Brisbane Roar’s stagnation has dragged on for too long

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Image via Brisbane Roar academy

Australian football experienced a shock to the system on Tuesday evening when A-Leagues side Brisbane Roar announced the abrupt dismissal of its junior academy sides.

Earning league-wide discontent and now the involvement of Football Australia in the matter, the situation has added to the club’s woes in a tumultuous season that has also seen the termination of Corey Brown’s contract for alleged drug use and subsequent judicial hearings with Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) in regards to the incident.

The announcement, released by the Roar unexpectedly on Tuesday, saw the club state the following via a press release:

“As the only Isuzu UTE A-League team in Queensland, Brisbane Roar are proud to support a pathway for the junior players in the state to have professional football opportunities,” the statement read.

“Brisbane Roar also recognise that Football Queensland works with NPL clubs and players, across the state, and that these clubs are the backbone for development, particularly for junior players.

“Therefore, Brisbane Roar have made the difficult decision to focus on the development of players from the age of 16 and up that are eligible for the Under 23’s and NPL men’s squad.

“As a result, the Brisbane Roar Football Club Academy Under 14 to Under 18 programs will cease to operate. The Under 13’s has been removed under the new Football Queensland model.”

The Roar went on to cite an ambition to provide a “direct pathway to professional football with our Under 23 and Men’s teams” as the ultimate reasoning behind the decision – this is in spite of the fact that the club’s under-15 and under-23 sides won their respective Grand Finals.

An already deteriorating relationship with its fan base has been further solidified with fan malaise at an all-time high at the club. Despite returning to Suncorp Stadium amidst growing fan discontent towards having to travel to Redcliffe for home games, the Roar currently sit 10th on the Isuzu Ute A-League Men’s ladder following a draw against Macarthur and loss against Melbourne City both at home.

The Bakrie Group, the Indonesia-based conglomerate who has owned a 70 percent share in the A-Leagues sole Queensland representative, has reduced their investment into the club through the years, and despite early success under Ange Postecoglou and Mike Mulvey, has been largely at fault for the club’s unfortunate decline and has only been a source of ire for their loyal supporters recently. With funding into the club clearly an issue, it is no doubt time for Brisbane Roar to move on from their relationship with the Bakrie Group – something which is undeniably no easy feat.

The intention to stick with only an expanded Under-23 side for the foreseeable future has generated obvious furore for a reason, especially with Queensland being home to the second largest contingent of football participants in Australia. Adding to the club’s ill decision-making is the fact that Football Queensland, the governing body in charge of the state’s footballing endeavours, issued a statement of their own which made it clear that the result of the Roar’s decision is solely their making:

“This decision was made exclusively by the Brisbane Roar and by Brisbane Roar alone,” the statement read.

“Football Queensland accepts the position of Brisbane Roar who will now focus on their U23 and First team squads.

“Football Queensland will ensure the advanced junior development pathway continues to be strong and accessible to Queensland talent.”

Football Queensland went on to back up their initial statement with a commitment to the implementation of a full-time state development program for boys that aligns with the FQ Academy QAS girls’ program ahead of the upcoming 2024 National Premier Leagues Queensland season.

The fallout of Brisbane Roar’s decision will invariably leave elite junior players looking elsewhere for opportunities and also reduce coaching opportunities for aspiring local coaches. In addition, it will arguably result in the Roar potentially alienating NPL sides who develop these players that they poach or worse, it will leave generational gaps in Australian football – something which is irrefutably detrimental to the growth of Australian football.

Football Australia immediately released a statement of their own on the issue, further reflecting the implications behind the Roar’s decision and the foreseeable damage the club and the Bakrie Group may cause in the future.

“Football Australia, in its regulatory capacity, has some concerns with Brisbane Roar Football Club’s announcement regarding proposed changes to its Academy and have scheduled a meeting with the Club to gather information and discuss their decision in more detail. Only once this meeting has taken place will Football Australia be able to provide further comment.”

