As the curtain falls on Honda's stint, it's worth re-evaluating why Victory and FFA joined forces to bring him to Australia in the first place, why other clubs let it happen - and whether it was all worth it in the end. Honda was the first player brought to the A-League with the use of the marquee fund, which is provided by Fox Sports, dispensed by FFA and baked into the current broadcast deal. Our social media numbers have increased and at times exploded ... Keisuke's just been a professional in every sense. Melbourne Victory CEO Trent Jacobs Under the rules, FFA is prepared to spend on certain players who fit a rigorous set of criteria around footballing pedigree, profile, social media reach and marketing pull. It's a two-tiered system: FFA will match clubs dollar-for-dollar on 'Class A' players, and at half that rate for 'Class B' players who might not have the same level of celebrity. Honda was categorised as a 'Class A' player, and was eventually lured to Melbourne on a reported $2.9 million one-season contract.

At no stage has there been any blowback towards the concept from the clubs, according to A-League chief Greg O'Rourke. "Everyone was fully aligned - 'this is good for the league, let's do it'," he said. "It's about bringing new eyeballs and brand awareness to the A-League." Did Honda live up to the hype? That all depends how you look at his tenure. Victory, remember, only half paid for him. The 32-year-old was clearly one of the best players in the A-League until a rare hamstring injury sidelined him for nearly two months. He hasn't been quite the same since. Off the field, however, there is no debate. FFA believe they have effectively made back the money they spent through new international broadcast deals, which simply would not have been possible without him. Data provided to the Herald by FFA shows Asian TV revenues have gone up by 50 per cent. Honda alone couldn't stop the worrying decline in ratings on Fox Sports - which is its own issue - but Victory were the most-watched team on pay TV this season. Their memberships and home attendances are both up, while away crowds were also boosted by Honda's presence.

When Victory came to Kogarah in November, approximately 500 tickets were sold to people with Japanese surnames, and the post-match shenanigans which unfolded as he tried to board the team bus spoke volumes. Victory's merchandise sales have jumped by 15 per cent, which CEO Trent Jacobs said was largely attributable to Honda. They sold out of home jerseys with his name and number on it. "Our metrics across the board are up," Jacobs said. "Our social media numbers have increased and at times exploded, and he's certainly created a global online impact for our club. Keisuke's just been a professional in every sense." Victory and FFA both say they'd do it all again, and they just might. The unused portion of this season's marquee fund will roll over to next season, meaning there is just a touch over $3.7 million waiting to be spent.

Loading Given the A-League's recent struggles in an increasingly crowded summer sporting market, it needs to be spent wisely. It certainly won't be easy to do so, with Australian clubs financially dwarfed by teams in the US, China, Japan and Middle East. But big names can occasionally be lured by lifestyle. Conceivably, half the competition may be in the market for a Honda-level signing. Sydney FC are actively searching. So too are incoming expansion team Western United. Emboldened by the Honda experiment, Victory won't hesitate if the right player can again be found. Brisbane Roar will be in the conversation through the sheer power of Robbie Fowler's contact book. And his old Liverpool teammate, Western Sydney coach Markus Babbel, has already made overtures to Franck Ribery - one of several tantalising names currently doing the rounds. "All those things excite you. You think, 'that's not possible'. But Honda actually gives you a little bit of belief ... because we've now been able to land somebody of that calibre," O'Rourke said.