Things are unusually calm at Lakeside, absolutely chaos outside of it, but calm at Lakeside. Now that we’ve successfully navigated a coaching change and a midseason transfer window the rumour mill has come to a halt.
So what are people around the club talking about? Well, for the most part, football! The team is playing well and conversations are mostly about player selections with many ending in win-win stalemates. The team now has depth, and the incoming signings are actually being challenged for positions by formerly fringe squad players who are now finding confidence.
Issues in the midfield? Not anymore, Pope and Leech have discovered impressive form, pressing teams effectively and scoring goals. Good luck Menelaou!
Issues up front? Not so fast, Brennan and Bonada are finding the back of the net. Let’s give Mikkola a rest, heck we don’t even need Nagamatsu in the Cup.
Red cards in defence? Spink and Marshall have it covered, and if necessary we can bring in Inglese from his usual centre forward role (lol).
Happy days in a way, things may turn if we lose our coming cup games, but for now let’s just enjoy it, gosh knows we deserve some rest.
Where fans do feel like they need to complain, for once they are turning to more traditional outlets, namely refereeing. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that South is being overlooked for penalty calls. Recent offences include an obvious trip against Heidelberg and farcically an indirect free kick in the box against South Hobart! On top of that the referees seem happy to challenge our depth after a shocking red card call for Jankovic which threatened our game against Altona.
Considering the above, one wonder what fans will actually be able to bring up at any potential fan forums, following the commitment by the board that we’ll see another one this year. For me the big one is the status of that new competition… no not the Australin Championship… the OFC Professional League.
This has gone under the radar but I need to emphasise this… that competition is very serious business. Just a cursory glance at the competition structure should make that clear, and it will fundamentally change the operations of the club, not necessarily for the best either.
Let’s assume we qualify. What then? Well the competition kicks off in January and runs until May which automatically means our 2026 NPL Vicotria campaign will be likely relegated to a youth team endeavour, and our 2027 season will likely be contested in VPL1…
What else to consider? Money is a big one. Unlike the other Oceania teams Australian teams aren’t eligible for FIFA funding meaning that without government support our finances won’t stack up. The competition will require travel across five pacific locations – note Australia isn’t guaranteed home games.
This also brings into question the routine of the tournament. It’s certainly not a Home and Away format, rather 17 games will be played across 5 rounds hosted in 5 locations. For example one round might see us travel to PNG and play three games over the course of a week. How are we meant to support the team if most of the games will be away from home? How will we recruit players if they need to travel for a week at a time?
On players, outside of the obvious payment, and availability concerns, the next consideration is quality. Would we need to sign players better than our existing squad? In the Australian context that’s not possible unless we find a lot more money.
In a home and away format, I can kind of see how this works. In the currently proposed format, it makes the Australian Championship format look utopian. I don’t support our inclusion in this competition based on this format, except in the case we get bucket loads of cash from the Government.
Recruitment for that competition will be a nightmare unless we get some favourable regulatory and financial support, but closer to home we may have some other recruitment headaches.
The Australian Championship is just around the corner. Will we get another transfer window? If we do, what are we meant to do? There are no clear weak links in the squad and we have gotten results against other top teams now, specifically that win against Avondale. Are we actually good enough? I guess the upcoming games against Avondale and Oakleigh will provide a clearer explanation.
The other question it begs is whether Cohadzic will stay on. I for one think he deserves to stay. He has done wonders transforming the team and instilling confidence in the players. His extension isn’t just a reward for his initial risk taking on the job (things were glum back then) but sends an important signal to a playing group which has worked hard, and succeeded in their improvements.
In less serious musing though, the heritage kits have finally come in and I am waiting anxiously to get my hands on mine. I wanted more blue in the stands and now I have a chance to walk the walk!
Finally a shocking comment from Paul Mavroudis on twitter which must be addressed. At the Heidelberg game he experienced something so shocking it sent a shiver down my spine… quick service at the canteen for a tasty meal! Shock horror!
Look, I don’t mind the current canteen offering at Lakeside and understand our tiny social room kitchen can only do so much. Clubs that can set up outdoor BBQs have an advantage on us in this regard. However, I am not the regular fan, I am patient and not too bothered by watching some of the game in the social club room. For the average fan though our canteen experience is disappointing.
I once again implore the operator to review their service systems and product offering. Key to customer satisfaction will be to receive product at the point of payment, rather than wait for food. This will also allow for better people management in the club room (waiting to order vs waiting for food allows for defined line management) which will improve social club usage for everyone and remove a bottle neck near the stadium door.
End of rant.
Blue and White Views 
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