Sounds like a stepping stone from the NPL rather than a stepping stone to the A-League. Small fry attempt but a least a start. It will be a long road before the NSD can provide that professional link to the A-League.

James Johnson has signalled his openness to the concept of such a competition in the past... The AAFC's report ostensibly now enables further conversations between it and the federation to continue surrounding a key aspect of Football Australia's reservations surrounding the competition's introduction, with Johnson telling ESPN in August 2020Johnson telling ESPN in August 2020 that he had "not seen a document yet ..."

"Ostensibly now enables further conversations"

Along with JJ's "openness" to the concept, geez, this really sounds likes its forging ahead at a rapid rate of knots!

Those numbers at least look realistic, but I am sure the PFA will have some reservations given their previous comments. 

"Although it has promised widespread consultation will all relevant stakeholders, ultimately, it is Football Australia that retains control over the introduction of a  of a potential national second division."
Well lets see how long before a decision is made on this...

NATIONAL SECOND DIVISION AFFORDABLE AND FEASIBLE

18/1/2021

Progress Report highlights the feasibility of a national second division, with clubs as the foundation for success
​Establishment of a national second division (NSD) competition is affordable and feasible according to a progress report released today by the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC). 
The progress report, entitled Reshaping Australian Football’s National Second Tier, states that the annual cost of running a NSD is estimated at up to $3.3 million. This includes centralised travel costs, but excludes any potential revenue from an anticipated OTT streaming solution, broadcasting and gaming data, and player transfers. 
In addition to the club participation fee of $200,000 per season, it is estimated that each club would require an annual budget of between $850,000 and $1.6 million – something that the 32 Partner Clubs involved in the interim report view as eminently achievable. 
Under current arrangements, the clubs taking part in the state or regional-based National Premier Leagues require up to $900,000 per season to take part in their competition, depending on their location and the size of the competition. 
Significantly, most clubs already operate numerous teams and have activities and facilities in place and do not require significant, additional infrastructure expenditure.
The single biggest cost to run the competition is travel, and the interim report sets out detailed analysis of the costs involved and how these can be met. 
The report notes that “… Clubs have expressed confidence they can generate additional revenue, especially for the commencement and establishment phases. Principally, this is from being able to offer to sponsors, supporters, and members a new, more exciting product…”.
AAFC believes that a NSD is critical to a re-set of football in Australia because it would provide motivation and inspiration to genuine community clubs to aspire to the highest level of competition possible.
The progress report refers to sentiments expressed by former English Premier League supremo and Advisor to the A-League clubs, Richard Scudamore, that there is nothing as strong in building football culture as home grown loyalty.
“Football clubs have been in Australia since the 1880s and have been built by people from all parts of the world who have all culturally enriched our country,” the progress report states. 
“It is the continuation of these clubs - as strong, vital and ambitious football clubs - which is critical to the development and organic growth of our game.”
The progress report makes it clear that many of the clubs which form the state-based competition structure have had “burdens and restrictions” imposed on them which limit their potential, to the detriment of the whole game.
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 football competitions around the world.
The interim report, which has been funded by 32 Partner Clubs from around the country with financial analysis undertaken by MI Associates, sets out a timeframe and key performance measures for operation of a NSD that would see the competition commence in 2022, and a women’s NSD introduced by 2025.
Key features of a proposed NSD are:

• A single national competition comprising 12 teams from the outset but expanding to 16 teams as soon as possible, and preferably within the first four years;
• All participating clubs must have grounds that can accommodate a minimum of 3,000 fans;
• Teams to be included based on meeting stringent criteria as the basis for entry, followed by promotion and relegation from lower tiers. There are ten criteria to be met including in the areas of youth development, coaching standards, finance and facilities;
• A $200,000 participation fee from each club; 
• A requirement for participating clubs to have a comprehensive women’s programme in place as a pre-requisite for participation in the NSD;
• No preference for a winter or summer season, but alignment with the ‘Whole of Football’ calendar; and 

• Establishment of a Women’s Football, Marketing, and Youth and Coach Development Steering Committees.

