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Sydney FC take the first step in improving A-League pathways

22nd September, 2014
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Massimo Luongo helped QPR to a controversial win. (AFP PHOTO/GLYN KIRK)
Expert
22nd September, 2014
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Sydney FC have stepped into the youth football limelight with a bold plan to create what they feel will be “Australia’s leading elite football academy”.

Having plucked at the FFA to secure Han Berger as a board director and Kelly Cross as the Academy Director, the Sky Blues will enter an important junction as they look to nurture local talent – something that has often proved elusive for Australian clubs.

For most players, the holy grail as a youngster is European football. Many grow up dreaming of playing for Real Madrid, few dream of playing for Sydney FC. The wealth of opportunities on offer in Europe and the lack thereof in our own backyard prompts many players to take the plunge overseas and turn a blind eye to the A-League.

Of the recent crop of Socceroos, Brad Smith, Massimo Luongo and Bailey Wright all skipped the A-League in favour of the more promising youth setup in England. Smith made the switch at the age of just 14 and was scouted by Liverpool’s Academy while playing high school football. Wright moved straight from the Victorian Institute of Sport into Preston North End’s system at 17 and Luongo was snapped up by Tottenham’s Academy at just 18.

All three were handed an opportunity that wasn’t yet available in Australia. The states’ respective Institutes of Sport have proved effective in fine tuning the technique and mental aptitude of young players, but clear pathways to the A-League have been in short supply and not yet executed to an acceptable standard.

Cross has proved a divisive figure during his FFA days but has been gifted an opportunity to change the academy game (something that shouldn’t be too difficult given the often shambolic precedents that have been set thus far).

The current path for many Sydney footballers into the A-League comes via the National Premier Leagues NSW, with the hope that playing consistent football in the state’s top tier will garner a trial at National Youth League level.

Yet the most glaring example of a teething identification program is Tom Rogic, who was A-League ready when he signed for Central Coast at 19.

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Sydney FC will attempt to implement a structure that sees their philosophy filter down from the A-League through to the Academy and ensure they are generating a regular talent pool of players that are ready to make the step into first team football in an instant.

The aim is to have teams playing throughout the NSW NPL by 2016, which would also ensure year-round scouting for the NYL coaches. But the Sky Blues will heed the warning of the Central Coast Mariners Academy, which is currently in an ugly state thanks to a dispute between Central Coast Football and the Mariners over the control of the Academy.

Having witnessed the Mariners Academy play throughout the NSW NPL Mens 2 competition this year, I can assure fans on the coast that there is no shortage of quality players emerging through the ranks. Their Under 18s side were crowned champions on Sunday after going the entire season unbeaten, while the first grade outfit finished second in the regular season after an impressive campaign under former Socceroo Jason van Blerk.

Unfortunately, things have come to a head above the players and it’s no longer a matter of letting football do the talking. The inability for the association and the A-League licensees to co-exist is a disappointing one that has potential to see the Mariners branding removed from the Academy. It would be a move that would significantly dampen the allure of playing for the Academy and create confusion about the solidity of the pathway from Academy to A-League.

Having Cross solely focus on the progress of the Academy program will give Sydney FC an advantage in being able to effectively manage  A-League and Academy simultaneously.

There will be many eyes on the two-time A-League champions over the next three years. If successful (there is no excuse for the contrary), Graham Arnold will have an exciting crop of youngsters to call upon in the near future and the stigma of starting a career in Australia will go a long way to being removed.

Brisbane, Perth and Newcastle have all made important steps over the last two years by entering youth teams into the NPL.

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Funding an Academy puts A-League clubs in drive, it doesn’t hinder them, and all A-League clubs must look to create a fruitful development structure over the coming years.

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