A-League’s Heart beat has returned
Roar Guru By Davidde Corran, 17 Jul 2012 Davidde Corran is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- A-League, Alex Wilkinson, Brendan Hamill, Central Coast Mariners, Curtis Good, football, melbourne heart
Melbourne Heart's Aziz Behich and Victory's Tom Pondeljak
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With Brendan Hamill joining Eli Babalj and quite possibly Curtis Good on the way out of Melbourne Heart, it’s starting to look like a fire sale is taking place inside the club’s La Trobe University training base. But, it is not.
Instead the Heart’s board and football department are showing the way forward to a viable future for the A-League.
First of all, acknowledgement should be given to the Heart who, upon receiving their license, filled a gap in the A-League with a model that has managed reasonable growth on the back of developing exciting young footballers.
Most importantly of all, in the harsh financial climate that is Australian football, the Heart is now closing the gap in their stated goal to break even.
While I’m certain few members of the club’s Yarraside supporters group are delighted by the news of promising players leaving for pastures far away, they should be pleased by what it means for the club’s long term future – it now has every chance of still existing in five years time.
The Heart’s departing players were strong contributors to a maiden finals appearance, but none dominated the A-League’s ranks. They leave to journey down a well-worn path from Australia to abroad and others will replace them before also heading off themselves.
In selling these players, and remember a deal was close to happening this time last for Michael Marrone, the Heart have shown investing in Australia’s youth is a viable way to prop up the A-League’s finances.
Concerns of the effect such a policy will have on the standard of Australia’s premier domestic football competition should be dampened also.
The Heart exits add to a fresh wave of departures and Central Coast Mariners stalwart Alex Wilkinson looks set to be the latest as he trials at K-League side Jeonbuk Motors. This is being seen as a sad sign of the A-League’s state, but I completely disagree.
Wilkinson is a great bloke who has served his club well, but as a footballer he can be replaced – even if his experience and identity as the heart of this club can’t.
The departure of a strong, tall and physical centre back with limited skills on the ball is no disaster, Australia produces dozens of them.
Instead it’s great news A-League clubs can even make money by selling such players.
On the day after the Japanese Under-19 side highlighted the continuing gap between our nations on the pitch with a 5-0 defeat of the Young Socceroos, A-League fans should allow themselves a melancholy smile about the domestic game’s future.
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July 17th 2012 @ 6:58am
MV Dave said | July 17th 2012 @ 6:58am | Report comment
Yep Heart are demonstrating the benefits of being part of the Global Football economy. Whilst they will lose some good young talent, (they will earn $1-2m if going by newspaper reports) there will be plenty of talented youngsters ready for their opportunity to step in.
What a wonderful tribute to the HAL in only it’s eighth season that top clubs from Europe and Asia are watching and wanting our players…
July 17th 2012 @ 7:59am
jbinnie said | July 17th 2012 @ 7:59am | Report comment
MVDave – You have me slightly confused, What has the 8 year old existence of HAL got to do with Australia’s ability to creatre raw talent with the capabilities to play with the top clubs in Europe?. Take our present,recent, and not so recent Socceroo teams (the ones picked for the “big” matches) and you’ll get a huge list of names who are, have been, or did ,play in Europe long before the establishment of the HAL in 2004.
After all, Schwartzer,Neill,Moore,Grella,Chipperfield,Bresciano,Aloisi,Viduka,Kewell,Corica,Popovic,Okon & Zelic didn’t start their careers in HAL football.Try it,the list goes on and on and on.Football history does not start in 2004. It may surprise you but I know of at least 3 players who tried out with top British teams starting in the very early 60′s. One you will certainly know of is John Kosmina who trialled before the start of the NSL in 1977.?????? Just keeping the record straight. jb
July 17th 2012 @ 2:20pm
Rob Gremio said | July 17th 2012 @ 2:20pm | Report comment
Just to Add to what J binnie has said, David, do you think that the Heart invented this idea of developing youth and selling them on? Please don’t rewrite history here. Brisbane Roar has sold on a bunch of youngsters, Melbourne Victory too, and don’t forget the focus on youth at CCM, who have their academy almost up and running. Heart have, if anything, cherry picked good ideas from other clubs and implemented them. This of course is a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but to suggest, as you do, that Heart has invented the wheel is, as J binnie points out, stretching things a bit.
