So why exactly does the Roar deserve it? 

You'll argue well "Roar puts x amount of $ into the local economy during match days". I say that simply represents an opportunity cost. Roar fans are not introducing new money into the economy, it is merely redistributing their income, which would otherwise be spent in other sectors or saved. So I disagree that sport = more revenue for businesses with no net effect anywhere else. 

The Roar are also a private enterprise (yes, I know you'll say something like legally they're a non-profit/trust, whatever) this doesn't change the fact they are owned by a billionaire family which views the Roar as a plaything if anything. Why exactly should any level of government fund expensive infrastructure which doesn't provide a public good or service to a private entity? Capitalism inherently contains risk and reward, why should any risk be borne to the taxpayer when again funds for a stadium and its long run costs are an implicit cost as well? If the Bakries care, put their own money in. I apply to this every single top level sporting organisation - so don't think I'm fine with the Broncos/Lions/Reds receiving the lions share of sport funding. I'd rather it be put into the grass roots, community clubs etc., where it would have the most effect. 

Just to be clear: if you don't like Rupert Murdoch or Clive Palmer receiving government money - why should the Bakries be exempt? If they want a stadium, go liquidate their assets or take out a loan or sell equity, or go without. A sporting stadium is an important input for sporting clubs to run. Funding a stadium would represent a subsidy to the Bakries not an investment with actual returns to the state. It is also incentives the Bakries to simply continue running as shit as they want. A private firm has the incentive to keep costs down and to organise their labour and capital in a way that is able to bring them profit. If they can't do that, they go out of business. 

The land given to the stadium also represents a very high opportunity cost. In an age where home ownership is getting out of reach of many people and where Australia continues to simply accept more immigrants, without any plan other than just put them in Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne, restricting the supply of a finite resource such as land simply drives up the cost of its use, especially when you all seem to want it within 15 mins to the CBD.

Sport = entertainment. Don't pretend it's like health care or education - these are needed services for the basic function of society. Sport can aid in bringing people/communities together hence why I believe any government funding for sport should be directed to community organisations, non/profits etc. The AFL/NRL don't need more money with billion dollar TV deals and sponsorships.

See the crap with countries and cities that host the Olympics/World Cups/other large sporting events. They're left with massive debt (which isn't even useful debt) and white elephant stadiums. Look at the NFL where owners can hold cities to ransom to build a stadium and then simply move when they feel like it. 

I hope you can understand why I don't want sporting organisations and private entities anywhere the government trough. 

All I will add is that while what Waz keeps saying ie. "we are defending well we just need to add goals" is true, I believe you are really only defending well because of how deep everyone is sitting. That makes it very hard just to "add goals" as you will never create the volume of chances A-League players need to score regular goals.

Even when O'Donovan used to score goals he always missed as many or more than he scored. He will not suddenly score his solitary chance per game. Serie A strikers maybe but not A-League strikers.

I was the person who said Brisbane were the worst team I had seen at Hindmarsh. I said that at half time and actually added 15 minutes later that Adelaide were then playing even worse than the worst as you did start to get on top for 20 minutes or so.

That first half though was hand on heart some of the most horrible football I had seen there and it shouldn't be dismissed as a mere troll. 

Even besides the tactics Brisbane players were awful. 99% of the time a Brisbane player was waiting to receive the ball on his heels and I lost count how many times an Adelaide defender nipped in front to steal it away. It was crazy to watch.  I would have gotten an absolute roasting if that had happened to me more than once in any of my amateur teams down the years. 

Brisbane came for a draw (nothing necessarily;y wrong with that). The keeper should have been carded early on for time wasting it was absurd. He would prepare for the goal kick then move the ball and prepare again and it took 4 times for the ref to start hurrying him. It started in the 3rd minute!!!

I have to believe it is the game plan to play the first half of every game with 10 behind the ball and get to half time 0-0 because it's sure as hell a pattern now.

All I will add is that while what Waz keeps saying ie. "we are defending well we just need to add goals" is true, I believe you are really only defending well because of how deep everyone is sitting. That makes it very hard just to "add goals" as you will never create the volume of chances A-League players need to score regular goals.

Even when O'Donovan used to score goals he always missed as many or more than he scored. He will not suddenly score his solitary chance per game. Serie A strikers maybe but not A-League strikers.

I was the person who said Brisbane were the worst team I had seen at Hindmarsh. I said that at half time and actually added 15 minutes later that Adelaide were then playing even worse than the worst as you did start to get on top for 20 minutes or so.

That first half though was hand on heart some of the most horrible football I had seen there and it shouldn't be dismissed as a mere troll. 

Even besides the tactics Brisbane players were awful. 99% of the time a Brisbane player was waiting to receive the ball on his heels and I lost count how many times an Adelaide defender nipped in front to steal it away. It was crazy to watch.  I would have gotten an absolute roasting if that had happened to me more than once in any of my amateur teams down the years. 

Brisbane came for a draw (nothing necessarily;y wrong with that). The keeper should have been carded early on for time wasting it was absurd. He would prepare for the goal kick then move the ball and prepare again and it took 4 times for the ref to start hurrying him. It started in the 3rd minute!!!

