Good morning. The @aleaguewomen season kicks off today. Yes it has some existential issues. Clubs that individually and collectively could do better. Player welfare concerns. A talent drain overseas to play and to day jobs at home. But the main enemy of the competition is still apathy and disengagement. Waiting for every meta issue to be resolved before caring about who wins and why will mean waiting forever. The actual game of football itself is still the entertainment. And my philosophy has always been that making people fall in love with the game is the best way to keep them coming back at any level from grassroots to the World Cup, regardless of your background or beliefs. Give watching the games a go. Let me and my colleagues hook you in on contests you’ll enjoy and remember. Being enthusiastic about every 90 minutes on a week-to-week journey to crowning a champion doesn’t mean it’s an endorsement of every strategic decision or big picture concern off the field. The games are compelling, the players have great stories, and the competition is as accessible as it’s ever been. Every game is free on the 10 app (formerly 10 Play). Just hit “Live TV” on the home screen and scroll to the match. Every game is also available live along with full replays and highlights on Paramount+. So join us today and every weekend until May as we deliver season 19. And if you need a crash course in who’s playing where and what teams are looking like, give the season preview below a read 👇🏻

With less than a week until @AusChampionship kicks off now is a good time to reflect on what we in the media were saying at the end of 2025. Have we moved closer to meeting the aspirations in the last 10 months or have the objectives changed? podcasts.apple.com/au/podcas…

Given so much of the game is couched in existential crisis - the spectre of leagues or clubs folding, resources being stripped etc. South Melbourne and all the ex-NSL clubs’ resilience and ongoing survival gives them cache that many can’t match. Win or lose, get relegated, get promoted (Knights, Marconi et al) those institutions survive. Western United by contrast hibernated and then had their license stripped in under a decade. City and Western met in a grand final - one of the main trigger points for the Destination NSW deal - that seemingly resonated with no one. 20 years after the 2022 grand final how many will be wishing it was a match they could see again? It does surprise me there’s so much push back on hyping Victory v South. Suggestion it won’t resonate nationally, only a big deal in Melbourne or is even a bad thing for the game. We’ve got a good sample size of passively waiting to see if the establishment can do a better job. The real disruptors from the outside have earned this stage.

Ideal groups to maximise crowds. Just hand pick them to get everything trending in the right direction! Doesn't matter if all the states are stacked in the same groups. If we had a full H&A everyone would be playing each other anyway. My point has always been we went to put the national halo around matchups we already get to elevate and showcase them. "Balance" is an NPL National Finals concept, not an Australian Championship one. No point letting an imaginary fairness doctrine or state-based parochialism get in the way of the purpose of the Championship, which is getting as many fans in the gate and eyeballs on the screens as possible. A: Sydney United, Canberra Croatia, South Melbourne, Sydney Olympic B: Oakleigh Cannons, Sutherland Sharks, Wollongong Wolves, Preston Lions C: APIA Leichhardt, Marconi, Adelaide City, Bayswater City D: Lions FC, South Hobart, Broadmeadow Magic, Avondale