I also live too far away to view any matches first hand, as I live six hours from the nearest club. Like the EPL, I have decided to support the league as opposed to just one club. However, I do not think the standard of football is as poor as made out. I could compare the football to like likes of the Belgian Jupiler, the Swiss, Norwegian and Swedish leagues, and had you told me that it would be this good at the start of the season, I would be pleased. While maybe it is still a little bit off this standard, in five years our clubs could be as good as Liege, Malmo, Zurich and Brondby (if not already).
I see where you are coming from with the passion of the fans. Passion from fans arrives over years, not the days these clubs have been been formed for. That we have so many hardcore fans already is surprising. Sydney FC fans are in good numbers, and I have heard talk much support for the club is coming from Japan! *(coz of littbarski, dwight, apparently a reporter from Japan is following the club around). If there is no passion for clubs in 20 years, id be worried, but there is no cause for alarm just yet. Even Manchester and Madrid had to start off without passionate supporters, but traditions are formed over years, and look at most Euro clubs now.
The new league is a huge step forward, but development infrastructure is severly in strife. We have a huge number of juniors playing our game, but other smaller junior sports produce more world class athletes. Another aim of Lowy and O'Neill should be to produce 8 Harry Kewells, each that can start their career in Australia and then make their way to Europe. Instead of seeing our juniors head straight to Europe, we should have the technical expertise for them to develop here.
Outside the league, major restructuring needs to take place.