 
It is proposed that the NSD would be overseen by an Advisory Board comprising members of Football Australia and AAFC, supported by the steering committees. 
The next steps involve consultation with key stakeholders in football, principally Football Australia, the state and regional-based member federations, the A-League clubs and other football stakeholders before finalising the report by Easter for presentation to the Football Australia Board.


http://www.australianfootballclubs.org.au/media-releases

Can’t believe it took almost 15 years to come up with NPL national. 

Will be interesting to see how the selection process works, and how many spots are allocated to each state.

it will all depend on the bids put forward by those that can meet those funding and facilities requirements, but if they do try and broaden the Spread of clubs, it may leave some hard choices.

i still see it largely being dominated by the NSW, Vic and Qld clubs, with the potential for Canberra, Tasmania , Adelaide and Perth, so this will be interesting to follow what the mix of clubs is in the first group of 12. 

I think it may also be tied up with expansion. While there is still no real detail on future P&R to the A-League, the Canberra clubs will probably miss out to a Canberra United expansion team. Then where does team 14 come from? If it comes from Tasmania with govt support it would be hard to see another Tas tam make the cut in a 12 team NSD.     


This is basically what we are looking at

Illuminati confirmed.

lol..

Sorry not sure how to paste link for full report but there is a link to it press release where the report can be foind on bottom of page http://www.australianfootballclubs.org.au/media-releases.. its where the pyramid pictures above came from, fairly detailed, im just reading through it now but so far so gopd for me. Explains proposed selection process as well as model for funding, broadcasting, travel the works... not one dime from FFA looks like so I guess all JJ has to do now is rubber stamp it and let the selection process begin.....

Really pleased with the news.
Tbh this is the best case scenario that is actually achievable and viable.
Its a true positive that there isn’t any salary caps so the clubs and leagues can grow naturally to whatever suits their budgets.
If it means some clubs eventually go professional and dominate then so be it.

Finally the chance for clubs to enter a Second Div and eventually find their way into the A League-from around 2028...At least this is a start.
The other pro codes don't have Second Div I believe, thats innovative.

NBL1?

Just finished reading the report. All I can say is BRAVO. Well done Nick Galatas and the whole team. Kudos to the 32 clubs who paid to have this report eventuate you are owed a debt of gratitude by your members and supporters and all the soccer ecosystem below AL which will reap the rewards should your seed strike fertile ground. Good luck with the FA.
If this competition goes ahead in this form (and I applaud the systematic way you have justified your findings in each criteria and also married intent to the FFA xi white paper findings) In my oppinion it will be more significant for soccer than the NSL launch, the FFA cup launch and the Aleague launches combined... 200+ npl clubs plus who knows how many state and amateur clubs ALL linked to ONE top league through pro/rel....  heaven.

That's just like the existing NPL: a re-branding of state-based comps. Although one thing that basketball has in its favour is it's strong in regional centres. NBL1 has viable, popular teams like Ballarat, Mt. Gambier, Devonport, etc. They could very well do with a pro-rel structure, but since the NBL looks to the USA for guidance it probably won't be done.

I just finished reading the report too. There is one big absence in the financial modelling section: namely, club revenue. There is a listing of club expenses which looks pretty realistic (e.g., $450-800k for the playing squad costs), but no info on how much money clubs are expected to make, what kind of crowds they will get, sponsors, etc. Probably because the vast majority of top NPL clubs are heavily subsidised by social clubs, benefactors, juniors programmes, etc. They make barely any revenue at all from their senior side, and I'm not sure how much this will change in an NSD. Crowds might go up from the NPL, but I can't see too many clubs getting more than around 2000 spectators to a game at the most (SMFC might be an exception, but there won't be too many others).

I don't mean to sound too negative here: good luck to them if they think they won't go bankrupt joining an NSD.

Will be interesting to see how the NSD plays out alongside A-League expansion. My preference, and I imagine most people's here, would be simply for the A-League to promote a team from the NSD each year till they hit 16, and then start relegating as well.

