I'm at a loss to understand why we would have 30 match days. Surely having 13 teams is the same as having 14 teams except one team plays a 'dummy' team each round. i.e the equivalent of seven games each week - though only 6 played. After 13 weeks you would have played all opponents (including a bye) - then simply reverse the fixtures for a 26 game season.

   

1. Bin Unite round. It doesnt work for the A-league at the moment. 
2. The season is already 30 weeks long. They are playing 27 games and having international breaks.
3. Im huge on a move to winter. Start in Feb, play till October, have a month off in the middle of the season (June/July)

Basically just follow exactly what the MLS do. Thats the league we need to be a carbon copy of. 

If you do have to go to 16 teams, then finals need to be binned too. Just have a 30 round season and the winner beocmes the champion. Premiers plate is a thing of the past. 

Well sir I disagree but I respect you coming by to give your opinion let's see what happens 

Exactly, just make it 16 teams if that's the mentality ffs

Is that something they do? How do they manage to fit Canberra in

add 2 byes each to that equation and you're having 30 match days. Then you have Unite Round on top (which needs to happen for at least 1 more year). So we're either going to have to start 1 month earlier (late September) or have 4 midweek games each. 

Having an odd number of teams makes thing far more difficult logistically than you think. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a top tier league anywhere in the world that has an odd number of teams in the league.

Couldnt disagree more.

Its literally the least of the APLs problems.

My ideal number of teams in the top flight in Australia is 15. Play everyone at home and away for 28 games.

Who honestly cares about a bye. Theres international breaks all over the world, as well as make up games in almost every league due to European participation. 

Not as stupid as playing some team 2 times and others 3 per season mate.... 

Thats gonna make the combined mens/womens overall champions leader board thingy they've got going a little complicated isnt it :P

Well, if both of them go, but Auckland join next year, should be no bye rounds I think?
I'm only talking about the men's side, obviously (I can't remember who is/isn't part of the W-League).

I've been on this forum for seven years and I followed the a league longer then that. I've been made fun of online and laughed in my face even looked at weirdly on the train in my city scarf.

So I've been through the a league thick and thin but if this stuff with Newcastle and Canberra isn't sorted and we end up having bye rounds I don't know what I'll do.

I hated bye rounds when I was playing football and I hate it now in a professional league. It's stupid not playing every week so fix it apl