When the deal between the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and Destination NSW saw the 2022/23 and two subsequent Grand Finals moved to Sydney, it garnered widespread criticism and led to the ugliest moment in Australian football history. Unite Round came into being to reclaim fan appeal and mend fences between the A-Leagues supporter base and the APL. The last two years have seen a faltering first edition due to a lack of build-up, and empty stadiums and detractors in all online spaces marred the most recent Unite Round weekend. While criticism should always be taken on board, I can’t help but draw a stark comparison to the reception Unite Round has received by those who did and did not attend.
The Cove celebrate one of Sydney FC's four goals in Saturday night's Sydney Derby. (Image: Harley Appezzato)
From the outset, Unite Round was thrown together after an ill-advised attempt to value the A-Leagues' showpiece events, so ill-advised that the hatred towards the decision led to a pitch invasion during the infamous December 2022 Melbourne Derby.
So, from the outset, the expectation of full stadiums, bustling support, and Sydney being overtaken by football fever was farfetched. The images on TV and circulated via social media showed the apathy of the general population to A-Leagues football.
I make this distinction mainly due to the bumper 30,000 crowd at the Sydney Derby on Saturday night. As has always been the case, Australia isn’t short of football fans, but rarely are they motivated to travel interstate to take in the glory of the A-Leagues as neutrals. This is not to say that the tremendous support from both ends of Sydney isn’t welcomed. In fact, the active supporter network of The Cove and RBB is still and always has been the envy of the league.
The A-Leagues' perennial obsession with crowd numbers is mainly overblown, and reactions are the least bit measured. However, for an event like Unite Round, it is a significant indication of its success. Based solely on this assertion, many have labelled the concept an abject failure. This thinking is ultimately misleading. As someone who attended four full matches from the A-League Women’s and Men’s competitions, I couldn’t help but be overcome with an overwhelming sense of pride, camaraderie, and unity that I rarely feel attending matches in Newcastle.
The networking, socialising, and friendship aspects of this round should also be included in any review of the event's success, and this is where I draw my comparisons.
From the people I spoke to, there was overwhelming support from those who chose to attend the round, which is in stark contrast to those who chose or weren’t able to travel due to life’s unavoidable circumstances, whose reviews have been ultimately negative.
This point leads us to conclude that Unite Round received some mixed reviews. In the vein of what Unite Round stands for, which is the coming together of football in Australia and the ad hoc repair of a disastrous Grand Finals sale, let’s look at what could be improved in years to come if the event is to continue.
First things first, a venue like Allianz is too big. That’s not to say that Sydney is out of the question, or even the Sydney Derby being the showcase event. But having all sanctioned men’s matches at the 45,000-seated colossus, the Sydney Football Stadium, should not happen again. A way to fix this admittedly Sydney-centric issue is to play matches during a holiday weekend, which would allow for the Sydney Derby to be its own standalone event. This move would allow all other matches to be scheduled in optimum time slots on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at alternate venues.
Allianz Stadium was particularly empty on Sunday, when Wellington faced Melbourne Victory and Macarthur played Auckland. (Image: Tahlia Daly)
Therefore, other matches during the round could be played at several other suitable stadiums, such as Jubilee Stadium, Belmore Oval, or Leichhardt Oval, assuming the local councils and venue management can provide a safe, playable surface. Several smaller venues could also cater for the A-League Women’s competition. However, a fully fitted stadium with adequate media facilities is non-negotiable, as it would be nothing short of disrespectful to sacrifice these amenities for the sake of crowd density.
Other cities in Australia also have well-appointed facilities with stadia that could suit crowd numbers experienced in the most recent Unite Round and is a constructive move forward.
Adelaide’s Hindmarsh Stadium offers the best boutique football atmosphere in Australia. Considering the crowd numbers, it would be an excellent base for the men’s competition, with the Original Rivalry as a tasty prospect for the round's feature match. Service FM Stadium is a lovely little ground with a total capacity of 8,000. However, with limited media facilities and only 1,000 of that capacity being seated, there may be some detractors. Also, the ability to get around Adelaide is limited as public transport is sparse in route and frequency. The APL would likely have to invest in a shuttle system between the grounds on gameday or investigate other solutions with key stakeholders to cater for the festival atmosphere.
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In Melbourne, AAMI Park is well situated for away fans, being quite central to the CBD and easily accessible from the surrounding suburbs. The location factor means interstate fans will find getting to and from A-League Men's games a breeze from their accommodation. However, it means putting all men's matches in a 30,000 behemoth, which could affect how those on their couches at home perceive the action. Another headache is where to situate the women's matches. The obvious candidates are Casey and Ironbark Fields, which are over an hour away by transit from the CBD. A Melbourne Unite Round may require the APL to appeal to the inner-city NPL outfits, such as South Melbourne, for use of their facilities, which they might be reluctant to provide.
Perth's HBF Park is ideally suited to an event like Unite Round for the men's side. Seating 20,500, it looks ideal for Australia's football festival if the APL could entice the Western Australian Government to invest in the event. With WA being such a large state, Unite Round could even entice some intrastate travel from the north and south. Macedonia Park, situated in Stirling and with a capacity of 4,000 spectators, would be the front-runner in hosting the women's matches for the round, with the Sam Kerr Football Centre also being a viable option. However, a significant concern is whether many outside the state would travel, along with the amenities offered at these suburban football grounds required to host the media pack over three full days.
In terms of creative solutions, the Unite Round concept instituted a season on from the divisive Destination NSW Grand Finals deal is nothing short of a resounding success. The overwhelmingly positive reviews from those in attendance due to the APL taking fan voices into account are refreshing. However, more transparency from the governing body is still required.
All conversations regarding the future of the Unite Round project are entirely hypothetical at this stage. Concrete plans, at least that we are aware of, are yet to emerge from APL HQ, and until then, the Unite Round concept may only exist as a source of unrealised potential and fun for some or an unsuitable venture for a cash-strapped league. I hope it comes back, but in what capacity remains to be seen.
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