In recent weeks, Melbourne Heart have commissioned the rapid fire sales of some of their finest young players; fuelling the ever growing movements of our most exciting prospects to foreign shores.
Promising young striker Eli Babalj decided to give another season of A-League football a miss and sealed a move to the club he supported as a boy, Serbian powerhouse Red Star Belgrade.
This was speedily followed with key defender Curtis Good all but putting pen to paper to seal a move to English Premier League powerhouse Newcastle United.
Not to end there, in the last week it has been reported that his defensive partner Brendan Hamill is set to sign for Korean club and 2010 AFC Champions League winner Seongnam Ilhwa.
Now, selling off of our best young talent isn’t necessarily a negative. These promising players have all attracted reported transfer fees in excess of $A500,000 each, proving that there is plenty of money to be gained from player sales, through successful youth development.
In fact this is a part of global football, and some of Europe’s biggest clubs are fiscal powerhouses due to their youth development and resulting transfers.
The argument that these young stars can be retained is futile, as football is a global game and players will fall victim to a global market. Unfortunately for a developing league there is always going to be more money elsewhere. The key behind players leaving, is the fact that they do want to leave, getting in their way is going to help no-one.
Players will always want to seek greener pastures, embracing this player market is a critical element in the business world. Dutch powerhouse AFC Ajax has been generating profits for decades due to their shrewd business operations.
They thrive off youth development; their globally spread academies are some of the best in the world and have produced local stars such as Van Der Vaart, Sneijder, Babel and even foreign stars such as South African Steven Pienaar.
In the six years up to 2008, the club generated a net surplus of €76 million in the transfer market. This is enough to keep a club sustainable for years, allowing the club to improve facilities, staff, and academies and eventually leading to domestic and global dominance on and off the pitch. Their profitable operations have allowed for bigger spending in the transfer market, while yet to pay off, the money is readily available.
It is where this money is going to be spent that is the big sticking point for Melbourne Heart supporters and fans. This extra income is a huge blessing for a club trying to gain market share in a tight sporting market, this money needs to be treated accordingly. Sadly without much debate we can accept that this latest influx of funding will go straight to paying off debts and covering lacklustre gate receipts.
This is unfortunately a very reactive use of this money. As a passionate fan, I am in my right to demand something that will excite me, something that will keep me attending our home fixtures. At the end of 2004, Portuguese club F.C. Porto, another transfer dependant club, sold star playmaker Deco to Barcelona for over €21 million. While tragic, they managed to bring in exciting winger Ricardo Quaresma, proving transfers can work both ways. Fans don’t want just profits, they want to be pleased.
The proactive approach for the Melbourne Heart board would be setting their sights on attracting a genuine world class marquee player to our club. The FFA implemented the dual marquee player system for a reason; they went by the expectation that this rule would be embraced by clubs that could afford it. We can afford it.
While some fans will promote the ultra-conservative use of saving money, the majority of fans would without question want to see a big fish landing on our shores. Marquee players, big names, world-class players bring in the crowds. The signing of Harry Kewell last year for Melbourne Victory was monumental off the pitch.
He brought back much needed media attention, crowds and that glamour back to the game. Dwight Yorke and Robbie Fowler are just some names to prove that big name marquee players work.
We have an opportunity to reclaim some of the spotlight from our bigger brother in the Melbourne Victory. The Harry Kewell departure has paved the way for our club to lure those fickle casual fans who remain on the sidelines. Luring a big name that would rival Harry Kewell would raise eyebrows and deliver a much needed PR blow to our rival, the Melbourne Victory.
While Marcos Flores may be a decent replacement, he lacks the star power of Kewell. We can sign someone with star power that would regenerate the low crowds, poor gate receipts and the lack of media attention we are currently experiencing.
The MLS in America believes in selling the youth to bring in the stars. While no longer in their peak, names such as Beckham, Henry and Juan Pablo Angel bring in the crowds, while still putting up solid performances on and off the pitch.
