3 for promotion, 2 for FA announcement.
Reality is a different story.

Hmmmmm

Carneys pulled the pin on Coaching Wollongong

Going overseas to further his career

https://mens.nplnsw.com.au/2024/09/23/david-carney-steps-down-as-wollongong-wolves-head-coach/

Can't he get his KNVB sports specifc coaching accreditation here? Oh well, maybe the Wolves are pushing him on to make way for Arnie?

Kalac gone, and now Carney, both coaches who's clubs were meant to be in the NSD next year. 

they know something that the FA aint telling the public just yet...

The FA dont need to announce anything mate (2 months of silence is enough of an answer) ... its done.... if the clubs follow through with their threat of legal action or not is another story altogether.

At least some are still hopefull out there...

https://www.frontpagefootball.net/post/year-zero-the-nst-foundation-clubs-in-season-2024

Nice piece Declan. 

Whens NST champions league select kick off and whats the format?

Don't know and at this stage don't really care. 

All quiet on the western front...
How do we get a job at FA?

Send a resume to the City Football Group... not sure if there are any openings this year.... 

https://greekherald.com.au/sports/president-damon-hanlin-addresses-sydney-olympic-fcs-financial-challenges-at-agm

"Hanlin and CEO Lawrie McKinna later informed members about the future of the National Second Tier (NST), offering some hope with updates on discussions with Football Australia (FFA). They explained that despite some clubs undermining the competition, the FFA remains committed, describing the NST as having a “strong heartbeat.” However, challenges are preventing its launch in the originally planned format for 2025. While the competition name has been confirmed, doubts persist about the kick-off timeline, with concerns that the initial target of 2025 may be pushed to 2026 due to other clubs withdrawing and not feeling prepared.

McKinna also noted that the FFA is considering expanding the league by opening the application process to additional clubs, particularly from Queensland and other regions, aiming to add four more teams for a total of twelve. However, financial difficulties, especially securing a bank guarantee of $500,000, remain a significant hurdle for many clubs hoping to join the NST.

During the meeting, members were asked to vote on approving the club’s financial statements, changing the financial year at the request of Football New South Wales, and proceeding with the NST."

No concrete update but glad for the communication nonetheless. 
Is it more apia and su fault rather than the fa?

Good to see something showing hope.
Graz I don’t think it can be questioned just on the those 2, it quotes hoping to get up to 12 clubs, trouble is gaining $500k from banks for other club in interest by the read of it.

i wonder why 500k - I find it’s ott for the part time clubs, 250k I find reasonable and gettable but hey im just a enthusiast without all the facts and figures.

I heard the bank gaurantee had been lowered. I giess not?

Ive had 3 separate "sources" tell me an announcement is imminent over the weekend but I refuse to believe ANYTHING anymore.... I predict a short sharp grab from  JJ in the next few weeks to state that "we are still working on the details but timeline has been pushed out to 2026"

curious what the three sources are saying will be announced

Yeah I'm not sure about the figure, but I'd say the guarantee is just that, a guarantee that players and staff still get their contracts paid even if the club abandons the league. How much is a season of wages worth? I'm not including losses from sponsorships.

It might even be two seasons worth of expenses as I think that was rumoured to be how long these clubs were initially guaranteed to be licensed for the league.

Depends on who you ask and what time of day it is.... pessimism follows optimism almost instantaneously... The message out of FA is wishy washy at best. 

All I notice is that some NST clubs are now signing players and coaches on two year contracts starting next year... what that means is anyone's guess.... 

$500k is 1/3 of year's wage bill for some of these clubs mate..... 

MSC, I was told by a source involved with one in your burbs the NPL points system is crazy - hard to sign players and improve sqaud whilst its all crickets atm.

Makes sense to me.

Yeah player points system was a joke... Now they are all aligned (NPLs) I believe and the points are scrapped in favour of having 5 youth players in match day squad plus NO FOREIGN keepers for some bizarre reason... Nobody can tell me if this is the same for NST clusb though... we wait and see?

Even the NPL players that are supposed to be playing in the NSD have no clear view of when and what that will look like. 

MC hammer told me, 'cain't touch this'

well unfortunately not surprised players know nothing, a tough time for them, only the FA knows and obviously everything is on hold probably due to countless barriers that is typical of our football landscape to this day.
We really need a broom put through everything for the sake of the game getting some kind of cohesion and direction as one for the following decades.
A NST/proper Pro comp that links with below creates ambition/targets as well as improving Clubs, improving developing, its the knock off effect so as the game can come into the 21century finally instead of the dis jointed model we have to date.

Something is definitely brewing mate... what that is is anybody's guess.... we wait... as always. 

Bump past spam

As the current funding problems at the Mariners indicate the ALM is totally unsustainable so it would make sense for discussions around the NST to involve combining both leagues into a FA run competition. 

It's a home and away league format, and nothing else.

That may not be the best format for the sustainability of the league.
Bear (pun intended 😀) in mind the clubs are currently bleeding millions of dollars with the home and away format.

How the hell does the rest of the planet manage to sustain proper league formats, for over 100 years, in most countries.

Yet in Australia, it seems we MAY be on the verge of a second league collapsing in 20 years or so. Remember they have tried promotion and relegation and a two conference system, with neither seeming to have worked. This must be a uniquely Australian thing.