Underwhelming build-up to A-League Men grand final fails to justify controversial NSW deal

W hen the deal to sell hosting rights for its next three men’s and women’s grand finals to Destination NSW was announced, A-Leagues’ chief executive Danny Townsend spoke of the vindicating qualities of the “fullness of time”. This elixir to heal all wounds would eventually produce a level begrudging understanding, if not appreciation, from a furious supporter base.

As a strategy, it’s simple. Persevere through initial scepticism before delivering something that forces naysayers, through gritted teeth if needed, to acknowledge that perhaps the whole idea had some merit.

Heading into this weekend’s ALM decider between Melbourne City and Central Coast Mariners, though, ill feeling towards league administrators remains stubbornly persistent. It may not be as visceral as the riotous fury of six months ago, but a day out from the first men’s title decider under the deal, it is still deep-seated and contemptuous.

Which brings us to the inaugural Festival of Football. Envisioned as a weeklong celebration of the local game, the concept was supposed to provide a foundational underpinning for the initial deal with Destination NSW. It gave a sense of purpose and legitimacy beyond a simple deal to host the league’s biggest games. It wasn’t about a quick cash-grab, but the creation of a tentpole event that would elevate the game in the public’s consciousness and establish a week on the sporting calendar that was its own. To plan festivities that would do this concept justice, it was said, it needed a fixed location and government backing.

The festival became one of the most critical measures of the deal’s success and, importantly, a tangible deliverable. Other touted benefits were nebulous – hard to quantify, undermined by mixed or