Mark “Marco” Bresciano, is the most obvious name that comes to mind. A favourite son returning would definitely rival that hype generated with Harry Kewell, it would perhaps even surpass it. Melbourne Heart should capitalise on his reported unhappiness in the Middle East and bring him home with this newly acquired transfer war chest.
I can only picture Marco on a lazy Sunday morning sipping on a freshly brewed coffee at his beloved Lygon Street.
Other big names such as Fabio Grosso, Pippo Inzaghi and even Michael Owen have all been linked to the A-League in recent weeks, in fact French superstar Robert Pires is offering himself up to clubs. It would be a pleasant surprise if one or more lined up for the red and white in season eight.
So while it is good to sell our young players for the right price, let’s make sure that the money is spent well, spent on pleasing the most valuable commodity to a football club, the fans. Melbourne Heart it is time we are no longer the timid younger brother in this town, it is time we started taking the limelight.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Thanks for the maths jbinnie but you have conveniently forgotten to mention that MV received a 5 year period free of competition to develop a presence in the Melbourne market. Surely that's worth some compensation to a start-up club - isn't it? Let me put it another way, if the FFA had setup two teams in Melbourne from day dot, I reckon there would be a very good chance that the membership now would split 50/50 or say 60/40 - about equal numbers for both. Then you can have your rotating two home derbys every second year without argument.
RZ
Guest
An excellent article Stefanov. As a die-hard Victory suporter, I think Harry Ewell was a wise choice in terms of getting more members. However, his playing ability and the fact that he cannot fulfill his contracted term was extremely disappointing. It was a temporary hype and all that I am left with is an expensive fluro-yellow security vest with the name "Kewell" on the back. So there is a down side to bringing expired big names down under.
jbinnie
Guest
Kasey- I don't have a problem with any action the FFA may take in "easing the burden" on Heart, however if we take it that everything is "above" board and use a simple average $30 entry fee ,the last 2 seasons could have seen Melbourne Victory lose out on at least $500,000 (maybe more)in gate income not to mention any deals they may have with the food and drink people at the stadium. Now if I were a NQ Fury fan, or for that matter a CCM fan, I could ask why were their clubs not given a $500,000 "helping hand" when needed. Get my point Another way of calculating the "loss" to Victory is that the four Heart "home derbies" so far has drawn a total of nearly 102,000 .Now when you consider that Heart's "real" average gate at all other games last year was 6000 it could be said that 78,000 of those attending these derbies were Victory fans spending gate money ($30) in the region of $2,300,000 to watch their team play. Did Victory get any of that money? I don't suppose we'll ever know but you won't change my mind that it is a very dangerous precedent to set. Now a simple solution would be to award two home derby games to Victory on each alternate year. No??????.Cheers jb
Kasey
Guest
Either way we are discussing a moot point, this season(#8): 2012-13, the three Melbourne derbies are split as follows: #7, Victory Home game, #8 Heart Home game and the final regular season derby, derby #9, Victory Home game It is obvious that the MHT average home crowd will take a hit based on this but seeing as the Melbourne derby averages 25k at AAMI Pk and 36k at etihad, the boost to the league numbers should be noticeable. Also noticeable should be the reduction in whigning from MVC fans who never seemed to care that AUFC fans had to travel to Melbourne for two away games against our biggest rivals for 3 of the last 4 seasons...thankfully this is yet another thing the FFA have corrected for this season's fixture:) .
Kasey
Guest
I fail to see what your problem is jb. We both want the league to survive and thrive. At the moment that means 10 strong and viable teams. In business, the start up phase is invariably the hardest. If that means that the FFA give MHT a bit of a boost by scheduling 2 home derbies, than surely that’s better than splashing actual hard cash in bailing them out? The reason I bring the AFL up is because they have horribly compromised the fairness of their competition draw to maximize crowds and TV ratings. Givem the eveess between the 2 Melbourne teams and the fact they both use AAMI Pk as a home venue during various times of the season two home derbies doesn’t appear to me to hopelessly compromise the fairness of the A-League competition. As for the fans, MHT like to promote the fact that they play ALL of their games at AAMI so by virtue of having a cross town rival, MVC fans get the same 14 home games as the rest of us and they also get a bonus 2 quasi-home games at one of the best stadiums in Australia simply a different train station rather than a plane flight away for the rest of us wishing to go to an away game. Even you admit that the Heart is growning, even if it is slowly at the moment....If this little sleight of hand ensures that the Heart has time to build a solid support base then I don’t have a problem with it.