Regardless of the Roar’s justification behind the end to its junior sides, it can no longer remain behind the rest of the A-Leagues on or off the field, especially in a state where football is so deeply-entrenched at a grassroots level. The time is now overdue for the club to depart with the Bakrie Group in search of something greater or at minimum stabler. As daunting as that may appear, it will be nothing but holistically positive for Queensland and Australian football.

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The A-Leagues Final Series important status also a secret hinderance

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The Isuzu A-League finals series is a huge event in the footballing calendar, though its contribution to stagnant attendance numbers in the league is something to be said.

If the 2025/26 finals series follows similar patterns to those before it, it will gather huge traction and strong ticket sales.

It is the largest event for the domestic league, bringing in massive amounts of viewership through media and gate receipts.

Finals series from years past have shown this, with the 2024/25 final, a Melbourne derby, being sold out within 48 hours and gathering significant viewership online.

The idea of a finals series lies within the Australian sporting ethos; the other sporting codes have had this tradition for most of their existence, especially in recent history.

Football, though, is different from the rest of the sporting codes in Australia, unique even. This has historically contributed to its inability to integrate into the same supported status as other codes.

Many in the Australian footballing community, supporter groups, players, coaches, and even the new Director of Football Australia, have voiced concerns over fan numbers in the league competition.

It wouldn’t be absurd to say that maybe, though profitable now, the finals series is actually taking away from the league itself.

Consider the media image: the league winner is called the “minor premiership,” and ticket sales and viewership figures reveal a huge disparity between the two parts of the A-League.

It must be said that an alternative that could work in unison with the league and possibly increase viewership of the league itself would be a great advantage.

It would allow the league to gain more jeopardy and drama, which could build greater interest in attending league games.

One alternative is already here.

No other sporting code in Australia has both a league competition and a cup competition. Football in Australia does.

The Hahn’s Australia Cup is our equivalent to the FA Cup in England or the Copa del Rey in Spain.

These are competitions that offer a finals option in a different competition entirely. They generate huge traction while never diminishing the importance of the league and, therefore, its popularity.

These cup competitions cannot be discussed without acknowledging some obvious differences.

They don’t face the same popularity issues that football does in Australia. It’s obvious the Hahn’s Australia Cup doesn’t yet gain the traction that the finals series does.

However, for a healthy footballing environment with increasing fan numbers, it should.

The idea of elevating the Hahn’s Australia Cup and scaling back the finals series is a complex question, one that is treated like a “no-go zone” by many in the Australian footballing community, and that is understandable.

Though big changes like this might, in the end, be credible options for the future of the sport in this country.

Larger plans must be set in motion, strategies that can be worked towards and refined along the way. It is the process by which all large organisations, business models and even national governments build their strategies.

Such a shift will be scrutinised and pushed back against.

Though with further fine-tuning and smart investment in development, not to mention the introduction of promotion and relegation and the possibility of changing the footballing calendar.

It could replicate the success that these two-competition models already enjoy in other leagues.

The added importance that the premiership would gain, the reality that every game matters, could alongside other strategies entice fans to more games, increase viewership and ticket sales, and create more dedicated fan bases. It works in other nations, very well in fact.

The possibility of two teams lifting a trophy, rather than one single event defining it all, sounds like a strategy that could deliver more engagement over longer periods of time.

Maybe Australian football doesn’t need to answer this question just yet. It is complex, difficult and it would require a great deal of work, including significant investment into the game, which is another issue entirely.

Yet as low attendance numbers persist in the A-League, even alongside increased media viewership, something needs to change for football in Australia.

The rise in popularity of this game and its dedicated community deserves bold ideas and forward thinking.

Ideas like this could eventually begin to change the landscape of the beautiful game in Australia for the better.

Media Mega-Mergers, Minor Leagues: Why Global Consolidation Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Australian Football

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Image Credit: Profimedia.cz

The approval of a reported $113 billion merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global is being framed as the creation of a “next-generation media and entertainment company.”

But beyond Hollywood headlines, the deal signals something far more consequential for sport: a global media landscape rapidly consolidating into fewer, more powerful hands.