I have to believe it is the game plan to play the first half of every game with 10 behind the ball and get to half time 0-0 because it's sure as hell a pattern now.

Also, there is a difference between a scrappy, snatched at chance and a calm cutback and pass into the net.

On paper Roar might be creating chances but when they are hurried/stressed goal mouth scrambles and deflections its not the same as a properly crafted chance. Not saying roar have had none of them (Roy missed an insane one a few games ago) but also numbers on a page can be misleading and lead to false comforts.

The style of play from Brisbane might not be attractive, but the truth is they are creating enough chances (apparently in the top 4 of the HAL) for a decent striker to put them away.

AOK. Very good analysis.

Thanks 90 minutes

One more stat for the people that think Fowler's recruitment has been shit, is chances created. 

Jay O'Shea 17
Craig Noone  14
Dimitrios Petratos 13
Alessandro Diamanti 12
Diego Castro 12
Brandon O'Neill 11
Tommy Oar 9
Josh Risdon 9
Neil Kilkenny 9
Adam Le Fondre 8

https://www.a-league.com.au/stats-centre#!/players

If O'Shea's name was Sheavic, fans would be waxing lyrical about another gem that has been uncovered from Eastern Europe.  It's not O'Shea's fault that the goats in front of him can't put away the chances.  There's enough there for at least another 5-8 goals to have been scored.

Excellent post. 

There is a tendency in this country to get sport seriously out of perspective. 

Think most fans are perceptive enough to know the difference between a top quality import and an average/slightly above average one. If Diego Casto or Milos Ninkovic had 'anglo' names and had come from England, I guarantee there wouldn't be any less hype around them, because they're genuinely very good players. And as Davide82 said, stats often don't provide context. If a player squares a fairly easy pass to the striker  a few yards outside the box to hit and force a good save from the keeper, that likely goes down as a 'chance created' to the passer. Conversely, if a player (let's use Ninkovic as an example) hits an absolute pinpoint, defence-splitting through ball to Le Fondre to go 1 on 1 with the keeper who also forces a good save, that also goes down as a 'chance created' to Milos. Both players 'created chances', but one was far more significant than the other. I'm far from writing off O'Shea, and I agree that he's clearly not being helped by the poor finishing of others, but from what I've seen from BR in the league thus far, he hasn't really provided the killer balls or moments of magic the likes of Castro, Ninkovic, McGree, ABJ etc are all capable of producing. 

The style of play from Brisbane might not be attractive, but the truth is they are creating enough chances (apparently in the top 4 of the HAL) for a decent striker to put them away.

Your post proves that some fans aren't perceptive enough to know the difference.  Go back and watch the games if you want, but O'Shea has created excellent chances, both through beating players and killer passes.   The fact that some fans can't/won't see this is their problem not mine.  Your question re "if a player squares a fairly easy pass.."  is confusing.  Isn't a fairly easy pass still an assist?  Or are you saying Troisi's assist was easy and shouldn't be counted and that it was a 0-0 draw because of the ease of the cut-back? 

You are right, so the next stage of analysis is WHY aren’t they converting these chances into goals: a) what type of chances are these, genuine chances or half chances b) If they are genuine chances why are they not hitting the back of the net, and it’s not just ROD.

Okay, name them then. 


First of all, you'll notice that in the hypothetical scenario I gave, I specifically said that neither player scored from their chances (therefore no assist). You'll also notice that I was talking about someone laying off a fairly simple 2 metre pass to a striker outside the box who has a shot on target. 95% of the time, that goes down as a 'chance created' to the player who provided the striker with the pass. So am I comparing that to James Troisi playing a dazzling four-pass move between he and McGree (3 of which were inside the box), culminating in an excellent cut back for McGree to tap home? No, I'm not at all lol.    

Okay, name them then. 


First of all, you'll notice that in the hypothetical scenario I gave, I specifically said that neither player scored from their chances (therefore no assist). You'll also notice that I was talking about someone laying off a fairly simple 2 metre pass to a striker outside the box who has a shot on target. 95% of the time, that goes down as a 'chance created' to the player who provided the striker with the pass. So am I comparing that to James Troisi playing a dazzling four-pass move between he and McGree (3 of which were inside the box), culminating in an excellent cut back for McGree to tap home? No, I'm not at all lol.    

Now you're taking the piss. Why would I waste my time "naming them".  I'm not the troll visiting another team's thread telling them that they are crap.

The subjective adulation of a goal created by Adelaide vs the subjective denigration of chances created by BR illustrates that you lack the ability to even show a little objectivity, or that you are a sad troll.  Either way, enjoy your dazzling day :)

It’s not just ROD, although he’s missed a few. 

Many of the chances are quality eg one on one with the keeper (Inman on Sunday, ROD on two previous occasions), or clear shots at goal with just the keeper to beat (3 on Sunday) but blazing over the bar. There’s more than enough there to convert some or all of the games played in to wins. 

Why is the right question but I don’t think we can answer it here as there can be multiple causes eg it might be theyre not doing enough ball work in training, or it might be theyre doing too much ball work in training. It’s down to RF to figure out.