[FM24] Australia Alternate Reality - Fantasy, New Clubs, Divisions, Cups etc

[musha_13]

What if, in 1858, when searching for a football game to keep cricketers fit in winter, Tom Wills adopted the Cambridge Rules, and in turn in 1863 the Victorian Football Association adopted the Football Association laws, rather than creating their own rules? Association Football takes off in the Australian colonies, never to look back....

This is the story (& database) of an Australian Football alternate history. 

Association Football quickly gains a stronghold in Victoria and spreads around the rest of the continent, it becomes the primary football code in every colony. Rugby is played in the limited upper classes, especially NSW & Queensland, however football is the game of the common man - and as a result Rugby League never hits Australia with any meaningful cut through. 

By 1901 there had been many inter-colonial matches but nothing consistently organised - that all changes with Federation and the introduction of the Federation Cup to crown the Champions of Australia - this becomes the primary national competition, albeit a cup, through to 1961 with clubs confined to league football in their own states.

In 1961 a national league is finally formed (Australian Premier League), a second division added in 1999 (National League 1) and a third in 2016 (National League 2). The Federation Cup continues to run as the primary nation-wide cup tournament with the semi finals and final played on consecutive weekends at the start of December to end the club season; and each state continues to run their own State Championships (Feb-Mar) prior to the National league seasons beginning (Apr-Nov). 

So, who are the teams currently in the national leagues, and what are their stories?

Victoria 
The Melbourne Football Club was founded in the weeks after the cricketers started playing football in 1858, and over the next two decades the Geelong(1859), Bendigo(1861), Warrnambool(1861), Carlton(1864), St Kilda(1873), South Melbourne(1874), Port Melbourne(1874), Hotham(1877) & Footscray(1877) clubs were formed. This was followed by North Ballarat in 1882, and Collingwood in 1892.

These clubs remained at the forefront of Victorian football through to the end of WW2 with very little change - aside from Hotham changing their name to Hotham Thistle in 1908 to acknowledge the Scottish influence in their playing ranks.

The aftermath of WW2 changed things quite dramatically with a huge influx of migrants from Europe - all who loved football and quickly adopted the local clubs as their own. The Italians in the northern suburbs found Carlton & Collingwood (with the later adding Juventus to their name when the Italian community bailed them out of financial difficulties in the 80’s), the Greeks found South Melbourne (adding Hellas to their name in homage), the Czeckoslovakians found Port Melbourne (adding Slavia) and the Serbians found Footscray (adding JUST). 

In addition - the Croatians formed their own club in Sunshine - Sunshine Croatia; and the Hungarians founded Melbourne Hungaria who moved all over the city before settling in Wyndham in 2010 and becoming West Melbourne Hungaria. Like Hungaria, St Kilda struggled to maintain a stable home ground and in 2003 moved to a new facility in Casey, & stadium in Dandenong, to become the South East Saints.

New South Wales
The Sydney “Original Big 3” were all founded in the 1880’s. Wanderers in Parramatta in 1880, Pyrmont Rangers in 1884 & Caledonians in Moore Park in 1885. Separately two clubs - Newcastle Rosebud (1889) & Wallsend (1887) - were formed in the Newcastle area. These 5 clubs dominated NSW football before & through the World Wars. Canterbury-Bankstown (1886), St George (1920) and Sutherland (1936) were all founded during this period also.

Like Victoria, the aftermath of WW2 dramatically changed the landscape - however NSW saw migrants mainly create their own clubs rather than supporting the incumbents (the exception being the Hungarian community & St George) - Hakoah Sydney (Jewish - 1939), Sydney United (Croatian - 1956), Sydney Olympic (Greek - 1958) and Marconi (Italian - 1960) are the examples of this. 

In 1966, Canterbury-Bankstown moved to Penrith and became the West Sydney Berries, and, after years of being nomadic, the Pyrmont Rangers became simply Rangers AFC and moved to Campbelltown in 1983. Sydney Olympic capitalised on the actual Olympics in 2000 and moved to the Olympic Stadium in 2001 - immediately doubling their attendances. Other clubs include Wollongong Wolves (1980) and Central Coast United (2017).

Queensland
Football in Queensland took off in both Brisbane & Ipswich. In Brisbane the Queen’s Park team was formed in 1884, and the Pineapple Rovers in 1888; whilst in Ipswich the Coalstars were formed in 1888. These three clubs dominated through to the World Wars until Brisbane Azzuri (1952) and Brisbane Hollandia (1957) were founded. 

In recent years, national league teams on the Gold Coast (2009), Sunshine Coast (2008), in Townsville (2009) and in Cairns (2017) have been founded.

