A-League violence: Australian soccer has reached its point of no return - and as a long-time fan, it’s painful

Mark December 17, 2022 down as the day Australian soccer reached its point of no return. For years, A-League fans looked at soccer riots overseas and maintained that would never happen here. The moment Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover was assaulted by fans live on television, we realised how wrong we were. After a week dominated by accusations the governing body was trying to kill the A-League, fans took matters into their own hands and inflicted a potentially fatal blow on the league. If rusted-on fans were not already walking away after the Sydney grand final plans, they sure are now - and who can blame them? For so long, we - and I say we, as I have been a fan of the local league since the NSL days and into the A-League era - felt the game never got the dues it deserved, a victim of unfair stereotypes around the game. A fortnight ago, I wrote about how fans and active supporter culture were vital to pushing the code forward in this country and how the game needed to capitalise on the popularity of the live fan sites which proved to be an iconic part of watching this World Cup in Australia. Evidently, I was so very wrong. The actions of a few do not represent the views of the vast majority, many of whom are feeling the same emotions of shock, sadness and devastation. But those who stormed the pitch made the rest of us as a collective feel like we failed - as much as idiotic fan behaviour has always been called out, those attitudes ultimately subsided, festered and boiled over. It hurts because I have defended the league to a hilt for as long as I can remember. Since I started following the A-League Men, the fan-led initiatives which popped up around the league did such a great job of building up interest in lieu of the mainstream media. I volunteered my services for two separate fan websites fresh out of uni, covering Perth Glory games for no pay, purely because I was passionate about it. I would not be where I am today on a professional level if it was not for the time I invested in the A-League. I have made firm friendships with people over east through talking about our mutual passions for the league on Twitter, discussing the game on podcasts and celebrating the numerous memes birthed by the league. Tonight, no one is laughing. Everything we as fans worked to build up around the A-League has been blown to smithereens. The league has officially hit rock bottom. I have championed the A-League for as long as I can remember. Tonight, I wonder whether it was all worth it.