Newcastle Jets coach and former Socceroo Mark Milligan has added his powerful voice to a growing chorus demanding Australian football ends its decades of internal division, warning the sport is at a critical juncture.
Players Express 'Distaste' with League Administration
The call for unity comes as the game grapples with significant challenges. Former Socceroos goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne this week revealed a palpable "distaste" between players and the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), the body governing the national competitions. Redmayne lamented the A-League's declining visibility and a lack of player voice in key decisions.
His comments coincided with the release of the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) annual report for the 2024-25 A-League Men's season. The findings were stark: more than half (52 per cent) of players surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with the APL's management of the competition.
Since the APL took over administration from Football Australia in 2020, key metrics have trended downwards, including television viewership, match attendances, and central funding distributions to clubs.
A History of 'Missed Opportunities'
Addressing media ahead of the Jets' home clash with Melbourne City, Milligan reflected on a pattern of squandered potential. "There's been a number of occasions throughout the history of the A-League where we've had chances to really take the game to another level and, for whatever reason, we've missed those opportunities," Milligan stated.
The veteran of the league since its inception stressed the urgent need for a unified front and long-term planning. "It's very important that we're unified... We need to recognise where we're at at this very moment," he said, acknowledging the sport is "probably not in the greatest place." He urged all stakeholders to "dig in and push in the same direction" for future success.
Milligan's sentiments echo a powerful plea from Western Sydney Wanderers coach Alen Stajcic, who last weekend implored the football community to stop internal fighting. "We're struggling for TV revenue. We're struggling for media space. We're struggling to get fans into the game," Stajcic said, warning the "vicious cycle" would continue without unity.
Pressure Builds Ahead of Crucial Negotiations
The public discourse unfolds at a tense time for the sport. The PFA is preparing to begin negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), with talk of potential player strikes in the coming months. This timeline clashes with the A-Leagues' efforts to secure a new broadcast deal, adding further pressure.
The issues extend to the women's game. Jets A-League Women's defender Tash Prior called for the sport to better capitalise on hosting the AFC Women's Asian Cup in March 2026, suggesting the 2023 Women's World Cup was a "missed opportunity."
Her comments follow a damning PFA report released in November, which called for an urgent overhaul of the A-League Women, advocating for full-time professionalism for players in the next CBA.
On the field, the Newcastle Jets men's side are chasing back-to-back wins after a 2-1 away victory over Auckland, while the women's team aims to continue their strong start against the Central Coast Mariners.