July 17th 2012 @ 5:50pm
Mantis said | July 17th 2012 @ 5:50pm | Report comment
How does he imply in any way that the Heart invented the wheel? The article was about the Heart, so that was what he spoke about. If the article had been about Brisbane he would have written about them. Get off your high horse
July 18th 2012 @ 2:25pm
Rob Gremio said | July 18th 2012 @ 2:25pm | Report comment
Mantis, where did I say that it should have been about Brisbane? I also don’t see a high horse within coo-ee of my present location.
The trouble with only singing the praises of Heart in relation to on-selling youth is that it suggests that it is only MH that is doing so. That is the point of my comment, and the point of Midfielder’s comments below. Rather than fap on about MH specifically, a better article would have either avoided the generalisations that led to the criticisms made by myself, Mid, and jbinnie, or would have focused on the A-League as a whole and the process of developing and on-selling young players. The article could have easily been written about Adelaide, CCM, Brisbane, or Heart. It probably should have been written about all of them and the growing trend in this area.
As I said, the way it reads it suggests that MH is the only place doing this (whereas his reference to CCM refers to on-selling Wilko, not the sale of Amini and the potential sale of Matt Ryan. Do you get my point now?
July 17th 2012 @ 5:08pm
MV Dave said | July 17th 2012 @ 5:08pm | Report comment
Not quite sure what you are upset about…this article mentions Heart and by any measure they are doing a good job (given that they are only 2 years old as a club) developing and selling young players to o/s clubs. Surely that is not open to question. Other clubs such as MV and CCM have done similar good jobs with some young players. All good so far.
HAL is in its eighth year and it is a testament to the clubs that players are being developed to the point where they are sold to big o/s clubs…surely nothing wrong with that statement…l don’t recall mentioning that this development and selling of young only started with HAL. I would argue that HAL is more of a professional league than we’ve ever had before and that over time more opportunities will be available to younger players to be developed and spotted eg CCMs new facility as detailed by Mid below.
July 17th 2012 @ 8:59pm
jbinnie said | July 17th 2012 @ 8:59pm | Report comment
MVDave – Are you questioning about why I am upset?. I don’t recall saying I was upset,confused yes, and to be honest Dave your answer has just confused be even more, for in trying to explain your point you have stated “Heart are doing a good job despite only being 2 years old” and that in fact is only pushing my point about “history proving our ability to raise players to European standard” even more.Players are not raised to a transferable level in 2 years Dave, so the players you have in mind,(I assume it is the players just sold) must have started their “apprenticeship” somewhere else other than at Heart. Agreed????.jb
ps This is NOT an anti-Heart letter just a pointing out of facts re a statement an observer has made.jb
July 17th 2012 @ 9:11pm
MV Dave said | July 17th 2012 @ 9:11pm | Report comment
Heart gave these boys the opportunity which they may well have missed out on…they seem to have done very well over a short period of time having sold perhaps 3 youngsters for $1-2m. No one has claimed they brought them up from the cradle…surely you can see they have done well (and l’m a MV 8 yr member), give them some credit. Not really sure why your confused…the article was about Heart!
July 18th 2012 @ 8:08am
jbinnie said | July 18th 2012 @ 8:08am | Report comment
Dave- My confusion did not concern Heart,it was your statement that ” the HAL had proved to be an excellent breeding ground for young talent” (which I did not dispute either, only your using the 2 year old Heart as an example).I simply pointed out 2 things, (1) It takes more than 2 years to bring raw talent through a coaching curriculum, and (2) That Australian football has a much longer history of supplying the opportunity for overseas “excursions” than 2 years (Heart). or 8 years(HAL).