South Australia
Organised football in South Australia was slower off the mark with the first state championship not held until 1903 - Port Adelaide (1870) and Hindmarsh (1904) dominated, winning every championship until 1944. Adelaide City were formed by the Italian community in 1946 and have developed to be seen in stature alongside Port and Hindmarsh. Other clubs are the Polish-backed Polonia Adelaide (1950), the Greek-backed West Adelaide (1962) and the Britannia Football Club which was formed in 1956 by the influx of British immigrants in the Northern Suburbs on the 10-pound-pom program.

Western Australia
There was no dominant team in early WA football with a lot of teams now being defunct. Fremantle Corinthians were formed in 1900 and are the earliest team still in existence. This changed in 1912 with the formation of Northern Casuals and 1926 with the formation of Victoria Park - these two clubs now have one of the fiercest rivalries in the country and are at the forefront of WA football. Other clubs include Subiaco AFC (1909), Floreat Athena (1951) and East Fremantle Tricoloure (1953).

Tasmania
Tasmania has two clubs in the national leagues - the Cricketers Football Club founded in 1874 who have won 62 state championships, and their great rivals South Hobart (1910). Cricketers have won 3 Federation Cups, with their most recent in 1947.

ACT & NT
The territories have two teams in national competitions - neither have won anything of note. The Darwin Cubs that were founded in 1995, and Canberra United who were founded in 1977.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
League Summary
Australian Premier League - 18 teams (3 relegated)
Australian National League 1 - 18 teams (2 auto promoted, 3-6 into playoff/3 relegated)
Australian National League 2 - 18 teams (2 auto promoted, 3-6 into playoff/4 relegated)
Regional Premier Leagues (4 leagues - NSW/ACT, VIC/TAS, QLD/NT, WA/SA) (1 promoted from each, 2 relegated from each)

Federation Cup - approx 450 teams, knock out tournament 

Victorian State Championship - 20 teams, 4 groups of 5 into 8 team knockout
NSW State Championship - 30 teams, 6 groups of 5 into 8 team knockout
Queensland State Championship - 20 teams, 4 groups of 5 into 8 team knockout
SA State Championship - 12 teams, 2 groups of 6 into 4 team knockout
WA State Championship - 12 teams, 2 groups of 6 into 4 team knockout
Tasmania State Championship - 8 teams, 2 groups of 4 into 2 team knockout
Territories Cup (ACT/NT) - 8 teams, 2 groups of 4 into 2 team knockout

Use "Early 2023 Pre-Season" as your start date to ensure you get to play full state championship in first season.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

I hope you enjoy, it's been really fun to make. I have updated a lot of players histories and attempted to remove all reference to current A-League clubs and histories however so remnants remain - I hope you can look past this Have made graphics etc and will look to upload these elsewhere.

 

Aus Alt.fmf

Edited December 19, 2023 by musha_13

[michaelfarrow]

Delightfully insane, life-affirming stuff.

[Vakama2619]

I'm actually quite keen on this, are Coalstars the only Ipswich based team here?

[Vakama2619]

I'm also curious what sort of research you've put into this, it would've definitely taken a lot of time, also why did you want to remove the A-League completely when not every AL club was formed specifically to compete in the AL?

[Vakama2619]

Couldn't help but noticed that a Queensland team has found its way into the NSW/ACT comp

[musha_13]

On 20/12/2023 at 17:09, Vakama2619 said:

Couldn't help but noticed that a Queensland team has found its way into the NSW/ACT comp

I'll have to have a look into this, it didn't happen in any of my testing - possibly I've got the wrong region set for them. 

[musha_13]

On 20/12/2023 at 13:26, Vakama2619 said:

I'm actually quite keen on this, are Coalstars the only Ipswich based team here?

In the top 3 leagues, yeah. I had considered a couple but settled on just the one.

[musha_13]

On 20/12/2023 at 17:04, Vakama2619 said:

I'm also curious what sort of research you've put into this, it would've definitely taken a lot of time, also why did you want to remove the A-League completely when not every AL club was formed specifically to compete in the AL?

Just thought it would be interesting, wouldn't be a lot of need for any of those clubs if there was other clubs (especially non-ethnic ones) entrenched in those cities. 

[Vakama2619]

4 hours ago, musha_13 said:

I'll have to have a look into this, it didn't happen in any of my testing - possibly I've got the wrong region set for them. 

They transferred back to the QLD/NT league after a season in this sim

[Golden Gordon]

Great minds think alike. I've done similar databases for myself since around FM13 based on the same premise, that in Melbourne it was Association Football that was taken up as the football played rather than Wills and his associates coming up with their own rules, Australian Rules football. Though to be fair, it really should be known as, and was for a length of time, as Victorian Rules. Being from Sydney, Aussie rules was known in my childhood as that odd game they play down south. It is also interesting to note that Wills attended Rugby school in England and thought that the tackling in Rugby wouldn't suit the harder grounds in Melbourne, in part why he sought to come up with something different.

