National Second Division

The National Second Division (NSD), also referred to as the National Second Tier (NST), is a proposed Australian national second-tier men's soccer league, to be run by Football Australia and the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC). It has been suggested that the league will consist of 12 to 16 teams, the bulk of which would be drawn from the existing National Premier Leagues competition. The league's focus would be to improve player development and to boost the overall standing of the game in Australia by generating new interest and revenue.[1]

National Second Division
Organising bodyFootball Australia
FoundedOctober 27, 2017 (2017-10-27)
First seasonMarch 2024 (proposed)
CountryAustralia
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams10–16
Level on pyramid2

History

Although informally talked about for many years, momentum for the idea of a national second division increased in October 2016.[2] In March 2017 "The Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) Limited" was established, with the goal of opening dialogue with Football Federation Australia (FFA) and various other stakeholders about establishing a national second division.[3] The board consists of several members representing their respective states and is chaired by Nick Galatas. In January 2018 the AAFC released a timeline for implementation of the league, requesting expressions of interest from clubs for participation in The Championship.[4]

In February 2019, the AAFC announced they were of the belief that the competition could be up and running by the 2020–21 season.[5] On 3 June 2019 the new national second division was given the green light by FFA, paving the way for the next stage of planning and a revised start date of the 2021–22 season.[6]

On 15 September 2020, a provisional list of 30 "partner clubs" was released to the public. The official partners included National Premier League clubs from every state in Australia.[7]

In October 2020, Football Australia released "XI Principles for the future of Australian football", also known as Vision 2035, which specifically categorised the creation of a second tier division as part of football restructuring.[8]

In a January 2021 report, the AAFC claimed that the establishment of a national second division competition would be affordable and feasible.[9]

In July 2021 report, Football Australia spokesperson confirmed to ESPN Australia that the competition remained a priority to the federation, while its chairman Chris Nikou declared in May that he was "expecting (an NSD model) to come to the Football Australia board in the second half of this year, and [would] love to see a second division up for the 2022-23 season".[10]

In late 2021, advocates for a national second-tier in Australia have been campaigning for the better part of two decades to introduce what is, at this point, a global footballing standard. The year 2022 may be an optimistic target, however with Football Australia CEO James Johnson pointing to the pandemic as a buffer to the NSD's unavoidable progression. The NSD would feature 12 foundation clubs with plans to expand up to 16 within the first four years.[11] Officials also aimed to avoid the American-based franchise system and expressed it would become more aligned to the European format, which included promotion and relegation.[12][13]

A national second division could be played by as early as 2023 with Football Australia set to invest in the establishment of a professional football competition to sit below the A-League. Football Australia says it has undertaken significant planning for a national second-tier competition and has identified a number of models of how it could operate. Senior sources suggest a start date of 2023 is already being targeted. The organisation has identified the second tier as a priority to improve player development with more pathways and a larger pool of professional players, bridge the gap between the semi-professional state leagues and the A-League while also expanding the footprint of the professional game across the country.[14]

In February 2022, a report titled A Genuine National Second Division of Football in Australia was released. AAFC believes it is time for a merit-based competition structure to be introduced as meritocracy is both the "Australian way" and occurs in most competitions around the world. The report has been funded by the Partner Clubs with financial analysis undertaken by MI Associates.[15]

In March 2022, Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) Chairman Nick Galatas has said that all the pieces are there for a National Second Division competition for Australian football and the time to implement is now.[16]

Australian Professional Leagues' (APL) chief executive Danny Townsend eyes national second division progress, "For so long the white whale of the domestic scene, Football Australia and its CEO James Johnson have repeatedly gone on the record to commit to the introduction of an NSD, with the competition tipped as either being introduced in late 2023 as a summer competition or in 2024 under a winter staging".[17]

Football Australia has earmarked March 2024 as its preferred start date for its proposed national second-tier competition, contingent upon the results of an EOI process its CEO James Johnson hopes to commence following its approval at a December meeting of the federation's board.[18][19]

In February 2023, the bidding phase commenced and in March 2023, the bidding phase concluded, 32 teams had sent in bids. In May 2023, Football Australia announced that 26 teams had passed into the Request for Proposal (RPF), in which teams would request to join the division, this phase started in June 2023. This phase concluded in August 2023, however, Football Australia has not announced every team that has progressed, however, teams were able to announce their RFP.[20]

Clubs

As a part of the A Genuine National Second Division of Football in Australia report,[15] a number of clubs reported that they could not operate at their full capacity within the National Premier Leagues. Many of these clubs competed in the National Soccer League, with 7 of the teams having won the National Premier Leagues finals series.

Expressions of interest

Teams were asked to submit Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to Football Australia indicating that they wanted to be part of the NSD. There are also two merger bids proposed: a Brisbane United franchise (the merging of Brisbane Strikers, Wynnum Wolves and Virginia United), and a South Australian franchise (the merging of Campbelltown City, North Eastern MetroStars and West Torrens Birkalla).

