Australian football’s key stakeholders have been in combat mode for so long, nobody quite knew how to react to the sudden onset of peace.

On Monday morning, an in-principle deal was finally reached for the A-League’s independence. It’s the outcome club owners have been fighting for, and that some elements of Football Federation Australia have been fighting against, for years. There appears to be cause for cautious optimism.

No longer can the A-League clubs simply blame FFA for their woes. When the final details are ironed out by the end of August and the terms of the agreement set in place before the start of next season, responsibility for the professional game will fall on them. They'll be accountable to each other, and the sport at large.

The A-League, W-League and national youth league will be run by an entirely new body. Each of the 12 clubs will have a seat on the new board, along with two FFA representatives and an independent chair. They will call the shots.