Perth Glory vs Brisbane Roar: The Long Flight to Nowhere
It was billed as a pivotal clash for the top six. Instead, what we saw at HBF Park was a grim diagnostic of two franchises stuck in perpetual transition. If this is the future of the A-League, we have a problem.
You have to admire the optimism of the scheduling gods. Putting Perth Glory against Brisbane Roar on a Friday night in January implies a belief in spectacle, in drama, in the sheer kinetic energy of Australian football. But after 90 minutes of what can only be described as 'structural confusion' at HBF Park, the only thing verified is our collective patience.
Let’s be honest. The 1-1 draw (a result that helps absolutely no one) wasn't just a missed opportunity for three points. It was a case study in why the A-League Men struggles to convert casuals into die-hards. We were promised a revolution in the West and a resurrection in the North. Two years on, we are still waiting for the paint to dry.
⚡ The Essentials
The Result: A gritty, uninspiring 1-1 draw that leaves both teams languishing in mid-table purgatory.
The Hero: Adam Taggart, as usual, salvaging a point from scraps.
The Villain: The tactical rigidity that turned a fast game into a chess match played by checkers pieces.
The Big Picture: Ownership stability hasn't yet translated to on-field dominance for either side.
The Pelligra 'Revolution': Stalled?
Remember February 2024? The fanfare when the Pelligra Group took over Perth Glory was deafening. We were sold a vision of a powerhouse, a club that would reconnect with its golden NSL roots. Fast forward to January 2026. What do we have?
We have Adam Taggart chasing lost causes in the channels. We have a midfield that treats possession like a hot potato. The narrative of 'rebuilding' is a convenient shield, but at some point, a rebuild needs to look like a house, not a construction site. The crowd at HBF Park was vocal, sure, but there was an undercurrent of frustration. They’ve heard the promises. They want a team that doesn't rely on individual brilliance to scrape a home draw against a traveling side with jet lag.
"We are building a club for generations," they said. The problem is, the current generation is getting bored.
Brisbane's Identity Crisis
And then there is Brisbane. The Roar. A club that seems to exist in a permanent state of administrative flux. CEO Kaz Patafta has done miracles steadying the ship off the pitch—paying debts, smoothing over the ATO scares of 2025—but on the grass? It’s thin.
They sold their best youngster (Thomas Waddingham is a distant memory now), and the replacements feel like stop-gaps. Tonight, they looked organized but toothless. It’s the classic Bakrie Group paradox: doing just enough to survive, never enough to thrive. Is the plan to win the league, or just to exist in it?
| Metric | Perth Glory | Brisbane Roar |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership Status | Stable (Pelligra) | Absentee (Bakrie) |
| Star Power | High (Taggart) | Low (Team Ethos) |
| 2026 Reality | Underachieving | Overstretched |
The Numbers Don't Lie
You want to know why this match matters? Because it exposes the soft underbelly of the competition. When your two historic heavyweights are happy to trade turnovers for 20 minutes in the second half, the product suffers. We can talk about 'tactical discipline' all we want (a favorite euphemism of coaches trying to save their jobs), but the xG chart looked like a flatline.
👀 Is the A-League expansion masking the quality drop?
So, what are the implications? For Perth, the honeymoon period of the new ownership is officially over. Results are now the only currency. For Brisbane, the 'plucky survivor' narrative is wearing thin. This league needs a strong Glory and a fearsome Roar. Right now, we have neither.
We have a long flight home and a point apiece. And in the grand scheme of the 2025/26 season, that might be the most damning stat of all.
