This Hurts, But I Get It: The Aces and the End of an Era

As a casual fan of baseball in Australia, I never thought I would see a team withdrawing from the Australian Baseball League (ABL).

As a Melbourne Aces fan, I didn’t think for one second that it would be my team that did it.

And yet, here we are.

Honestly? I get it, it still hurts and does not feel real.

But it could be worse, it could be the team ceases to be all together.

This is for the best, the best for baseball in Victoria.

When the news first dropped, it came out of nowhere. Confusion and frustration filled my feed.

The reactions were mixed, some fans saw the writing on the wall and praised the Aces’ decision to move on. Others condemned it, calling it selfish or short-sighted.

In response, the Melbourne Aces released a detailed letter to fans, pulling back the curtain on years of internal struggle and frustration.

And what many had long suspected was finally laid bare: the league, as it stands, just isn’t sustainable.

The current Aces ownership took over in 2019, inheriting a struggling team with the lowest attendance in the league and a stadium that, frankly, wasn’t up to standard.

Fast forward to 2024/25: the Aces now draw the biggest crowds in the ABL, more than the next two teams combined.

They’ve pumped millions into Melbourne Ballpark, transforming the game-day experience and raising the bar for everyone.

From a small, temporary videoboard on a trailer to a stunning half a million dollar display, the Aces' investments into the ballpark have made it one of, if not the best in the league.

Melbourne Ballpark scoreboard before 2019 and the current video display thanks to the current ownership.

But while they were doing all this, the league itself was bleeding money.

Unlike other major sports in Australia (AFL, NRL, BBL, and NBL) where teams receive annual funding from the league, ABL teams are expected to pay into the system.

The Aces not only paid their own license fees (often in advance), they also covered shortfalls for other clubs, including emergency bailouts and even COVID-related quarantine costs for rival teams.

They were the backbone of the league.

And still, they were ignored.

Every time the Aces raised concerns about scheduling, finances, governance or the lack of a proper broadcast deal, they were met with silence.

The only time the ABL seemed willing to pick up the phone was when they needed more money.

Eventually, the Aces had enough.

They chose not to keep sinking money into a structure that wouldn't support them or the future of baseball in this country.

Now they’re setting out on their own, joining the Ulsan KBO Fall League in Korea in 2025 and planning to bring international teams to Australia in 2026.

It’s risky.

But it’s something.

And from where I sit, it’s a move made not to abandon us as fans but to save baseball in Melbourne.

Now we wait for the ABL to reply.