To give some context for those who aren't Australian, we are unique, I think, in that we have 4 professional football codes, Assoc football, Australia rules football, Rugby League and Rugby Union. Despite its name Australian rules is not really a national code of football as in NSW and Qld it is Rugby League that is the dominant code. Aussie rules is dominant in Vic, Tas, SA, WA and NT. Assoc football is probably more evenly spread across all States and Territories but it isn't the dominant code in any of them. As with Rugby League, Rugby Union is primarily NSW and Qld based, but at club level is rather minor. Rugby League came about in 1908 for the same reasons as it did in England in 1895 and quickly supplanted Rugby Union as the dominant code in NSW and Qld . For the reasons above I maintain that it is cricket that it our national sport.

However it was Assoc football that was the first code to have a national competition with the National Soccer League starting in 1977. The current AFL and NRL competitions for Aussie rules and Rugby League, grew from the Melbourne based VFL and Sydney based NSWRL competitions respectively, expansion taking place from the 1980s as TV revenue started to flood the codes. If you look at the current comps and wonder why there is a preponderance of Melbourne/Sydney clubs in each, this is why.

If not for the influx of European migration after WWII and those people wanting to play football and forming their own clubs, I'm not sure the code would be where it is at today. It won't happen in my lifetime but I do hope that one day it does become the pre eminent code in Australia. The success of the Womens World Cup held here and in NZ last winter shows that people do want to watch the game. The matches were well attended and TV ratings were astronomical, especially for the Matildas. it's just a matter of translating that to club football. 

Back on topic, an excellent database which I can't wait to get stuck into. Great work, mate. 

 

 

 

[Vakama2619]

4 hours ago, musha_13 said:

Just thought it would be interesting, wouldn't be a lot of need for any of those clubs if there was other clubs (especially non-ethnic ones) entrenched in those cities. 

I could easily see some of them in the non playable/regional premier leagues. I still feel Melbourne City would exist regardless, just cus of the Man City links and Phoenix could possibly exist in the NZ pyramid.

[Vakama2619]

3 minutes ago, Golden Gordon said:

Great minds think alike. I've done similar databases for myself since around FM13 based on the same premise, that in Melbourne it was Association Football that was taken up as the football played rather than Wills and his associates coming up with their own rules, Australian Rules football. Though to be fair, it really should be known as, and was for a length of time, as Victorian Rules. Being from Sydney, Aussie rules was known in my childhood as that odd game they play down south. It is also interesting to note that Wills attended Rugby school in England and thought that the tackling in Rugby wouldn't suit the harder grounds in Melbourne, in part why he sought to come up with something different.

To give some context for those who aren't Australian, we are unique, I think, in that we have 4 professional football codes, Assoc football, Australia rules football, Rugby League and Rugby Union. Despite its name Australian rules is not really a national code of football as in NSW and Qld it is Rugby League that is the dominant code. Aussie rules is dominant in Vic, Tas, SA, WA and NT. Assoc football is probably more evenly spread across all States and Territories but it isn't the dominant code in any of them. As with Rugby League, Rugby Union is primarily NSW and Qld based, but at club level is rather minor. Rugby League came about in 1908 for the same reasons as it did in England in 1895 and quickly supplanted Rugby Union as the dominant code in NSW and Qld . For the reasons above I maintain that it is cricket that it our national sport.

However it was Assoc football that was the first code to have a national competition with the National Soccer League starting in 1977. The current AFL and NRL competitions for Aussie rules and Rugby League, grew from the Melbourne based VFL and Sydney based NSWRL competitions respectively, expansion taking place from the 1980s as TV revenue started to flood the codes. If you look at the current comps and wonder why there is a preponderance of Melbourne/Sydney clubs in each, this is why.

If not for the influx of European migration after WWII and those people wanting to play football and forming their own clubs, I'm not sure the code would be where it is at today. It won't happen in my lifetime but I do hope that one day it does become the pre eminent code in Australia. The success of the Womens World Cup held here and in NZ last winter shows that people do want to watch the game. The matches were well attended and TV ratings were astronomical, especially for the Matildas. it's just a matter of translating that to club football. 

Back on topic, an excellent database which I can't wait to get stuck into. Great work, mate. 

 

 

 

Association Football is definitely on the rise in Australia, particularly following good runs for both the Men and Womens World Cup (yes R16 is a good achievement for us). Do I feel it'll overtake AFL/NRL, probably not, which is a shame. I have a small grudge against those European clubs founded here as my local city Ipswich was dominant in QLD pre WWII, (and also Sydney United because **** them) but you have to admit they've definitely grown the sport here.

