AAFC shouldn’t have to go to FFA like an episode of Dragons Den.

Sanctioning a league and putting forward viable business cases for consideration are 2 different steps in my view. 

AAFC are not FFA employees.

like you say FFA should present a functional model to their management 

Was going to go to this game but it’s been postponed because of rain ... about 6 hrs ago.😒

I wish the Lions and Roar would re-couple again like the good old days of QLD Roar

Would love to see the clubs come together and just say something like "Look we made a NSD. It's semi pro and won't cost you a cent to run. " 

Even if they just joined the NSWPL and VPL withawith conferences as a proof of concept.  

Then basically the FFA would have no right to refuse it other than for selfish notions which you could argue they would have in the past. But I think if it was a self funded semi pro comp the public pressure on the FFA if they didn't approve it would end them. 

Anybody can form a football league. If a group of clubs get together and form a league, the league can play, get a broadcast deal, sponsors, sell tickets to matches etc.
Look at India over the last few years.
The only thing is, if FFA don’t approve the league, clubs won’t be allowed to play in competitions that are approved or organised by FFA or AFC.

Having said that, it would be almost certain that FFA would approve any league that was formed by NPL clubs.

Of course it does, FIFA require all participants to recognise their authority over the game which manifests itself via AFC and FFA in Australia. I don’t think that’s ever been disputed. 

Agree. If what is proposed makes sense, and they don’t go in asking the FFA for big $$ demands to get it going, go ahead.

The issue generally is that football is not cash rich and many seem to forget it when they push for things to happen. Find a way to generate enough money to sustain it and the case becomes far easier to approve.

Understand an earlier point saying that those clubs aren’t FFA employees, but in a situation they want action and a way forward, they will need to find a way to get the FFA’s attention. 

27 October 2017 AAFC put forward a timeline that they would undertake 

Timeline
November-February Stakeholder consultation
1 December 2017 AAFC calls for expressions of interest from clubs interested in
participating in The Championship
2 February 2018 Expressions of interest close
2 March 2018 FFA endorsement required
29 March 2018 The Championship Bid document made available on payment of $10,000 fee
25 May 2018 Bids close
June-August 2018 Bids assessed by Nous Group
September 2018 Nous Group report to AAFC Board
September 2018 Successful bidders notified
October 2018 Licenses issued
October 2019 Start of The Championship
Nothing happened!! 

June 1 2019 FFA delivers a White Paper - A Plan for a National Second Division is Australia.
4 March 2020 FFA signals that it is about to call for Expressions of Interest in a NSD when there the number of COVID-19 cases in Australia was in double figures.
Things changed.

The only real movement towards a National Second Division has been by the FFA engaging the AAFC. The AAFC set their own agenda and timetable and then preceded to do nothing except make noises.

Imo 2 things have slowed it down: FFA getting involved and Macarthur FC

They had a timeline that said they would call for Expressions of interest within 5 weeks. FFA did not get involved until after the licenses should have been issued. 

Would also suggest that in a time of waning interest, last thing AL wants is a new competitor, as we keep hearing, they need clean air to be viable

You occasionally hear people, or read in articles or blogs, that the new NSD could be funded by syphoning a bit of cash from current revenue streams, i.e. from the same revenue streams the A-League clubs are fighting to retain.
Given the broadcast deal for next season has just be halved, and basically all the major sponsors have walked, and as far as we know, none of them have be replaced, then what are the chances of the A-League clubs forgoing some of their ever diminishing revenue streams to help fund a national NSD?
I know you know the answer, but many are yet to come to the realisation.

unfortunately everyone is viewing the NSD using the AL business model while the majority of the clubs interested in NSD are former NSL clubs and their business model is completely different so same rules dont apply. 

As I understand NSL clubs had to pay an annual license fee to SA to participate and had to stand alone financially (ie  even when there was a decent tv deal SA didnt share any with NSL clubs). This would be basis of NSD business model and anything more would be a bonus.

Also vast majority (if not all) own their own stadiums already so even with smaller crowds will earn more than majority of AL teams at home matches.

Plus if transfer fees are introduced then that would also be a prime source of revenue. 

Final point, all the clubs from NSL that Lowy rejected when forming the AL survived and continue to operate in their respective state NPL comps. If AL ceases to exist, none of the teams would survive.

There is no point trying to implement the failed AL business mode in the NSD, we know it doesnt work, time to do something different

In fairness to the AAFC, the FFA second division working group took control of the process in mid 2018. They just took a whole year to produce the white paper. 
https://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/ffa-to-hold-second-division-talks
It was hard not to doubt the sincerity of FFAs change of heart in suddenly supporting a second division at that time (mid 2018). It just looked like a diversion tactic to take some heat off FIFAs push for governance reform.

How is that in fairness to the AAFC. According to the AAFC timetable they should have been assessing the bids at that stage. I would say in fairness to the FFA they have kicked the process along in spite of the inertia of the AAFC. The FFA were about to call for EOI (something the AAFC on 1st December 2017) when Covid-19 hit in Australia. 

The AAFC just seems to be a vanity project - not a serious attempt to establish a NSD. That's what the evidence seems to support.

The tough AAFC............”with or without the FFA”

ROFL

Unfortunately, that’s how It seems to come across. 

Don’t think it matters. 

Nikou stated 2034 at the earliest in 2019 for pro rel. The article Lost posted shows the date FFA started to slow down AAFCs momentum and we also had Marra, Krayem and Frasier lost to Macarthur 

This is demonstrably untrue. Melbourne Knights, Sydney Utd, Marconi and Brisbane Lions own their own stadiums, as far as I know. But most of the rest of the NPL play in council-owned grounds, even South Melbourne.

Four clubs (that we know of) is a pretty good strike rate.
Even with South Melbourne, they have a long term lease on their ground.

South Melbourne only needs crowds of 2,000 paying customers over 13 home games at its current home ground to generate $650k net

Even though Lakeside Stadium is certainly an improved facility, I miss the days in its football specific configuration. 

Where do you get this info from? If the lease is $0 per year, then that would mean each of those customers would have to pay $25 each per ticket, which is already pretty high for second tier football. Then take into account discounts for pensioners, kids, and season ticket holders and you're looking at $30-40 for a single adult ticket to get to that number. And that's only if it's a peppercorn rent. 

South Melbourne has catering rights over the ground for its matches, I’ve added that on to the figure. But doesn’t include coterie and corporate returns.
South Melbourne was also on target this year to generate $700k in sponsorship an increase on 2018.
iIn a NSD the expectation is to have over $1mill
Current budget for 2020 is for a $2.2mill pre-COVID 
That should help you calculate a rough budget

You can put part of the blame on that on FFA and FV at the time for not assisting in pressuring the Government to not instal an athletic track.

With all due respect Pat you are talking shit!
Remo and the FFA came on board with the proposal but at the same time the FFA head of Women’s Football knocked on the head the proposal to have a Women’s NSD as part of the NSD.
All along the way the owners have placed road blocks on its development because quite simply they don’t want it.
The hold is squarely at the feet of the FFA they have the staff and resources to have had everything in place but they haven’t. The AAFC are volunteers a big difference
The XI principles has downgraded and barely mentions the NSD.
The Owners don’t want it and the FFA is afraid of them.

Happy to defer to you since I know you tend to be on the money when it comes to this side of the game. I was only quoting what was in the public domain from the AAFC.

Very valid point about the volunteer basis of the AAFC vs the resources of the FFA but I still can't see why expressions of interest weren't called for in December 2017 just 5 weeks after AAFC set their timetable.

They were and they got 23 positive responses then, but then we got the FFA working party process.
They will be asking for new submissions shortly.