-Finalists), and prior successes from Oakleigh Cannons and South Melbourne, which prove the NPL is an improving threat.
Since the Australia Cup's inception in 2014, NPL wins have evolved from isolated shock results to expected possibilities, making A-League teams less complacent when facing top NPL opposition.
Let's begin analysing the structural and financial reasons for this convergence and investigate the core factors driving the narrowing gap. Is the NPL truly improving, or are faults starting to show in the A-League?
Where does the NPL currently sit?
The establishment of a possible national second division with promotion and relegation is, first and foremost, at the centre of the debate. The promotion/relegation pyramid, standard in global football, provides a fluid pathway in which ambition and misery are separated by the narrow margin of a single season. Until a definitive promotion system for the A-League is seen, the NPL occupies a unique and inherently uneven space.
The NPL is not a singular, uniform competition. It is a collective of eight distinct state divisions, and the quality disparity across these federations is quite different. While it is simple to say that the gap between the NPL and the A-League is shortening, this is a generalisation that only applies to the higher echelon of the NPL.
To put this in perspective, the NPL comprises 94 clubs in its top tier across Australia. If these were ranked on a single scale of quality, the difference between a top-four finisher in NPL Victoria or NPL NSW and a team lingering in the middle-to-bottom of the Northern NSW NPL or Tasmanian NPL, for example, would be pretty different. It is simply unrealistic to suggest that every NPL team has a strong chance of competing at a national level.
With that said, the convergence in quality we are witnessing is primarily concentrated among the top clubs in NPL Victoria and NPL NSW, supported by a handful of high-performing teams in other states. The Australian Championship is showcasing this 'higher echelon' level, bringing the best-performing NPL sides into a competition of their own. While this new competition is not initially featuring promotion to the A-League, its success is a crucial step in creating the financial and competitive framework necessary to eventually narrow the quality gap for a broader section of the national second tier.
So, is the NPL improving, or is the A-League regressing?
The gap is multifaceted, stemming from improvements at the NPL level combined with clear structural issues impacting A-League performance in competitions like the Australia Cup. The central debate is whether the NPL is ascending or the A-League is descending in quality.
Reasons why NPL teams are improving in the Australia Cup
The argument for the NPL's improvement is driven by increased professionalism and financial stability at the top clubs.
Financial and player quality influx: While the A-Leagues battles its internal financial instability, the national spotlight on the Australia Cup has made top NPL clubs more commercially attractive. This trend has allowed them to attract higher-quality talent, particularly former A-League professionals and experienced players seeking a higher-level semi-professional environment. This influx of proven talent improves the technical and tactical standard of the competitions.
Home advantage and adversity: The home advantage to NPL teams is also a massive factor in the Australia Cup. Playing on familiar, often 'less than perfect' conditions and within the tight confines of traditional community stadiums, NPL sides are more accustomed to their environment. This factor presents a challenge for A-League clubs, who may have to adapt their expansive, preferred style of play. Even when A-League sides are granted home advantage, these fixtures are often played at NPL-standard grounds to accommodate crowd sizes, further benefiting semi-professional sides.
The success of Heidelberg United, with their 11-3 aggregate against A-League clubs this past campaign, stands as the ultimate example of NPL quality. From an outsider's perspective, these results contradict the supposed divide, suggesting the on-field gap is not as big as we think.
Reasons why A-League teams are regressing in the Australia Cup
The regression of the A-League needs to be contextualised, with the focus primarily on their approach to the Australia Cup.
Priority differences: One major factor is the priority given to the Australian Cup. For NPL sides, facing A-League opposition is a national showcase and a chance for players to earn recognition on a bigger stage. Looking at A-League clubs, they are still in pre-season and in preparation for the upcoming season. Line-ups frequently reflect this, featuring youth prospects and fringe players rather than the full-strength starting XI to avoid injuries and give game time to the broader first-team squad.
