Australia is a nation that has produced its fair share of world-class athletes, however it wasn’t until the late 1990s and 2000s that Australian sport and specifically football began to become recognised abroad.
This surge in attention dedicated to Australian football can largely be attributed to the exploits of Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill.
The two players went about achieving their goals in different ways but have ultimately ended up being on opposite sides of the same debate… Who is Australia’s greatest footballer of all time?
In today’s modern footballing world being supremely talented and having the ability to put the ball in the back of the net isn’t enough. Nowadays players are required to be outstanding people as well.
I have had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with both Kewell and Cahill and although both were generous with their time and up for a chat it was Timmy whom I found to be more open.
This is evidenced through the many commercials and other various advertisements that Cahill has been involved in, as well as his desire to connect with junior footballers and create a pathway for them. It shows that he is concerned with much more than his own career.
So in regards to media exposure and engaging with the public, the vote goes to Cahill.
Natural ability is something you either have or you don’t. Both Kewell and Cahill have it in abundance but in different areas.
After a childhood constantly being told he was too slow and small, Cahill developed the ability to rise above criticism and prove people wrong. Such determination cannot be taught.
Couple that with his natural ability to leap and the knack of popping up with a goal whens it’s most needed and you’ve got a star.
Guus Hiddink described Kewell as a player who “didn’t need coaching”. Blessed with speed, awareness, skill and a ferocious left foot, no one was surprised when Leeds United came knocking.
Cahill worked hard and deserves to be where he is, but I’m a sucker for natural talent because it’s something that can’t be taught, so this time Kewell gets the nod.
Moments are what every athlete live for and both players provided us with many special moments for both club and country.
Who can forget all those classy left-foot finishes from Kewell or those emphatic headers from Cahill in the Premier League?
Ultimately, though, what a player does at the World Cup is what is remembered most, and despite all Kewell’s talent and goals in failed World Cup qualifying attempts, the moment Cahill scored that goal against Japan he became number one.
Cahill has always stepped up in the big moments when the Socceroos needed it the most.
In the dying minutes of the 2011 Asian Cup final against Japan, Kewell was put through for a one-versus-one with the keeper. Surely he would score?
Instead Kewell shot straight at the keeper and minutes later Japan scored a heartbreaking winner. In contrast, when the chance has fallen to Cahill he’s always taken it. See the difference?
Both Kewell and Cahill have combined to put Aussie football on the map, but who is our greatest?
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard, right?
Zen
Guest
Great banter excellent writing
Herbal Lint
Guest
"...and he remained loyal to the national team at a time when both Bosnich and Okon elected to retire from the national team in order to further their European careers" Bosnich was 'retired' for only one international (he thankfully realised what a brat he was being); that Okon was ever in the same boat is news to me. But are you really singling Ned out for 'loyalty' for the national team?? Where was that loyalty in '99 when he walked out on the squad prior to facing Brazil, NEVER to represent Australia again?? I love sis Lucy to bits, bro Ivan was a handy NSL player in his time, but Ned Zelic has been effectively dead to me for 15 years...and will remain so until he apologises to the FANS, not Frank Farina, for his childish infantile action. Worst of all is he sees no fault whatsoever in what he did, and effectively leeches off his hipster-oddball FoxSports persona (which frankly is a brand of humour suited for neurotic autistics, not Aussie football fans)knowing all the New Dawners haven't a skerrick of a clue about his tarnishing his own reputation.
jbinnie
Guest
Evan - You get very close to the answer to all these deadly serious but somewhat amusing comparisons being made.Who is the best player?,a question that demands an opinionative answer and when viewed with a more serious,more thoughtful eye becomes somewhat ridiculous in it's demand. Who was the better goalkeeper,(player) Schwartzer or Stan Lazarides,get my point?,only one was a goalkeeper so there can only be one answer.Mid asks a question,if you were a manager who would you sign???, surely a question that has to have wider connotations inasmuch as it would surely depend on what he, the manager, sees as his immediate needs. It is however quite acceptable to discuss who was the better "striker" for the one guiding light in that debate is the prices we see paid for "front" players, they obviously being deemed the most valuable commodity in a team. To add another constraint to the debate we appear to be looking at players who have graced our teams in recent years when some of the identities of yesteryear,given the rewards and facilities available to players today become almost immeasurable in what they might have achieved in the game.So lets treat this question with just a hint of amusement for it can never be answered with any sort of legitimate surety. Cheers jb
kurt
Guest
If where talking commitment and skill for the country. The only name that should be mentioned is schwatzer. Harry missed 50 % of the games that were played
Kirk
Guest
Timmy is the better socceroo but Harry is Australia's most talented player I have seen.
