In the nearly two decades since, the A-League’s impact on the region’s sporting landscape has been mixed.
Initial attendances were strong, however the league’s lack of young, world-class talent and limited appeal to foreign players quickly soured the public’s perception of the quality of football on offer compared with the English and European leagues.
It’s a stigma the men’s league in particular has never quite been able to shake, despite it producing a number of exciting Australian talents, including Mat Ryan, Aaron Mooy and more recently Garang Kuol.
This problem is compounded by the constant presence of Cricket Australia, the All Blacks, the AFL and NRL – all of which enjoy a reputation as the global elite of their respective sports – competing locally for eyeballs and column inches.
Add to that the fact the league is played during the scorching Australian summer, along with a poorly-received broadcast deal with Paramount that, as of next season, will see just two men’s games and no women’s games broadcast on television each week, external – the rest are available via streaming – and it’s no wonder football is far from being the first, second or even third most-watched domestic sport.
Meanwhile, the pull of full-time, big-money contracts overseas has stripped the semi-professional A-League Women of its biggest stars, while the majority of those left behind are forced to either play in multiple competitions or take second jobs to make ends meet.
“The league’s administrators were short-sighted,” says Lewis. “They failed to get ahead of the curve by investing in women’s club football when they had the opportunity.
“It has had to reposition and rebrand itself as a greenhouse for the next generation of players who eventually seek bigger and better opportunities elsewhere, but that narrative is difficult to sell to a nation whose love of women’s football largely stops with the senior Matildas.”