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The pyramid of football in Australia

Roar Guru
22nd August, 2013
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Tomas Rogic of the Socceroos takes a victory lap with his team mates. (Photo: Paul Barkley/LookPro)
Roar Guru
22nd August, 2013
29
1178 Reads

The pyramid of football in Australia is very strong at the base, with player numbers at the grassroots level more than the other football codes combined.

After the base – at training, education, a professional league and elite pathways – football still struggles.

The sheer number of players and lack of in-depth football knowledge across these numbers is still a major concern.

Yet Australian football has never been stronger.

Although football has a 150-year history, only in the last eight years has the game been well managed  in Australia.

Today we are faced with a new problem – how to handle growth beyond and including the park teams.

The new TV deal, combined with 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification money and arguably increased Socceroo gates, will generate more money than football has ever had.

Looking ahead the Socceroos and football generally is within reach of a profile that could only be dreamed of eight years ago.

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We have the following to look forward to:

• Third straight FIFA World Cup qualification.
• Socceroo matches for FIFA World Cup preparation.
• One recovery season followed by a record-breaking season, setting up next season.
• The new TV deal which hopefully will bring even more interest for the A-League’s ninth season.
• W-League next season.
• The Australia Cup modelled on the English FA Cup.
• The Asian Cup in Australia in January 2015
• The Women’s World Cup in June-July 2015
• A national Indigenous Academy established on the Central Coast.

A number of players are emerging to take Socceroo and Matilda positions, with Okon’s under-20s showing promise.

Athletes are staying in football rather moving on to other sports.

Player numbers are still increasing. The enormous over 35 and 45 competitions accommodate our ageing population and the ease of scratch games on the beach or in parks is a natural fit for modern lifestyles.

Globalisation of the world is bringing in football stories outside the control of traditional media sources, resulting in football trends and coolness being seen – trends like lunch time excise scratch games, coolness like free style football.

Given that our past had poor management, and with today’s player numbers approaching 900,000 registered winter park players, where do we spend the increase in funds to add to the pyramid’s base?

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Technical issues are becoming increasingly apparent as Asian nations improve. We should be investing our increase in funds at association level with representative team coaching.

Moreover, football and SBS need to consider the best way to educate coaches on the Friday night free-to-air matches.

The other big decisions to make are replacing Frank Lowy and how to structure the relationship between FFA, the A and W Leagues and the state associations.

There is an old business saying that says ‘Managing success and expansion sends more business broke than keeping something alive’.

We approach a mouth-watering two years which have the potential to increase football’s profile hugely.

The management of the next two years is equally important as it still could go pear shaped. My two big issues are increasing football knowledge across the park teams’ coaches and parents, and how and with whom do we replace Frank.

Love to hear what others think.

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