You will gather I am not in favour of “fiddling” with the history of our game and I will continue to point out areas where this is happening.That is no refelction on your efforts Dave, simply pointing out that our game here is well over 100 years old.jb
July 18th 2012 @ 12:01am
Sports Candy said | July 18th 2012 @ 12:01am | Report comment
Yes, young players have gone overseas before, but never to the extent of what’s happening today with the advent of the A-League.
MVDave is right, a lot of them are being spotted in the A-League and asked to play overseas and bought by some of the biggest clubs in Europe and Asia.
Back in the NSL days players like Cahill and Kewell weren’t sold by NSL clubs. It was a case of Kewell packing his bags and trying his luck through a youth academ in the UK. In fact I don’t think Kewell even played in the NSL.
The A-League is growing in stature and player movements both out and back in are greater than ever.
How many players are coming back to the A-League to give themselves a better chance of getting into the Socceroos squad?
And yet, how many Aussie footballers are professionals playing overseas right now and another dozen or so being sold and going overseas before A-League season 8 even starts?
July 18th 2012 @ 8:25am
jbinnie said | July 18th 2012 @ 8:25am | Report comment
Candy.- Instead of speaking in generalisms you would do well to back up your statements with some actual figures.
Let me explain. You group Europe and Asia together as to where our young players are now being asked to play. Might I suggest that this is not because of the HAL but is due to the emergence over the last 10 or 15 years of Asia, as not only a growing football power, but more importantly, as an emerging financial giant.
Now if you take the Asian component out of our most recent “exports” and compare the European figures with those of the same 10/15 years ago you may well get a surprise remembering that Europe is still regarded as a much higher standard of football for any youngster to achieve success.
You mention the NSL, I don’t recall anyone claiming the NSL had any great record of “making” players. You see Candy,players are not “made” as seniors,the essential skills are taught at a much earlier age so you’d be better aiming your praise ,if warranted,at the huge amount of work being done at the junior levels of our sport.Has that improved?, a debatable point indeed.jb
July 17th 2012 @ 7:09am
Bondy said | July 17th 2012 @ 7:09am | Report comment
We’re always going to lose players to overseas clubs, it just feels as though they dont hang around for long in the A League it looks to the supporters eye if most HAL players can get out of the country than they run at the opportunity.
That 5-0 result against the Japanese youth illustrates theres nothing dynamic coming through, which excuse was used this time to hot too cold not enough time,thats an embarassing result for our nation.
July 18th 2012 @ 12:09am
Sports Candy said | July 18th 2012 @ 12:09am | Report comment
There’s something wrong with our youth setup when we have so many talented young players who can play in the A-League and even get contracts overseas and yet can’t play together as a successful tournament team or become successful players overseas.
Something is missing, not sure if its lack of technique, skill or tactics or the mental attitude to succeed, but a lot of false starts and no real standout players or teams.
Something’s got to change and I hope that soon we’ll see another golden era of Socceroos emerge as some of these players go on to become great players and a great national team again.
Maybe 2018 in Russia?
July 18th 2012 @ 8:48am
nordster said | July 18th 2012 @ 8:48am | Report comment
Id agree it is time, the issue is heightened at youth level as they are all playing together. I say we forget results at 20s and 23s for a decade. They do decent at their clubs domestically when mixed with more experience, both local and overseas players. Over time, once a few really assert themselves overseas it will help the other aussies as perceptions and the reality of our standards lift.
July 17th 2012 @ 8:37am
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party said | July 17th 2012 @ 8:37am | Report comment
I think most Melbourne Heart fans will understand this is vital to their existence for now anyway,while they are building their fan base.They have lost three promising young players but im sure if they look hard enough they’ll find some quality out there.Being from Perth it surprises me not more kids are being picked up from ECU Joondalup Academy to trial with A-League clubs,this is an Academy that has produced Chris Herd,Shane Lowry and the Williams brothers over the last couple of years so it seems like a little bit of a gold mine.
