Football Federation Australia has put forward the proposal to diminish the number of foreign players A-League clubs can register from five to four for the 2011-12 season.
FFA technical director Han Berger believes that if Australian football is to progress to the heights of our direct competitors like the J-League, then we need to give our locals the upmost chance of competing in the highest division of our domestic league.
Accordingly, is this a positive approach to reduce the amount of foreign spots available in the A-League?
Let’s review the scenario.
Some of you football fanatics may have a selective memory, although from seasons 1-4 of the A-League competition, the original rule stated that each A-League squad could sign up to four imported players.
The cap was put in place in order to encourage teams to promote the local sector of their geographical areas, with also the option of having imported stars like Dwight Yorke coming onto our shores. The formula worked well and was deemed an initial success.
As the saying goes, why play around with a formula that works well.
However, the FFA then decided that from season 5 (2009-10) the import quota would be expanded from four to five players.
There was really no merit to this decision. A considerable influx of failed imports had arrived onto our shores since the inception of the newly branded A-League. Some examples include Brian Deane (Perth Glory 2005/06), Leandro Love (Melbourne Victory 2007/08) and Mario Jardel (Newcastle Jets 2007/08).
We need to query why the FFA expanded the quantity of foreigner spots after a considerable amount of failed ventures throughout the early history of the competition? Only Ben Buckley and co can answer those questions.
Nevertheless, there can be many encouraging aspects to come out of this new development. With less foreigner spots available, it can only encourage clubs to promote the youth sector from their local state league competitions.
FFA technical director, Han Berger is a massive advocate of promoting Australian youth from the local competitions onto the main arena.
He believes that there are a minimum of 30 players available at the moment who have the potential to step up the heights of A-League. There is really no reason as to why this isn’t believable. Without question, the A-League is much more technical, faster paced and requires a higher level of fitness.
But who is to say local talent can’t step up to these requirements?
This season we have seen young players make the transition. Melbourne Heart defender Nick Kalmar is a perfect example. Nick was plying his trade in the Victorian Premier League representing Altona Magic and then Oakleigh Cannons during the 2010 season.
Ever since his first game against Central Coast Mariners on the opening night of the season, he has not looked back, making an exciting impression on his coach John Van’t Schip and the football public. This is what can happen when local talent is harnessed and given a fair go.
After all, that is the Aussie way isn’t it?
I am sure there are many other locals out there who just haven’t been given the opportunity yet.
The youth league is a great stepping stone for many of our young stars of tomorrow, however if we are able to take a leaf out of this good-feel story, then we must be able to take a chance on our local talent if we want Australian football to develop in a positive direction.
With the introduction of the International Marquee player this season, there can be many encouraging signs to come out of the import saga which seems to be on an endless merry-go-round. The new concept of a marquee addition can be seen as a positive step for the game in this country.
This is obviously a long-term plan which will hopefully encourage star players possibly towards the later stages of their careers to ply their trade in the A-League.
A perfect example is Robbie Fowler.
Fowler not only brings the big name status all the way back from the UK, he creates an avid interest amongst the league domestically and internationally, helps promote the game within Australia, has boosted attendances and probably the most important aspect of his stay in Australia has exhibited an exceptionally creditable standard of football which will only benefit the A-League in more than one way or another.
Robbie Fowler is the perfect example of what we want from our international marquee players. Although, some clubs are struggling financially at the moment, the option for this marquee status is one which can only have several advantages for a league still trying to cement their product on the Australian sporting calendar.
An idea which could be adventurous for the A-League committee is to have the option for the international marquee as the fifth visa spot. Therefore, the exception to the rule could be that each squad can sign one more imported player under the restriction that they are an international marquee.
Hence, there would be four foreigner sports, plus the international marquee. We don’t want players like Robbie Fowler being pushed away from our shores because clubs have already signed the allocated four import spots.
This option will give A-League clubs that little bit extra freedom, with still a concentration on the promotion of local talent from our several state leagues around the country.
This is a system which would satisfy both the FFA as well as the competing clubs, similar to a bargaining agreement. It gives the franchises that added incentive to compete with the best around Asia, while also attempting to produce the best local talent in their geographical regions.
Talent is just waiting to be snapped up; hopefully clubs wake up and look in their own backyard before travelling the globe for something they may already possess.
Mr
Guest
Due to sponsorship clashes. Hummel is the FNSW sponsor. Truly short sighted - it is a good opportunity for these players who are outside the AIS.
chook
Roar Rookie
I think it some thing that can be tinkered with I agree that there are some great young player soming through but having player like Yorke, Fowler, Brioch, Hernandez, Cassio, Henrequi, Dadi have been great inclusions. It also brings up the level that has to be played. I can honestly say that the A- League is getting better and better in quality but this will only be shown by the results in the ACL. Actually player like Cassio, Seo ( Korean import for the Roar) have decided to become Australian citizens which is good if they can keep there involvement in football generally. But it is a damn shame to keep quality kids from stepping up and I would expect that in 10 year they might drop the imports to 3 or 2.