Nobby Stiles
Guest
Fuss, I was essentially speaking about the K League. Apparently, Aussie CBs have been targeted. Also, a number of players, like Kennedy and Bosnar, have lauded the quality of midfields in Japan. Fair comment about midfielders going to the Bundesliga 1 and 2. However, not many of them are established first eleven players yet. Interesting stats about the composition of overseas players according to position.
Stefanov
Roar Pro
Apologies for the 'Aaron Hamill' error, it will shortly read 'Brendan Hamill' As far as I'm concerned Seongnam Ilhwa have no need for an injury prone power centre-half forward. Proof read not 99 times but 100 times. Thanks for the feedback all.
jbinnie
Guest
kasey - don't like the way you dismiss the 2 home derby gates that Hearts enjoy with a "So what?" and then go on to try and justify the matter by saying the AFL do the same thing all the time. What has the AFL got to do with a system,now apparently coming into it's third year of operation, that apparently is blatently taking huge amounts of money away from the coffers of Melbourne Victory (unless of course there is an "under the counter" deal on the income from the third "derby".????.) Heart's "true" increase in their average crowd figure last year was around 800 and this was for an attraction,the team's play, that was probably better than their city neighbours, who were not having their best season.The interesting thing coming up this season is what will happen in Melbourne crowd distribution if the "Ange factor" and even the "Flores factor " result in an improved Victory performance.The Heart officials must be sweating on that outcome for lets be frank and honest that 800 "gain" could disappear like snow in sunshine if Victory start to put it all together ,for their crowd figures last. season were actually in free fall for most of the season. Even though they showed an average increase over the season their actual average number fell consecutively over 13 weeks from 40,000 to finish at 19000. The "help" the FFA may be giving Heart is not actually helping at all for it is creating a false figure in their income columns,their officials would be better employed in getting that "real" average up from their 6000 nearer to the 10,000 we were told 2 years ago that an HAL club needed just to "break even", or could that be a reason for the "fire sale" referred to in this article.Hopefully they will succeed. By the way, hope you are well jb
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Chin up Neil. If the HeartFC brains trust decided to recruit eleven one legged midgets I'd still turn up to watch and cheer. As for "clearing four outstanding, young talented players from last season’s team", I think that's a touch melodramatic. I'd say we weren't losing too much sleep over Goodwin but didn't stand in the way of Babalj, Good and Hamill from pursuing their dreams. Heck if by some miracle someone from Red Star Belgrade asked me to go over and play for them you wouldn't see me for dust. But we've recruited a young Liberian international and a 24 yo Croat who probably needs a change of atmosphere to reignite the belief. I reckon he could bang in a few for us this year. Just pay your dues and turn up to support the boys!!! It's truely that simple.
Evan Askew
Guest
Yet despite the negativity on Hearts crowds, the likes of South Melbourne and Melbourne Knights would have given their left nut to be getting that every week. For Brunswick Jueventus and Sunshine George Cross it would be totally inconvievable.
Sports Candy
Roar Pro
Its always the case that Australian clubs have sold young up and coming players overseas and a good source of income. The young players want to go too and take on a new adventure. With the youth league and the A-League we have a good source of new talent and an international standard competition to showcase them. The growing staure of the A-League is also attracting good overseas talent to our shores.
Neil
Guest
"The Heart still have a fairly experienced defense with Bolton, Colosimo, Marrone and Behich there." Bolton is good. Colosimo is error prone, plays at too slow a tempo and his passing is not the best. The Manager stopped playing him as a regular last season. I wouldn't count on Marrone and Behich being at Heart by the start of the 2012-2013 season. I believe Marrone had lined up an overseas position before the start of last season that from memory fell through due to a change of Manager.
pete4
Guest
Neil - I read the FFA gets a 20% cut. The season is still 11 weeks away so I wouldn't write off your club yet
Wotdoo
Guest
Do they even have enough players to field a team at the moment. I think Milicic would be happy not to be there at the moment. As a victory fan I hope they do well for the league soong as they are below us and as you said get slaughtered in the first round.
