Technical development and creating a pathway for potential Socceroos are the primary objectives of the A-League.
With an ever so improving competition, influx of superior players, faster paced game, greater fitness levels and in addition a superior product for spectators, the A-League is heading in the right direction.
Well, on the pitch, anyhow.
The bulk of the Socceroos “golden generation” were pioneers of the National Soccer League. This era produced goalkeepers in the class of Mark Schwarzer, Željko Kalac, Mark Bosnich and Michael Petkovic through the NSL; in addition Brad Jones and Adam Federici developed their attributes overseas.
The A-League has yet to produce a comparable calibre of Socceroos players in comparison to the golden generation, however if we look towards the goalkeeping stocks domestically, there is much talent waiting. Four goalkeepers that have initiated the way in the A-League are Michael Theoklitos, Eugene Galeković, Clint Bolton and Mitch Langerak.
Theoklitos, 29, has been sensational since his return to the A-League this season. His form for the Brisbane Roar is an accurate reflection of why his team sits at the top of the table. Although Theoklitos had a troubled time overseas, he is unquestionably a class keeper who has all the attributes a keeper desires-excellent shot-stopper, quick off his line- consistent in the air and has an enormous influence with the defensive duties.
Galeković, 29, seemingly the third choice goalkeeper for the Socceroos and was part of the 2010 World Cup squad has had a terrific few years since playing second fiddle at Melbourne Victory.
His performances for Adelaide United in the A-League and Asian Champions League campaigns brought about his Socceroos status. He played a major role in assisting Adelaide to the Final of the ACL in 2008. His palpable consistency and authority on the pitch are major reasons why clubs around Asia were demanding his services before signing an extension with Adelaide. A class act nonetheless.
Bolton, 35, the two time Championship winner with Sydney FC was instrumental in the Sky Blues’ success. A veteran goalkeeper who is capable of pulling off brilliant saves and is able to command his defence reasonably well.
Although he’s had a couple of patchy performances of late with Melbourne Heart, he’s a formidable presence and often a match-winner.
Who could forget the brilliant feats of Melbourne Victory’s Langerak, 22, last season?
After losing out the number one spot to Glen Moss, he won his position back in the team and cemented the goalkeeping role during the season. His exceptional performances and ability to command his defence at such a young age exemplified a strong maturity within Langerak’s character.
He played a major role in Victory’s successful season, where they lost the Premiership by a point and the Grand Final on penalties both to arch rival Sydney FC. Conversely, he was rewarded with a transfer to the prestigious German club Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee.
With goalkeepers renowned for maturing at a later age, Langerak has a bright future ahead of him. Many football pundits are predicting him to capture the Socceroos guard in the next few years.
It’s hard to argue against it.
The A-League is currently developing some great young goalkeepers, amid Matthew Ryan (18 years, Central Coast Mariners), Tando Velaphi (23, Perth Glory), Danny Vukovic (25, Wellington Phoenix) and Ben Kennedy (23, Newcastle Jets) just to name a few.
It is evident that Australian football has been able to develop a high calibre of Australia goalkeepers throughout the last decade. The A-League is no exception. It’s an area where we have remarkable depth in comparison to our attacking and defensive options.
That depth has been apparent for many years, and looks to further blossom within the next generation of players.
Rob Gremio
Roar Pro
Hey Robbie, Glad to hear you're a fellow keeper! I haven't been watching the Youth since the A-League started. Simply put, I don't have the time to get to the ground to watch them play, so I probably am not the best judge. However, by the standard of keepers floating around - guys like Matt Ryan at Central Coast - who have come out of the Youth League, they are obviously pretty good. However, I was not convinced by that youngster who played for Gold Coast the other week. The Fox commentators banged on about how well he was doing, but honestly, I didn't see it. I thought he misjudged the flight of the ball, was hesitant on crosses (again experience counts for a lot here), but contrast that with Ryan at CCM - he is attacking crosses, his handling is good, and he is also a pretty good shot stopper. I, like you, keep a close eye on how other goalkeepers are going. That is why I was mystified by the Roar's decision to sign McMaster a few years back. He lacks courage, and if you don't have the cojones as a keeper, well, you've pretty much got nothing. That's why guys like Schmeikel (spelling?) at Man U were such domiant keepers - strikers were scared of him, beyond his obvious talent. Anyway, this is a conversation that I could have with you for hours, but I really do need to get back to work! Cheers.
Robbie Di Fabio
Roar Guru
Cheers Rob I agree with your sentiments. Interesting to hear you played at that level. How do you compare the NSL Youth League in comparison to the A-League version? Yes I am a keeper; I guess that’s part of the reason why I wrote this article, however I just have an avid interest in writing about different issues/topics related to football. Conversely, I enjoy accessing and studying how different keepers are developing. Where their strengths/weaknesses lay, how they have improved in certain areas, what they could have done better in certain situations etc. As we can appreciate, goalkeeping is not an easy task and is a very distinctive position within a football team. Having a quality keeper can change the dynamics of the squad, a major influence I believe. We only need to look at Michael Theoklitos as an example (when at Victory and presently at Brisbane).
