They cite a lack of crowd support, unimpressive television ratings and a paltry broadcasting deal and wonder why resources and energy shouldn't be put into another Australian franchise. In the interest of balance, here are a few points to ponder.
Style of play
In a short space of time, the Phoenix have become the entertainers of the A-League. They played Perth off the park on Saturday night and have few peers in possession. Sure, previous incarnations of the Phoenix could be a difficult watch but this team isn't.
Does anyone remember North Queensland?
It's easy to talk about more Australian teams, harder to deliver. The North Queensland Fury and Gold Coast United were both failures, while Newcastle and the Central Coast Mariners have looked a bit sickly at times this season. Canberra has been suggested as a new base but the Cosmos didn't work in the National Soccer League. Another Melbourne team has also been touted but that might be stretching the appetite; from a city of four million, Melbourne City drew 5900 fans on Saturday.
Import thrills
Although other clubs have tossed up imports such as Emile Heskey, William Gallas and Jardel, the Phoenix delivered Paul Ifill, who at his peak was one of the best players in the league. Roly Bonevacia looks of a similar pedigree. And the A-League as a whole did quite well out of Shane Smeltz, Marco Rojas and Kosta Barbarouses.
Advance Australia
If a strong Phoenix side helps to develop New Zealand football, that can only help Australia. We won't be in their way to qualify for Confederation or World Cups, but the All Whites could provide regular, meaningful friendlies, with more crowd appeal than the likes of Jordan, Saudi Arabia or China.
Football market
Football is growing, slowly but surely, in both countries. Can the FFA afford to ignore the biggest market outside Sydney and Brisbane?
The Phoenix also boast the only Australian (Nathan Burns) among the top five contenders for the golden boot and have provided professional opportunities for many other Australian players.
Ratings figures are an issue, but by the end of this season the Phoenix are expected to move ahead of both Newcastle and Central Coast in that area.
And there is no doubt that Sky Television's financial commitment has been poor (an estimated $200,000 per season) but the Phoenix owners are working to find more income streams from other areas.
After some tough years, the Phoenix have survived and are beginning to thrive. They should be a model for other clubs to follow, rather than threatened with extinction.
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