July 17th 2012 @ 8:49am
Stevo said | July 17th 2012 @ 8:49am | Report comment
Yeah, we pinched Babalj from right under the noses of the Glory brains trust!
July 17th 2012 @ 9:07am
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party said | July 17th 2012 @ 9:07am | Report comment
oh you!
July 17th 2012 @ 8:48am
Titus said | July 17th 2012 @ 8:48am | Report comment
Professional Football needs to be grown in this country and Heart are doing a good job. The fee’s are basically what you get just for finding a player and shopping them in your slick league, if clubs actually start developing players then these fee’s will seem like peanuts.
If the league gets a new TV deal and sponsorship opportunnities and exposure are opened up(through FTA), then The Heart would probably be making a healthy profit and able to filter that back to increased development and as you point out, this would hopefully improve our stocks at the national level.
July 17th 2012 @ 11:05am
wisey_9 said | July 17th 2012 @ 11:05am | Report comment
I’d love to see the HAL on FTV as part of the next TV deal, but it remains a long shot.
Fox Sports pay a premium to have the HAL and Socceroos games exclusively. Exclusivity is the key for them – it drives subscriptions.
July 17th 2012 @ 12:02pm
Titus said | July 17th 2012 @ 12:02pm | Report comment
There are strong indications that there will be at least a FTA presense of the HAL in the next TV deal, whether that is a game, a highlights package or both, I don’t know. The value for fox is to advertise their product and entice people to take up the full version.
The national team will definitely have games on FTA as part of the incoming anti-siphoning laws.
The indications are also that the TV deal will be significantly more than the present one and will go a long way to making the clubs more sustainable.
July 18th 2012 @ 12:20am
asanchez said | July 18th 2012 @ 12:20am | Report comment
The upcoming TV deal, as it stands today, is looking positive.
But I think it would be smarter for the FFA if they brought the negotiations forward by a year, if Foxtel permits, and have new terms signed before this coming season, as the current deal expires at the end of the upcoming season. It would mean clubs don’t have to struggle as much for another 12-18 months. In saying that, FFA might be trying to do this, I hope so.
This is yet another reason why clubs are selling players left, right and centre. Sure players want leave to double and triple their wages, but if clubs weren’t doing it so tough financially, they’d be able to take a stance and reject low offers. In turn they could hold onto their better players for that extra season or 2, and perhaps get better deals done in the long run.
This is also what a better TV deal will help with. We’re really paying the price now for having signed a 7 year deal back then.
July 18th 2012 @ 12:47am
Sports Candy said | July 18th 2012 @ 12:47am | Report comment
The deal runs out next year so by the end of season 8 they’ll get their new contract and money, but it will also be expanded to include internet and digital media and possibly FTA, which weren’t in the last deal.
So it would have to be more, also because there are 10 teams now instead of 8 and many more games per season.
The FFA had the chance to take up an offer from Fox of about 60M a year for 5 years a couple of years ago but decided to not take it up hoping to get more in future.
We’ll have to wait and see if that was a good idea in hindsight.
July 17th 2012 @ 9:00am
Brendo said | July 17th 2012 @ 9:00am | Report comment
The true test of Heart’s model is not their ability to sell players but how well they replace them. For their model to work they need to sell a couple of players each year while maintaining their position within the top 6 on the league ladder.
Who do they have coming through to replace Babalj, Hamill and Good? Looking at their youth list it doesn’t appear they have the depth to suddenly promote from within to replace these players (especially Babalj). Maybe Brodie Paterson might be ready to step up. Zac Walker possibly but I don’t think he is in the class of Babaji. Petreski could be a star of the furture but at only 17 will he be able to step up this year.
At this stage heart have 14 players signed on their senior list and from where I am looking they are going to struggle this year.