Key

  Red denotes that the club did not proceed to the Request for Proposal stage.[21]
  Green denotes that the club has been confirmed to have submitted a bid.[22]

Club Current Home Ground State/Territory Ref.
Adelaide City Adelaide City Park South Australia
APIA Leichhardt Lambert Park or Leichhardt Oval New South Wales [23][24]
Avondale FC Avenger Park Victoria [25][26]
Bentleigh Greens Kingston Heath Soccer Complex Victoria [25]
Blacktown City Landen Stadium New South Wales [27]
Brisbane City Spencer Park Queensland [28]
Brisbane United (Merger[lower-alpha 1]) Perry Park Queensland [29]
Brunswick Juventus CB Smith Reserve Victoria [25]
Canberra Croatia Deakin Stadium Australian Capital Territory [30]
Cockburn City Dalmatinac Park Western Australia [27]
Football SA (Merger[lower-alpha 2]) Unannounced South Australia
Fraser Park FC Fraser Park New South Wales [27]
Gold Coast Knights Croatian Sports Centre Queensland [31]
Gold Coast United Coplicks Family Sports Centre Queensland [25]
Green Gully SC Green Gully Reserve Victoria [27]
Gungahlin United Gungahlin Enclosed Oval Australian Capital Territory [32]
Heidelberg United Olympic Park Victoria [33]
Marconi Stallions Marconi Stadium New South Wales [25]
Melbourne Knights Knights Stadium Victoria [34]
Olympic FC Goodwin Park Queensland [35]
Peninsula Power A.J. Kelly Park Queensland [36]
Playford City Patriots Ramsay Park South Australia [27]
Preston Lions B.T. Connor Reserve Reservoir Victoria [37][38]
Rockdale Ilinden Bicentennial Park South New South Wales [39]
South Hobart South Hobart Ground Tasmania [40]
South Melbourne Lakeside Stadium Victoria [25][41]
Sunshine Coast Fire Kawana Western Fields Queensland [42][43]
Sutherland Sharks Seymour Shaw Park New South Wales [27]
Sydney Olympic Belmore Sports Stadium New South Wales [44][45]
Sydney United 58 Sydney United Sports Centre New South Wales [25][46]
Valentine FC CB Complex Northern New South Wales [27]
Wollongong Wolves WIN Stadium New South Wales [47][48]

Competition format

Football Australia plan for the first season to commence in March 2024, with between 10 and 16 teams, playing a full home and away season.[49] Previously, a "Champions League" format was proposed by Football Australia (and opposed by the AAFC[50]) where top teams would play in the national competition concurrently with their regional NPL league.

Criticism

The prevarication to start the tournament has been met with criticism due to lack of detail about how it will function; the slow pace to begin the first season is another point of contention.[51] Following the first round of EOIs, two clubs that initially seemed like front runners, Blacktown City and Peninsula Power, had not been selected to advance and these teams then released statements critical of Football Australia.[52][53]

See also

Notes
  1. The Brisbane United merger consists of Brisbane Strikers, Virginia United and Wynnum Wolves
  2. The Football SA merger consists of Campbelltown City, North Eastern MetroStars and West Torrens Birkalla