Footbal
Guest
Football NSW has just announced that they will no longer all 15 Year olds to take part in the Nike Cup. This is a great opportunity for kids to take part in an international competition all paid at the expense of Nike & FNSW once again let the game down. This needs to change for the game to move forward.
CP
Guest
I think the additional player was brought in to quash the lack of talent argument when GC and NQF came into the comp, however I never brought into that argument. Players like Mate Duganzik in the state leagues can and will make the step up but they need to be given the chance.
cruiser
Guest
Good try Bert, however, wouldn't you agree that the more international spots, especially the international marquee, seriously advantages the big clubs of the leauge who can splash cash around? NQ Fury will not get the same benefit from an international marquee as MV would. The balance must be found!
dasilva
Guest
I think the only thing that needs to change is to implement Han Berger idea that the foreigner's wage must be a certain % above the average A-league wages. This ensures that the club has to be careful of who they sign and that the foreign player can't just be a squad or bench player when that place should be taken by Australian players. The foreign player has to be good enough to raised the standard or the club will waste money down the drain. Therefore clubs have to be more careful to ensure that the foreign players must improve the standard of the league.
whiskeymac
Guest
nice article. the quality and experience even so called second division players impart can be beneficial - broich, perez, greenacre, ifill, traore, hughes come to mind but there are many others. are these guys really preventing aussie kids from a gig or starting spot or are they raising the overall quality and standard so that those who do make the remaining spots on the roster are the best there are and not just local jobs for local guys? the argument has always seemed to be they must be good enough to warrant first team action. number wise i think 4 is OK, 5 has raised the standard overall - not least because clubs have gotten better at identifying and or retaining o/s talent (hernandez, brebner, bridges). its great that youngsters are getting more game time this season - with 5 o/s spots no less - than previously i remember them getting in the HAL ( i maybe wrong but it seems they are) - i think this has less to do with the HAL o/s quota and more to do with: 1. more teams (NQ recruited youngsters not getting game time for example) 2. the standard of kids is higher than before (NYL and other schemes starting to produce?)
jimmy
Guest
Broich came from FC Nuremburg who are in the Bundesliga.
mintox
Guest
I don't completely agree that the number of International spots is the cause for youth players not being given a go in the A-League. Often it comes down to the club and coaches philosophies. Take Perth Glory for instance, they have Steven McGarry, Victor Sikora, Robbie Fowler, Andy Todd and Branko Jelic on their books. All of these players bring something above and beyond the local talent. It's when you look at the Australian players brought in and played instead of the youngsters that you start to scratch your head. The likes of Jukic, Risdon, Pearson, Skorich and Griffiths are youngsters who have battled to get game time over the likes of an ageing and increasingly limited Jamie Harnwell, the ever incompetent Jamie Coyne and the completely innefectual signings of Michael Baird and Josh Mitchell. It's not the international players that are holding them back, it's the second rate Australian players who are getting a go because they are considered more able to handle the league rather than based on their talent.
Robbie Di Fabio
Roar Guru
I would prefer if the FFA didn't intervene with how and what players A-League clubs signed, I believe clubs should be smart enough and have enough knowledge on how to make their own investments. I think clubs have learnt from the early years of the league that players like Romario just don't cut it here. I'm all for imports, big names or not. As long as they can raise the quality of the league and add something new to football in this country. Players like Flores, Hernandez, Fowler, Ifill, Perez, Broich, Worm, Sukha, Van Dijk, Henrique are just a few examples of how obtaining quality imports can help raise the on-field profile of the competition.
tommy_doleman
Roar Pro
Robbie, I do agree with your comments - I, like many others personally do not like seeing hacks from overseas coming out for an easy contract at the end of their careers. I suppose you've just gotta bite the bullet though sometimes with signings and admit they don't always work out... overseas or not in this instance. While it's maybe a stupid solution, do you think that clubs need to implement a restriction on the age of players we are bringing to the A-league to play? Rather than bringing in people like Jardel and Romario, it's been proven that the Flores's, Broich's and Perez's have been the real impressive players in our competition. Then in your instance of Fowler, use that international marquee spot to bring a NAME like him in to bring the crowds through the gates and help with your off-field. Performance on-field will then be judged seperately.
vino
Guest
yes but whats more embarrassing is that these 3rd div brazilians and 2nd div germans (broich) are actually carving up the aleague and making local players look silly.
Tom
Guest
I agree with this article. It's embarassing when 3rd div brasilian has-beens get spots over locally produced players. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.