July 18th 2012 @ 12:17am
Sports Candy said | July 18th 2012 @ 12:17am | Report comment
Good point, but where did Bablj, Hamill and Curtis Good come from in the first place?
They are local talents no-one had heard of 18 months ago. There is plenty more good local talent coming through and more kids we had never heard of becoming first team regulars in season 8.
A lot of talent coming into the A-League lately as well and coaches and talent scouts spending their money more wisely.
Watch out for players coming back from overseas and some new faces this season and a new WSW team.
Looks promising again in many ways.
July 17th 2012 @ 9:43am
nordster said | July 17th 2012 @ 9:43am | Report comment
Well to link with crook’s call yesterday …more games will mean stronger clubs like heart potentially. Play more games = improved standards = better outcome if they arrive overseas …future clubs think our players are worth more, and so on. Its all in the long game to improve what these players are going for.
As an estimate …what % of a players potential is fulfillied here before leaving? Say 40 to 65pc? Is that generous? What would they be worth if they were more approaching the ‘finished article’? 70 to 80pc? The numbers are crude guestimates but still…
Australia relies on other countries to develop too much of these guys potential. Then we moan about standards domestically and the national team, when really there is more that could be done. Extending the season is the first thing. Any hurdles are temporary…
July 17th 2012 @ 10:53am
Jupiter53 said | July 17th 2012 @ 10:53am | Report comment
I agree with all of this post. Well expressed.
July 17th 2012 @ 9:46am
Stefanov said | July 17th 2012 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Good to see someone liked my article yesterday so much that they decided to write on the exact same topic…
July 17th 2012 @ 9:53am
Futbanous said | July 17th 2012 @ 9:53am | Report comment
Its mentioned that we have always been part of the global football economy. Spot on.
However we have never really benefited from it & the fact that so many of our top players never even played in an Australian domestic league is testimony IMO to the amateur capers of football administration in Australia prior to the FFA & the A-League.
Even the ones who stayed here like Brett Emerton & Mark Viduka how much did the game here benefit from their talent in this world market for players? If either had played for any smaller European club given their talent, that club would have received many times what Sydney Olympic or Melbourne Knights got.
In this respect I see a major difference in the A-League to the past. The recognition by our clubs, that smaller clubs in the world have to develop players to on sell to bigger clubs,be that in Europe or Asia. The preference is that the players that are developed are cooking up a storm in the A-League & can be transferred to a club in the big 4 leagues in Europe.
If Melbourne Heart had Harry Kewell or Mark Viduka on their books last year as 19 year olds & were onselling them today I’m sure they could have got well over 1 million each for them. If Manu or Chelsea came knocking, that could be a conservative figure.
However their is one big proviso,that is that if A-League clubs want to produce these “Moneybag players” the coaching & development programs at A-League clubs has to be on a par with the professional European clubs.
Easy to recognise that onselling is the way to go ,much harder to develop the sort of player that produces the maximum moolah from this approach.
Another approach is to on sell players that other countries have produced. This requires clever street smart scouting around the world by A-League clubs. For instance Besart Berisha at the Roar. Whilst as a fan I wouldn’t want to see him leave,I accept the realities of the global football economy.
If he has another stellar year its possible a big club may want him in Europe,even Japan/Korea or increasingly China.
July 17th 2012 @ 10:12am
Johnno said | July 17th 2012 @ 10:12am | Report comment
One could argue the African nations have not benifteed either. The ivory coast drogue is playing for a local team. Also Kanu or Ockacha are not playing for local nigerian teams. Same in south africa benny mcarthy .
July 17th 2012 @ 11:17am
wisey_9 said | July 17th 2012 @ 11:17am | Report comment
What I would like to know is if the Heart will benefit from any future sales of Hamill, Babalj and Good?
Real Sociedad built into their agreement with Liverpool that they would get x% of any future transfers of Xabi Alonso. When he made his £30mil move to Madrid, Sociedad reaped the benefits of cultivating his talent.