Rob Gremio
Roar Pro
Robbie, No doubt Kennedy has improved. It is pleasing to see so many young keepers getting a crack at such an early stage in their careers. If only the A-League had been around when I was a youngster... I mean, i did play National Youth League in the old NSL, but felt I had little option afterwards but to go overseas I was in a one-team city, and to move interstate would have been the same as moving overseas, so I chose the challenge and adventure of overseas. When that didn't work out, I came home and went to uni. It's very different these days. As you point out, many keepers don't reach their peak until their late twenties or so, so with so many getting a chance at such a young age, the future does indeed look bright. Incidentally, are you a keeper? Is that why you've written this article about keepers? Or is it just the first of several articles about our A-League as a developmental league?
Robbie Di Fabio
Roar Guru
Cheers for the feedback! In regards to Federici and Jones not plying their early years in the NSL, you are correct. I was attempting to imply that the bulk of the golden generation did their apprenticeship in the NSL. I opted to leave Nathan Coe out of the golden generation, seemingly because he hasn't earnt a Socceroos Cap, unlike his peers. No disrespect on his career though, to be honest I’ve never seen him play before. As we know, it is renowned for goalkeepers to mature at an older age; hence I believe there is plenty of time for these developing goalkeepers to improve over the coming years. We only need to look at the form of Mark Schwarzer. Although he may be a somewhat exception to the cause, it is evident the keepers are a unique product. It seems a genuine trend for keepers hit their peak from 30 years onwards. Kennedy does have some flaws with his decision making, however if we compare him to a couple of years ago, there has been much improvement in his overall game. That’s all we can ask for when accessing a young goalkeeper. There is definitely a huge talent of depth at our disposal. From the older players in their late 20’s/early 30’s and in addition the younger crop of players, we have a bright future ahead of us, from a goalkeeping capacity anyway.
Rob Gremio
Roar Pro
fair enough
Danny_Mac
Roar Guru
Yeah I think you're right about Jones, part of the reason Liverpool signed him is because he qualifed as a home grown player due to the fact he joined middlesborough at 15 or 16...
Roarchild
Roar Guru
I think Coe was in the last squad for the Egypt game too. But until he was picked for that Egypt game I had completely forgotten him. The dissapearing was more refereing to his Inter years than forever.
Danny_Mac
Roar Guru
I also think the fact that Dortmund came back not once, not twice, but three times and paid what the Victory were asking is a huge step in the right direction. He's getting the matchday experience that he cant get in Australia, and with Wiedenfaller ageing and quite injury prone, he will get a chance.
Rob Gremio
Roar Pro
As a keeper myself, I am always interested to hear what people say about keepers on this site. It is also pleasing to see keepers being discussed beyond either being labelled heroes of villians in games, which tends to be the norm in football reporting. Anyway, as Roarchild said, I also wasn't aware that Jones or Federici were in the NSL. In fact, regarding Jones, I'm almost 100% sure that he was a youth player at Middlesborough. Not sure about Federici. Additionally, Bolton, Galekovic and Theo were all in the NSL, so not sure what the A-League has done to develop them beyond giving them a chance to play pro football in Australia, rather than forcing them overseas to earn a decent living. The A-league cannot take credit for these guys. Langerak certainly is a player who gained valuable first-team experience in the A-League at a young age and therefore profitted from the A-League. Is it a coincidence that he and Bolton both came from Bundaberg in Queensland? I think it's fabulous that Arnie (despite my misgivings about him) has given young Matt Ryan an extended crack at the first team. The kid is coming along really well, and seems to have the goods. If he can keep his place with Justin Pasfield coming to the club next season, his future looks very bright. Velaphi seems hot and cold - brilliant one day, comically bad the next. Vukovic is a genuine talent, and I reckon the Glory have done some good business in signing him up. Kennedy, however, I am not convinced about yet. He is a good shot stopper, but has brain fades on crosses and his handling is also quite poor. Shot stopping is important, but it's the decision-making on crosses and handling that make a goalkeeper great. That ability to come for a cross and get it every time, which over the years has been Bolton's forte, is absolutely vital to the team's performance. It creates confidence in the defenders, which means once they hear the call "Keeper" they know he's going to collect. If that confidence isn't there... So while Kennedy is improving, he has a way to go before you can properly say he is a complete player. I'll never forget watching Brisbane Roar when Griffin McMaster was in goals. Craig Moore absolutely refused to allow McMaster to take crosses, because he didn't trust him (justified by the number of times he either dropped a ball, whether under pressure or not), and that lack of trust rippled through the entire team, to the point where as finals approached, some senior players came out in the press saying they wanted Liam Reddy in goals, despite him not being 100% fit. Roar leaked far less goals when Reddy was in the cage than when McMaster was, because the defenders felt they could trust him (until, of course, his brain explosions last year that led to Ange getting rid of him). By the way, Roarchild, Coe hasn't "disappeared", but rather is playing in Denmark now, as the regular first-choice keeper at his club, and is in the provisional 50-man squad for the Asian Cup.
Roarchild
Roar Guru
I wasn't aware Brad Jones or Federici had anything to with the NSL. Langerak was fantastic last year and is in Holgers top 50, he would be in my 23 for the Asian cup. We have a record of young keepers going to great clubs and then dissapearing (Coe to Inter, Vanstratten to Juventis) but I think Langerak will make it as he's on the bench at Dortmund and not farmed out to the youth team.