Neil
Guest
As a premium Heart member for the first two seasons I am far from happy about Heart clearing four outstanding, young talented players from last seasons's team. It's not as if they have given years of great service to the club, like Alex Wilkinson and Matt Simon at the Mariners. People talk about the money Heart will get. We don't know what they are getting. Isn't it also true that as these players have to sign standard A League contracts that the FFA also takes 50% of the transfer fees? I now wonder who else Heart will lose before October as contracts count for little. I certainly don't see how Heart have properly covered the losses of young talent like Ali Babalj, Curtis Good, Brendan Hamill and Scott Goodwin. Signing a 30 year old from the Victorian Premier League doesn't excite me. I look at how Victory have kept their best players bar Kewell and strengthened their squad with quality signings. I'm expecting Heart to be slaughtered by Victory in the season opening Derby. Must say I'm seriously considering whether to renew my membership with Heart. It's not as if after just 2 seasons you feel this binding loyalty to a new club and in the off season they have given me absolutely NOTHING to be excited about or look forward to for next season. Instead Heart have done exactly the opposite.
pete4
Guest
The Heart still have a fairly experienced defense with Bolton, Colosimo, Marrone and Behich there. Mebrathu, Tadic and Gerhardt looking like good acquisitions so if Owen ends up joining it'll be very interesting Round 1 derby indeed
Nobby Stiles
Guest
Interesting comment about Bresc, Watdoo. ATM Bresc is playing better football with the national team than Harry. Would he play well in the HAL? Others have struggled to cope with the style of play in the HAL. Harry says it is a lot harder than it looks. I Just hope if Bresc came back, not the most physical of players, he wouldn't be monstered physically by other A League players and rendered ineffectual.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Nobby Stiles Yes, you make a fair point re:AUS football exports to J & K leauges. But, HAL only 7 years old and already we've exported Kruse, Rukavytsya, Leckie, Amini, who are all midfielders & strikers & all developed in the HAL, to the Bundesliga, which is the league I consider to have the best depth of all the World's football leagues: technically, tactically & physically. Two other players - again, none are CBs, Tommy Oar, Adam Sarota & Michael Zullo to the Eredivisie, which is another league renowned for its highly technical football. At last count (May 2012) there were 198 Aussies with professional football contracts overseas and whilst the majority were NOT developed in the HAL, they still all learnt their basic technical skills as kids in Australia. The breakdown - by position - reveals the majority of AUS players with o/s club contracts are Midfielders then Strikers GK: 13%, Defenders: 24%, Midfielders: 38%, Strikers: 25% Source: http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Abroad/2012-05.html
Wotdoo
Guest
"Mark “Marco” Bresciano, is the most obvious name that comes to mind. A favourite son returning would definitely rival that hype generated with Harry Kewell, it would perhaps even surpass it. Melbourne Heart should capitalise on his reported unhappiness in the Middle East and bring him home with this newly acquired transfer war chest." Sorry if I'm reading this wrong but comparing the hype that Harry returning and what bresciano would bring is so far apart is rediculous. I can't believe you even tried to bring that out. Australia's greatest ever player as voted y the public players and journos not even in the same league in terms of hype.
Kasey
Guest
Considering we are only about to see MHT for their third season and their home crowds are trending upwards every year since they debuted in 2010-11 (and yes I know they get the ‘bonus’ of 2 home derbies. So what? The AFL blatantly manipulate their draw for their own purposes, Melbournians should be used to it by now! ) I don’t know what more you expect. Melbourne is a big sports city, more than enough room for a massive football team, and a niche team, ala Liverpool/Barca and Everton/Espanyol. I really enjoyed reading this article, but of course somebody had to drag it down to lowest common denominators comments on crowds, I guess that's the inclusive nature of football fans at work, giving football illiterates something to comment on;)