[Vakama2619]

But yes this database is very good, even if I have been a bit critical, I usually am with most files I dip my toes into, particularly Aussie ones.

[Golden Gordon]

8 minutes ago, Vakama2619 said:

Association Football is definitely on the rise in Australia, particularly following good runs for both the Men and Womens World Cup (yes R16 is a good achievement for us). Do I feel it'll overtake AFL/NRL, probably not, which is a shame. I have a small grudge against those European clubs founded here as my local city Ipswich was dominant in QLD pre WWII, (and also Sydney United because **** them) but you have to admit they've definitely grown the sport here.

Yeah, gotta agree Sydney United haven't covered themselves in glory the past few years. My local team is Sutherland Sharks and I did support Wollongong in the old NSL. Football does have a long history here, it's always been quite strong in Wollongong and Newcastle with some clubs from the 1880s still about. Both cities with strong coal mining roots.

[Vakama2619]

42 minutes ago, Golden Gordon said:

Yeah, gotta agree Sydney United haven't covered themselves in glory the past few years. My local team is Sutherland Sharks and I did support Wollongong in the old NSL. Football does have a long history here, it's always been quite strong in Wollongong and Newcastle with some clubs from the 1880s still about. Both cities with strong coal mining roots.

Western Pride won the NPL Queensland a few years ago before getting relegated and recently merged with a club in 5th or 6th tier, Brissy, Gold Coast and up North are the only places where professional teams get based, although we usually have a tier 2 team (Jets in QCup, Force in NBL1) Apparently we tried to bid for a Ipswich/Western Corridor ALM team aaaages ago and also went for the 17th NRL slot, not really surprised it didn't happen

[Vakama2619]

1 hour ago, Golden Gordon said:

However it was Assoc football that was the first code to have a national competition with the National Soccer League starting in 1977. The current AFL and NRL competitions for Aussie rules and Rugby League, grew from the Melbourne based VFL and Sydney based NSWRL competitions respectively, expansion taking place from the 1980s as TV revenue started to flood the codes. If you look at the current comps and wonder why there is a preponderance of Melbourne/Sydney clubs in each, this is why.

If not for the influx of European migration after WWII and those people wanting to play football and forming their own clubs, I'm not sure the code would be where it is at today.

These comments here are exactly why I'm fine with the NST being basically NSL 2.0, clubs wise. especially with them all basically being immigrant founded clubs.

[musha_13]

On 23/12/2023 at 11:43, Golden Gordon said:

Great minds think alike. I've done similar databases for myself since around FM13 based on the same premise, that in Melbourne it was Association Football that was taken up as the football played rather than Wills and his associates coming up with their own rules, Australian Rules football. Though to be fair, it really should be known as, and was for a length of time, as Victorian Rules. Being from Sydney, Aussie rules was known in my childhood as that odd game they play down south. It is also interesting to note that Wills attended Rugby school in England and thought that the tackling in Rugby wouldn't suit the harder grounds in Melbourne, in part why he sought to come up with something different.

To give some context for those who aren't Australian, we are unique, I think, in that we have 4 professional football codes, Assoc football, Australia rules football, Rugby League and Rugby Union. Despite its name Australian rules is not really a national code of football as in NSW and Qld it is Rugby League that is the dominant code. Aussie rules is dominant in Vic, Tas, SA, WA and NT. Assoc football is probably more evenly spread across all States and Territories but it isn't the dominant code in any of them. As with Rugby League, Rugby Union is primarily NSW and Qld based, but at club level is rather minor. Rugby League came about in 1908 for the same reasons as it did in England in 1895 and quickly supplanted Rugby Union as the dominant code in NSW and Qld . For the reasons above I maintain that it is cricket that it our national sport.

However it was Assoc football that was the first code to have a national competition with the National Soccer League starting in 1977. The current AFL and NRL competitions for Aussie rules and Rugby League, grew from the Melbourne based VFL and Sydney based NSWRL competitions respectively, expansion taking place from the 1980s as TV revenue started to flood the codes. If you look at the current comps and wonder why there is a preponderance of Melbourne/Sydney clubs in each, this is why.

If not for the influx of European migration after WWII and those people wanting to play football and forming their own clubs, I'm not sure the code would be where it is at today. It won't happen in my lifetime but I do hope that one day it does become the pre eminent code in Australia. The success of the Womens World Cup held here and in NZ last winter shows that people do want to watch the game. The matches were well attended and TV ratings were astronomical, especially for the Matildas. it's just a matter of translating that to club football. 

Back on topic, an excellent database which I can't wait to get stuck into. Great work, mate. 

 

 

 

Thanks mate.

[Vakama2619]

This file isn't compatible with any NZ file due to Phoenix reserves no longer existing