References
  1. "In a Nutshell". The Championship. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  2. "A-League expansion, promotion and relegation, Northern Fury FC chairman Rabieh Krayem puts forward proposal". 19 October 2016.
  3. "History". Association Of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC).
  4. "Timeline". The Championship. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  5. "AAFC '100% confident' of second division by 2020". FTBL.
  6. Dale Lewis (3 June 2016). "FFA backs second division as clubs chase pathway to main stage". SBS The World Game. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  7. AAFC (15 September 2020). "Championship Partner Group". AAFC. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  8. "XI Principles For The Future of Australian Football | Football Australia". www.footballaustralia.com.au. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  9. AAFC (15 January 2021). "National Second Division (NSD) Competition Is Affordable and Feasible". AAFC. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  10. Joey Lynch (30 July 2021). "Football Australia adds national second tier to football pyramid in calendar restructure". ESPN. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  11. Bill Hedley (6 December 2021). "Why the A-Leagues need promotion and relegation". thefootballsack.com.au. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  12. "'Final model': Major A-League second division meeting set for June". FTBL. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  13. "FA adds second tier to Australia's football pyramid". ESPN. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  14. Dominic Bossi (14 December 2021). "Football Australia targets national second division for 2023". www.smh.com.au. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  15. AAFC (22 February 2022). "a Genuine National Second Division of Football in Australia, Final Report of the NSD Partner Group of Clubs" (PDF). AAFC. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  16. Charles Goodsir (9 March 2022). "FOOTBALL CLUBS ARE "READY TO GO" FOR NATIONAL SECOND DIVISION". sen.com.au. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  17. Joey Lynch (31 August 2022). "Townsend eyes national second division progress". ESPN. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  18. Joey Lynch (23 November 2022). "James Johnson confirms March 2024 as 'target date' for national second division". ESPN. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  19. Football Australia (3 February 2023). "Football Australia opens expressions of interest for National Second Tier Men's Competition". www.footballaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  20. "Search | Football Australia". www.footballaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  21. "26 Australian clubs advance to next phase of the National Second Tier selection process". Football Australia. 10 May 2023.
  22. Pisani, Sacha (29 August 2023). "Six clubs confirm National Second Tier bids as Football Australia issues update". KeepUp.
  23. "SUBMITTED 👇 APIA has submitted its EOI for the proposed National Second Division. 👊⚽️⌛️ We hope to see you all at Lambert Park Park for the Derby... | By APIA Leichhardt FC | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  24. "APIA Leichhardt FC can advise its community and the public that it has submitted its application to Football Australia in the Request For Proposal phase of the National Second Tier". Instagram. APIA Leichhardt. 29 August 2023.
  25. @AAFClubs (3 March 2023). "NEW NATIONAL SECOND TIER EXPRESSION OF INTERESTS ARE IN!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  26. "Avondale FC can confirm that we have submitted our application to Football Australia for the next phase of the National Second Tier process". Instagram. Avondale FC. 29 August 2023.
  27. @joeylynchy (6 March 2023). "@FootballAUS has revealed the parties that lodged EOIs for a new National Second Tier. 32 total EOIs were lodged" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  28. "Brisbane City Football Club on Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  29. @RabiehKrayem (3 March 2023). "Media Release: Brisbane United FC submits National Second Tier EOI to Football Australia" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. "Canberra Croatia Football Club on Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  31. Gold Coast Knights FC [@gcknightsfc] (20 February 2023). "Gold Coast Knights wishes to confirm that the club has submitted an Expression of Interest for Football Australia's National Second Division. The club will provide further updates as the application process progresses. t.co/ZLHjOTruOP" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  32. "GUFC on Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  33. "Settle down. Of course we put in an expression of interest to join the National Second Division. We have the fans, we have the stadium, we have the... | By Heidelberg United FC | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  34. "Melbourne Knights on Twitter". www.twitter.com. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  35. Olympic FC [@Olympic_FC] (21 February 2023). "Olympic FC is pleased to announce that the club has tendered an Expression of Interest in joining the new National Second Division. As this will be an ongoing process we will endeavour to keep club members informed of the progress of our application. t.co/lrqkyJeoZ5" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  36. "Peninsula Power FC on Instagram". Instagram. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  37. "NATIONAL SECOND TIER UPDATE". Instagram. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  38. "PLFC submits RFP to Football Australia for National Second Tier". Instagram. Preston Lions. 29 August 2023.
  39. Rockdale Ilinden FC [@RockdaleIlinden] (23 February 2023). "NATIONAL SECOND TIER CONFIRMING that we have submitted our EOI and are now working through our detailed application. #ilinden #iamredandblack t.co/FAJvWhwqWG" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  40. "South Hobart FC is pleased to announce that we have submitted our expression of interest in joining the National Second Tier today". Facebook. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  41. "South Melbourne FC can advise its members, players, parents, staff, supporters and fans it has submitted its application to Football Australia in the Request For Proposal phase of the National Second Tier". Instagram. South Melbourne. 28 August 2023.
  42. "Sunshine Coast FC Fire post". Facebook. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  43. "Sunshine Coast FC Fire can confirm that we have uploaded all of our material to the 'Data Room' as part of the RFP process to Football Australia for the next phase of the National Second Tier". Facebook. Sunshine Coast Fire.
  44. Sydney Olympic Supporters [@SOFC_Supporters] (21 February 2023). "Sydney Olympic have officially submitted its expression of interest to Football Australia, to be part of the new National 2nd Division, which according to reports is coming soon. t.co/FVc17Xikyz" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 February 2023 – via Twitter.
  45. "We are delighted to inform our supporters and the public that our application for the National Second Tier has been officially submitted to Football Australia during the Request For Proposal phase". Instagram. Sydney Olympic. 29 August 2023.
  46. "Sydney United 58 FC can confirm to its supporters that we have officially submitted our application to Football Australia for the proposed National Second Division". Facebook. Sydney United 58. 29 August 2023.
  47. "MEDIA RELEASE - WOLVES SUBMIT EOI FOR NATIONAL SECOND TIER". Facebook. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  48. Warren, Jordan (29 August 2023). "Wollongong Wolves submit final National Second Tier proposal". Illawarra Mercury.
  49. "Football Australia moves into Request for Proposal phase of the National Second Tier process". Football Australia. 21 June 2023.
  50. "NPL 'Champions League' format likely to be initial second division structure". The Roar. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  51. "Quit stalling - it's time to start a National Second Division".
  52. fergustilt (11 May 2023). "OFFICIAL BOARD STATEMENT". Blacktown City FC. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
  53. "Peninsula Power FC Club Statement Re NSD EOI". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
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