For Australian football, particularly the A-League, this is not just background noise. It is a structural shift that could define the league’s future.

 

A shrinking marketplace, a growing imbalance

The merger brings together an enormous portfolio of assets, such as film studios, broadcast networks and streaming platforms, under a single corporate umbrella. It reflects a broader industry trend: scale is no longer an advantage in media, it is a necessity.

Yet with that scale comes concentration. Fewer buyers now control more platforms, more audiences, and more capital. Critics of the deal have warned that such consolidation risks reducing competition and narrowing the range of voices in global media.

For sport, the implications are immediate.

Broadcast rights are no longer negotiated in a diverse, competitive market. Instead, leagues are increasingly competing for space within vertically integrated media ecosystems. This is because decisions are driven not just by audience demand, but by global strategy, bundled content offerings and long-term platform growth.

 

Why the A-League is particularly exposed

This shift lands unevenly across the sporting landscape.

Leagues like the Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) remain dominant domestic products, commanding billion-dollar broadcast deals and consistent mass audiences.

The A-League, by contrast, operates from a more fragile commercial base.

Despite its global game status, the league continues to face:

  • Inconsistent crowd figures
  • Fluctuating visibility
  • A comparatively modest broadcast deal with Paramount

In a fragmented media environment, this is manageable. In a consolidated one, it becomes a vulnerability.

Because as the number of broadcasters shrinks, so too does the margin for leagues that are not seen as “must-have” content.

 

From open market to closed ecosystem

The critical shift is not just economic, it is also structural.

In the past, leagues could leverage competition between broadcasters to drive rights value. Now, with fewer but larger players, the balance of power tilts toward the platforms.

Content is no longer simply acquired, it is curated.

And in that environment, only properties that deliver one (or more) of the following will thrive:

  • Guaranteed audiences
  • Global scalability
  • Year-round engagement
  • Strategic value within a broader content ecosystem

This is where the A-League faces both its greatest challenge—and its greatest opportunity.

 

The overlooked strength of Australian football

While often positioned as a “developing” product domestically, football offers something no other Australian code can replicate: global alignment.

As the world’s most popular sport, football operates within an international ecosystem that extends far beyond national borders. Australia’s geographic position, bridging Asian and Western markets, adds further strategic value.

For a global media entity like Paramount, this matters.

The A-League is not just local content. It is potentially exportable, scalable and aligned with global football narratives. It also taps into younger, more digitally engaged audiences, who are increasingly driving subscription-based streaming growth.

In a media environment defined by platform expansion, that is not a weakness. It is an underutilised asset.

 

Why consolidation should drive MORE investment

The instinct in a consolidating market is often caution by tightening budgets, focusing on proven performers and minimising risk.

But for Australian football, that approach is self-defeating.

Because without investment:

  • Production quality stagnates
  • Storytelling weakens
  • Audience growth plateaus
  • Commercial value declines

And in a system that rewards scale and engagement, stagnation is equivalent to irrelevance.

Instead, consolidation should be seen as a trigger for strategic investment:

  • Elevating broadcast presentation
  • Strengthening club identities and narratives
  • Expanding digital and streaming integration
  • Positioning the league within the broader global football conversation

In short, making the A-League indispensable, rather than optional.

 

The real risk: being left behind

The emergence of media giants like a merged Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global signals a future where content is filtered through fewer, more powerful gatekeepers.

In that world, leagues that fail to assert their value risk being sidelined, not because they lack potential, but because they fail to meet the evolving demands of the platforms that distribute them.

For the A-League, the danger is not collapse. It is marginalisation.

A slow drift into irrelevance while larger codes capture the attention, investment, and audiences that define modern sport.

 

Conclusion: a defining moment

This merger is not about Hollywood. It is about power.

Power over distribution. Power over audiences. Power over what gets seen and what does not.

For Australian football, the message is clear.

In a world of media consolidation, visibility is earned through value, not assumed through presence.

And if the A-League is to secure its place in that future, investment is no longer optional.

It is existential.

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