By David Gold
December 1 – Football Federation Australia (FFA) has set the national team the target of qualifying for and reaching the second round of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
They have also been tasked with winning the 2015 Asian Cup, which they will be hosting, as well as contesting a top 10 place in the FIFA rankings by that point.
The women’s team has also been set the goal of defending their Asian Cup crown and qualifying for the 2015 World Cup in Canada, as well as retaining their top 10 ranking.
The targets form part of the strategic plan outlined by the FFA, which sets out four strategic pillars, the first of which is the national team excellence which will be measured by the above targets.
“This is a Strategic Plan that that reaches every one of our 1.7 million participants – from the Qantas Socceroos to a five-year old boy or girl playing for the first time,” said FFA chief executive Ben Buckley.
“It engages with our A-League clubs and fans, drives the relationship with our commercial partners and cements the national unity achieved with our Member Federations.
“It’s a plan that will take the focus of Australian football from building foundations to creating growth.
“And it’s a plan that has a strong emphasis on the domestic agenda.
“The Strategic Plan is the product of long deliberations by the FFA Board and management and, importantly, consultations with key stakeholders throughout this year.”
The second pillar of the plan is the domestic league and its sustainability, with Buckley saying “it’s about bums on seats”.
Buckley wants improved engagements with clubs in the A-League as well as improved brand management and media relations.
The timing of the season and its structure will also be designed to maximise attendances at grounds across Australia.
The structure of the season will see games played between October and April, with marquee matches at the start of the campaign and a ‘Rivalry Round’ to maximise TV audiences, as well as fewer midweek games.
Engagement with grassroots football is the third pillar of the strategy, and the fourth is the 2015 Asian Cup.
The FFA hope that this will provide a financial legacy from a tournament budget surplus, as well as sold out games for the national team’s games and the final.
Buckley said that finance was key to achieving their targets.
“To achieve all the ambitious targets in our Strategic Plan we need capital to invest.
“Our next TV rights agreement is the opportunity to secure the financial footings of the game.
“Football has more participants than all the other codes combined and is the fastest-growing sport among women and girls.
“Our task is to build a compelling case for media companies to invest in this content as a core ingredient in their offerings.
“We are confident of securing a TV rights deal that recognises football’s popularity, reach and potential.”
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