This should be standard practice for a selling league like the HAL.
July 17th 2012 @ 12:23pm
Chop said | July 17th 2012 @ 12:23pm | Report comment
I believe that happened with Vuduka’s contract and his Melbourne club got a % right through to the end of his career.
July 17th 2012 @ 1:18pm
Bondy said | July 17th 2012 @ 1:18pm | Report comment
Similar with Rooney to Man U from Everton any trophies won by Rooney incurred fees paid to Everton for some time.
July 17th 2012 @ 6:18pm
tj said | July 17th 2012 @ 6:18pm | Report comment
this is FIFA regulation. % fees get filtered down their career path. to ALL players EVERYWHERE.
July 18th 2012 @ 10:30am
wisey_9 said | July 18th 2012 @ 10:30am | Report comment
source?
July 17th 2012 @ 1:25pm
Midfielder said | July 17th 2012 @ 1:25pm | Report comment
Davidde
Shame on you … the Mariners were build on the belief if they build Australians best youth academy they would be able to stay a top side in competition against major city teams…. The development of the COE and the players from it is the core of how the club business plan is build …
They are in the process of building Australians best training academy … are running two youth academy in the Central coast & NSW country with teams from U 9 to to U 18 in both males and females … we have constantly sold players overseas since Hal 2… in fact the sale of Matty Simson & Rostyn paid the bills last year… Matty Ryan & Wilko are on trial and their sale will clear all debts…
I encourage all clubs to follow suit … but to say Hearts are the only ones and it is the way forward … were was your article last year….
The Roar as well have developed heaps of players who have gone overseas… the former Gold Coast did as well…
The Nix are also setting up a youth academy as are the WSW who under Gorman will follow the Mariners model I am sure…
Makes me wonder how much you understand about the a-League and its history … The Roar & Mariners have been doing what you say is a new idea from Hal 1…. most other teams today are doing the same thing…
July 17th 2012 @ 2:27pm
Rob Gremio said | July 17th 2012 @ 2:27pm | Report comment
Spot on Midfielder. See my response to J binnie’s post above. I hadn’t got down to your post before I chimed in.
I think you have to realise, Mid, that Melbourne is the centre of the universe, and nothing happens until it happens in Melbourne, whereby whatever happened in Melbourne becomes the benchmark and the first example of it in Australia (if not the world).
Now, to all you Melbournians, I am not referring to all of you. There is a certain section of the sporting media that has this view, that’s all I’m saying. So I apologise if my rant upsets anyone other than those I mention above.
July 17th 2012 @ 2:38pm
Midfielder said | July 17th 2012 @ 2:38pm | Report comment
Rob
Its just plan lazy and so factually flawed writing …. amazes me such an article so incorrect is put up by the Roar as one of the experts assume paid thereby assuming a knowledgeable expert …. hope Roar mods take a long hard look…
July 17th 2012 @ 2:53pm
Axelv said | July 17th 2012 @ 2:53pm | Report comment
Or it could just be ignorance on the writer’s behalf rather than because of where he is from?
Victory and many other A-League clubs as pointed above have been selling young players before Heart even existed, Heart aren’t doing anything new. They are forcing themselves to sell their best youngster’s because they have racked up a $5 million debt in only 2 seasons.
July 17th 2012 @ 2:59pm
Griffo said | July 17th 2012 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
CCM and Heart are probably ahead of the rest at the moment, Mariners in league of its own with all its youth teams and the COE as you know. If we want to produce a whole truckload of talent to fill A-League teams and onsell then HAL clubs are going to have to get in on the Mariners act at least, as will some of the bigger state based clubs (some potential HAL clubs in the future), as well as having more academies and high schools like the one in Brisbane area and WA’s Joondalup – the football factories need to start sooner than later.
Because quite frankly the AIS as a finishing school isn’t enough; not enough numbers coming through, not enough places to take more.
We need a critical mass of footballers coming through from youth, and CCM and Heart et al are just the start…