Stagnant A-League set for major shake-up as owners seek to revive competition

A showdown between the premiers and champions as well as mic'd up referees are among a host of changes pitched to re-invigorate the stagnant A-League starting this season.

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Bigger prize money, a new premiers trophy and revamped finals series have also been recommended to add new excitement to an Independent A-League, News Corp reports.

These proposed changes are among a number of proposals put forward during a two day summit of A-League club owners in Sydney earlier this week.

There is an urgency among club bosses to breathe new life into the competition and a raft of dramatic changes is believed to be the best immediate fix.

The league is determined to take full advantage of the expansion to 11 teams in 2019 and 12 sides in 2020 with a range of changes to cultivate interest.

A Cup Winners' Cup fixture between reining A-League premiers and champions, similar to the FA Community Shield, has been touted as one way to add new intrigue for fans.

A redesigned finals series was also on the agenda.

It has been suggested the finals series be extended and played under a new format, including the possibility playing matches over two legs, in order to get the most out of increased attendance and viewership during the playoffs. 

The existing Premiers' Plate could be scrapped as part of these changes to be replaced by a new trophy in a move to increase the prestige of winning the regular season. 

The finals series has been derided by players in recent campaigns with championship winner Alex Brosque even calling for the finals series to be scrapped.

Referees were not immune to the wide array of suggested changes with club bosses keen to investigate broadcasting audio from match officials microphones.

Such a change would require approval from FIFA but the belief is the move could help drive engagement and boost ratings.