But if they're hooked on their license fees (how much are these worth now though, given that CCM and the Jets can't even be given away?), then maybe they will fast-track expansion to reach 16 within the next couple of years (say: 2022 for 13-14, and 2024 for 15-16). Then you'd think they would be amenable to pro-rel, since the big clubs would have a significant buffer before they have to worry about relegation dogfights, and the new clubs would know what they were in for anyway.

If so, A-League expansion should focus on regional centres not yet covered: Canberra, Wollongong, Gold Coast, and then either Hobart or Auckland (depending if we can get away with another NZ side in the comp). And the NSD will be composed mostly of second tier sides from the major cities, which is what the report indicated was likely.

got a 2021 diary for crimbo, what date should i be pencilling for the start of second division ?

2nd tier should look towards english 5 th tier which started part time a generation ago but now is full time apart from one club

I meant footballing codes not the likes of tennis, basketball, darts or bocci, apologies.

Your right, they are a little light on forecasting revenue but in my opinion that is sort of understandable as in this climate it is hard to predict with any certainty. 32 currently operating clubs seem to think they can make a go of it, and sure I guess maybe a few will fall by the wayside overspending but this is a risk they will just have to take. Let them live or die by the sword I say, if there are clubs ready to go in the tiers below then no real harm to the competition or the footballing economy.

Reading the room and the language of the report it seems that NSD will play out DESPITE A-League Expansion. I think this is a good thing for both "camps" so to speak. A-League can continue to seek out new entities/investors in regional areas and open up new markets in the entertainment/commercial side of the game and the NSD and below can look to solidify, get to a point of perhaps 16 NSD and 16 national 3rd division and perhaps one day, in the very far future they may even combine. All speculation at this stage and I am absolutely positive that the FA, PFA and APL will throw some major spanners in the works of the NSD going ahead (it is illuminating that none of these organizations has even acknowledged this report so far) , Lets see what happens in April hey?

Agreed, but it's going to be a bit messy. Should clubs like the Wolves or a Canberra side bid for the A-League or the NSD? Does one cancel out the other? Do they play a year in the NSD then shoot up to the A-League even if their on-field results are mediocre?

Maybe we just have to sit out a few years of weirdness before we reach the promised land: an A-League of 16 teams + an NSD of 16 teams + state-based NPL leagues, with automatic pro-rel between all three tiers.

You're right they are light on it but the gate receipts from 2000 people is a hell of a lot than they are getting now in state NPLs.

I'd say there would be more work on that done when the final report is delivered to the FFA and more of the selection criteria is released.

I think a new, non-existing club based Canberra bid should aim for A-League inclusion ASAP!!!!! Same with one from Tasmania for what its worth. If any current  ACT or Tassie NPL clubs like South Hobart want to put their hands up for NSD inclusion then I don't think this would or should be an impediment. I dont know what Wollongong should do, I think they would be a shoe in for NSD but not sure if they would for A-League, I guess ultimately its up to them. A few years of weirdness is good mate, no problem there, at least the conversation is going from "old soccer, new football" to "lets see how we can all fit in this thing going forward" 

The Npl 1 clubs need $950k to operate now, in a Second Division, the will need between $850-$1.6m (mainly through travel costs).
Lets hope they can afford to be part of it as they did put their hand up to join, no one is forcing clubs to join.

The Wolves are a bit of an interesting one. They obviously tick more than enough boxes to be in either the NSD or the AL. However, they are not one of the wealthier clubs, which is why they pulled out of the running for the previous A-League expansion. That was with the FFA run league, the APL run league could be a different story. It will all depend on what the buy in is. If the licence fee is reasonable and/or they managed to secure some additional financial backing, I could see them having another crack, however I reckon they will take the lower risk route and focus their energy and resources on joining the NSD.

As per the white paper (and just like the A-League has always been), travel costs will be a league expense and not a club expense.

I suspect you may be right. Personally I would LOVE to have the Wolves in the NSD as it will rekindle an old rivalry and selfishly for me an away day I look forward to.

You were complaining earlier about WI buying their way into the aleague now 32 clubs have a plan for a NSD of 12 teams so how is the selection going to be any different to the aleague and will you be opposed to that?