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In the days since the decision in Zurich, attention has shifted to the FFA getting its domestic footballing house in order by strengthening the A-League and examining a possible cup competition.
Both of these are vital to ensure the long-term future of football in Australia and much has been said about how these should be handled.
So rather than repeat what has already been said, here is my two cents worth on two other areas which deserve attention, but may not be getting it:
Career development of young players
Let me put on my economists hat for a moment. Australia will always be a net exporter of football talent. The only assets we will attract to this country are those older assets with declining resale values or unfinished products from other nations who are looking to use Australia as a stepping stone to a bigger market. And we don’t get to keep those foreign assets. Therefore we need to get the best value out of our local resources.
The development and expansion of the A-League is giving younger players more opportunities. Part of the plan has to be to develop the levels below the A-League, but we also need to get it right when it comes to players venturing overseas. Local players have been too eager to leave our shores for almost any team as long as it involved a flight and a passport. This may have had something to do with several national coaches gazing across the oceans for names to put down onto the team sheet. And it is true that better developed club set-ups around the world are often better environments for Australian footballers to hone their skills.
That’s why we have to help young players make the right decision when it comes time for them to fly the coop. The FFA has to get a foot in the door and play a bigger part in helping young players manage their careers. It will always ultimately be up to the player to make the decision, but the resources of the FFA should be better utilised to provide information to players as to what they are really getting themselves into. The recent dramas of players returning to Australia after disastrous overseas moves highlights what can go wrong.
No longer can more money be allowed to automatically equal better.
Develop the women’s game
Apparently there are 90 million Americans directly involved in football. 90 million or about four Australia’s.
Any way you measure it, that’s a lot of people. And a great number of them are probably women.
The women’s game in Australia is woefully under-resourced, under-reported and under acknowledged. The Matilda’s won Australia’s first major trophy just before the World Cup, but apart from a few reports it was quickly forgotten as their male counterparts began their campaign which saw them fail to get to the second round of the World Cup.
This situation exists all over the world. The Arsenal Ladies Football Club is the English women’s club affiliated with Arsenal. Since its foundation in 1987, they have won 33 major trophies including the UEFA Women’s Champions League. That’s a few more trophies than Mr Wenger and Mr Fabregas have won in recent years.
In a competitive sporting landscape where the various football codes are competing for the youth of this country, a big selling point of football is that both young girls and boys can play it, but it can only remain attractive at the more elite levels if there are opportunities.
I hate turning the pure joy that playing sport gives children into some competitive argument used by adults as to which sport has the greatest number of juniors playing it, but having both the young Peter’s and Peta’s of Australia playing football can only be a good thing. Investment today can bring dividends tomorrow.
The boys and girls of today turn into the parents of tomorrow and one day they will be looking for a sport to get their children involved in. And for the sake of football in this country, we need to make sure that the next Mr and Mrs Cahill choose football for their son. And their daughter.
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