Financial difficulties: The financial struggles of the Australian Professional Leagues have directly compromised club competitiveness. Central distribution payments to A-League clubs last season were drastically slashed to a reported $530,000 per club, a cut of approximately 75% from previous years. The cut forced clubs to cover a significant shortfall of around $1.7 million to meet the $2.25 million salary floor, directly hindering their ability to retain more quality senior players, recruit necessary depth, and, in turn, lowering the overall quality of players competing in the domestic league and cup.
Fitness and squad sharpness: Scheduling dictates that NPL sides typically compete in the Australia Cup during the peak of their season, possessing peak match fitness and sharpness. A-League squads, however, are in pre-season, indicating they are not yet at peak condition.
Assessing these factors, it's clear that financial difficulties are the primary driver of the A-League's latest regression, as pre-season timing and priority shifts have always existed since the inception of the Australia Cup. Therefore, the A-League's financial decline, coupled with the NPL's economic ascent, is the primary reason behind the Australia Cup becoming more competitive for top-flight clubs.
The future role of the Australian Championship
Furthermore, the launch of the Australian Championship (the nation's new second-tier national league) could yet be a further catalyst in bridging the quality gap between the NPL and the A-League. While the competition does not yet feature a direct promotion-relegation system with the top flight, its value lies in showcasing that NPL talent is up to a professional standard.
The success of the Australian Championship is critical. If the competition gains broader public attention, the resulting revenue from broadcasting and sponsorships will be significant, further enhancing the financial position and professionalism of the semi-professional clubs involved.
SBS becoming the official broadcaster by signing a two-year agreement with Football Australia to air each game was monumental for this. This national platform allows NPL players to showcase their talent on a far larger stage, potentially attracting overseas players and providing A-League clubs with a more transparent scouting ground.
A defined pathway can also be created for A-League clubs to loan young talent. Should the Australian Championship gain recognition and become a calendar-year league (rather than its current cup format), prospects can be loaned out to this competition rather than being wasted away on the bench and/or seeking developmental opportunities overseas.
Instead, underutilised young A-League players can now gain competitive minutes against the nation's best NPL teams. This national-level competition provides a significantly better development environment, directly benefiting the overall quality of Australian youth football.
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Despite the current format's limitations, including a shorter, cup-style competition following the now previous UEFA Champions League model, the Australian Championship remains a stepping stone toward increasing the professionalism of NPL clubs.
By providing top NPL sides with opportunities to grow financially through national exposure, merchandising, and corporate backing, the competition aims to create a trickle-down effect, ultimately strengthening amateur clubs and advancing semi-professional outfits toward complete professionalism.
The Australian Championship is by no means the final step. But its success will be an indicator of the long-term health and potential of the Australian football pyramid.
Representative players from each team competing in the 2025 Australian Championship. (Image: Australian Championship)
The gap between the A-League and NPL is shortening, but is this a positive?
The convergence of quality is a positive development for Australian football; yet, the motivation behind this trend warrants scrutiny. We must ensure the NPL rises on its own merit, not merely by bridging the divide due to the A-League's regression.
The question of whether A-League clubs are performing worse in the Australia Cup or NPL teams are performing better because of the increased talent in the NPL is complex. But the evidence suggests it is a mix of both. The divide has narrowed due to the rise in professionalism and financial stability among top NPL clubs, allowing them to attract and retain better talent.
Simultaneously, the A-League's perceived struggles in the Cup are rooted in structural factors, including clear financial issues and the competition's timing during its pre-season.
While a new incentive, such as the winner gaining a place in the Asian Champions League Two, will undoubtedly increase professional clubs' drive, for fans, such as those of the Newcastle Jets, the pursuit of silverware still holds ultimate value. For the club, it was their first taste of success and silverware since 2008, showing just how important and meaningful the Australia Cup can be.
Ultimately, the shortening of the A-League/NPL divide is a positive, albeit nuanced, reality. The average NPL team remains significantly below the professional standard. Still, the increasing professionalism of a select few NPL sides means the gap between the two tiers is closer than many in the Australian football establishment might want to admit.
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