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It could be debated the A-League is closer to the AFL and America’s MLS in structure than it is to the EPL, Bundesliga or La Liga.
The salary cap and ‘franchise’ clubs (AFL may not have them per se, but Greater Western Sydney Giants and Gold Coast Suns come close) are very AFL/MLS.
One thing these leagues have that the A-League doesn’t is a draft.
A draft would be beneficial to the 10 clubs as well as developing a stronger pathway to professionalism than it stands currently.
At the moment youth development goes according to one of these pathways.
1. Player plays well for rep teams gets selected for the AIS, is offered contract by an A-League team. This has worked for a few players (Brendan Hamill, case in point) and is highlighted by the AIS having a team in the Y-League.
2. Player plays well for second/third tier team and gets offered a contract. This occurs in most cases, however unlike the AFL there is no formalised link between A-League and state league teams.
3. A-League team youth set up.
4. Seen practicing tricks in the park and get picked up by chance (like Golgol Mebrahtu).
However, these pathways are ad-hoc and create a few problems.
Because the South Australian state league is not as strong the as NSWPL or VPL, so Adelaide United rarely see the players Heart and Victory do.
Scouts miss players or overlook certain people in search for someone else. Thus one player may get picked up while a better player is overlooked because the A-League team in that region has no need for another.
This is why the AFL has such an organised draft system – the AFL have a saying, “if you’re good enough, they’ll find you”, which is true – from the Northern Territory to country Tasmania, players get found.
But is this the same for football?
No, not necessarily – we rely heavily on scouts to find talented players – this means players Steven Gray get picked up while players like Golgol Mehbratu are found by complete chance.
I think the A-League should adopt the following system:
Any player from 17-24 can nominate for the A-League national draft.
Players trial for a position, just like the AFL, and it is narrowed down to the 100 best players in Australia/New Zealand who are not signed to an A League team.
These players are examined on their skill and physicality, then trial while A-League coaches and scouts look on at the dedicated training facility.
Each team gets two draft picks (with the addition of two extra spots on the roster) and turning the table upside down like in the AFL. It would run like this: 10th gets first pick, 9th 2nd, 8th 3rd and so on.
Then these players are offered a contract and a chance to play professional football. Teams do not have draft anyone and can pass, if they find no one up to the standard.
The idea is to let players be able to get a chance at every team, because their local team hasn’t picked them up yet or they’re miles from a team.
Obviously, A-League teams can sign players before they enter the draft so they are not sniped – but once they enter the draft it’s first to pick them up. So if Heart are looking at a guy from the Oakleigh Cannons – they can still trial and sign him i.e. he doesn’t not have to drafted.
I think this would work with in tandem with the salary cap to help enforce the socialist state that the A League is.
Also – virtually New Zealand/Australian players become the same nationality – not a visa spot or ‘foreign’ player, because, well, no.
Imagine it, Wellington Phoenix couldn’t buy a win, but in the draft they pick up a great number 10 who has been overlooked in the QPL.
He slots into their team and wins the league and sells for millions two years later to a team that no one can pronounce the name. It’s the stuff dreams are made of.
Maybe add a clause that if an Oakleigh Cannons player doesn’t get offered a contract in the end by Heart, he nominates for the draft, where Sydney FC pick him up with pick #5.
However by picking him up they still must compensate Oakleigh, so that state league teams don’t lose their best players for free.
What do you think Roarers, would a national draft work in the A-League?
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