Ethnicity and Football - Ethnicity in Australian Football

Ethnicity in Australian Football

Ethnic minorities were instrumental in establishing the National Soccer League, which lasted from 1977 to 2004 as Australia's top-flight competition, however clubs such as South Melbourne, Sydney Olympic, Sydney United, Adelaide City and Marconi could only draw fans from the ethnic group which they originated from. Names such as "Hellas", "Croatia" and "Juventus" were removed from clubs in an attempt to draw new supporters from outside of these ethnic groups, but falling attendances and financial difficulties caused the NSL to fold. 18 months later, the A-League was launched with no clubs having ethnic ties, and several teams, such as Melbourne Victory and Central Coast Mariners were newly created. Almost all of the old NSL powerhouses are now dominating their respective state leagues.