Summer kick-offs ditched in A-League draws

Men and A-League Women won’t be subject to searing summer temperatures this season after league bosses benched the loathed 3pm kick-off time.

The big win out of Thursday’s draw announcement for the ALM and ALW competitions, which start on 22 October and 14 October respectively, was the decision to reduce the timeslot which is unpopular with fans, players and coaches in equal measure.

Kick-off times became a key talking point of last season’s summer months with some players complaining of heat exhaustion in temperatures that reached up to 35 degrees Celsius.

Coaches including John Aloisi and Marko Rudan chastised the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) for prioritising broadcast slots over player welfare.

Between mid-December and February there will be no 3pm kick-offs.

“We’ve pushed back kick off times during the summer period to benefit fans and players,” said commissioner Nick Garcia.

“We’ve reduced the number of simultaneous matches to ensure more fans can watch more games, and we’ve locked in more fixtures at family-friendly times to make it easier for fans to attend matches.”

Two ALM games per week will be shown on Network Ten while the rest will remain on Ten’s paid subscription service Paramount+.

International breaks will be observed in November but there will be no break for January’s Asian Cup.

The ALW will kick-off in its first standalone round a week prior to the ALM, with two of the Matildas’ rising stars, Cortnee Vine (Sydney FC) and Clare Hunt (Western Sydney), clashing.

Despite the Matildas’ surge in popularity following their run to the Women’s World Cup semi-final, no regular season ALW games will be shown on TV.

Instead they will be broadcast on Network Ten’s free streaming service, 10 Play.

The ALW, which expands to 12 teams following the arrival of the Mariners, will adopt the top-six finals format currently used by the ALM.