dinoweb
Roar Guru
In their club careers, HK played 515 matches with 124 goals and 90 assists. At his peak, before injury set in, with Leeds and then his first year at Liverpool, he had an amazing 17 goals and 20 assists in 1999-2000. TC has had 620 appearances for 147 goals, so their conversion rate is fairly similar at club level. Sorry but wiki doesn't tell me how many assists TC has, but I do know TC has never been the creative player that HK was. While Tims finishing is not in question and his heading ability must be up there with the best the world has seen, he has mostly relied on the team to get the ball too him. Harry could rip open defences on his own as evidenced by his high assist rate. The way he played before injury crueled his career was at a level beyond anything that any other Australian has ever produced. Tim has been to three world cups, Harry two, but it could have been four, and one can only imagine what he might have achieved, especially in France, before injury set in. As has also been stated, Harry mostly played when Australia was in Oceania, and genuinely competitive national matches were few and far between. As much as their international careers overlapped, comparing one against the other is impossible, and comparing minutes in a handfull of WC games against their entire careers is ridiculous.
Evan Askew
Guest
I am aware that the topic seems to be about Kewell and Cahill and Viduka has attracted a mention but what about Ned Zelic. He led the Australian Olympic team to the semi finals at Barcelona 92, he was a key member for the national team during the 1994 and 1998 campaigns, and he remained loyal to the national team at a time when both Bosnic and Okon elected to retire from the national team in order to further their European careers. And he went straight from Sydney Olympic to the Borrusia Dortmund first team which go to the UEAFA Cup final where he put in a assured performance against Juventus in the first leg. (I don't remember getting to see the second leg but it ended 5-1 to Juventus so I am guessing it didn't go so well) He played hundreds of games in the Bundesliga for Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt and 1860 Munich as well as spells in the EPL and Auxerre in France. Even past his peak he still was able to maintain a career in Austria and Japan. I am aware that Kewell, Cahill and Viduka are better known but that is merely because they played in an era when football became mainstream. Had Zelic played in the current era then he could very well be recognised as one of our best players.
Beardan
Roar Guru
CAhill scored more goals with less minutes played. Maybe you can give me the stats on how many minutes Cahill played in 2010 and 2014.. Kewell's was 23 minutes in 2010 and 0 minutes in 2014.
Swampy
Guest
Espys are 'people's choice' awards - maybe not the greatest indicator of form. He scored buggar all for New York and by his second season was either frequently injured or coming off the bench behind Bradley Wright Phillips. Yes that's right - the worse version of SWP.
Boban Fett
Guest
If Harry hadn't had the injury problems he had he probably would have been the best.
Brick Tamland of the pants party
Guest
Well if i were a manger at a top club it would be remiss of me to not purchase both.
Brick Tamland of the pants party
Guest
If i said i watched MLS on a consistent basis i'd be lying but surely winning an espy for best MLS player shows he didn't do too badly in America? He's only gone and scored the fastest goal in their history to boot! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDK_P7aLdOo
Brick Tamland of the pants party
Guest
I think Harry was the our best player by a mile in the 2011 Asian Cup which kind of gets overlooked.
Rellum
Roar Guru
"Interesting question say you were a manager at a top club … who would you buy " Harry no question, I would also make sure you had a world class physio and medical staff and make sure he was right well before he plays a game, His injuries were horribly managed.
Bondy
Guest
AR For the almost religiously pure types Kewell was the better worker of the football than Cahill but as in a ambassadorial context Cahill smash's Kewell in the public likeability Stk's. Kewell & Viduka were at a very similar level of technical quality subsequently both playing in euro'p champ's league semi's relatively often etc ..
Qantas & SBS support Australian Football
Guest
I hear what you are saying about Harry and he was a great Australian player. But the x factor is with Timmy who always arrives in and around the box at the right time to smack home that important goal. A prolific goal scorer with his head and both feet----all sorts of goals from a first time volley to the overhead kick. His timing is perfect where Harry's was not as good as Tim's. At the end of the day for the striker it is who has put the ball in the back of the net the most for club and country. And to add, Tim has played most of his football as an attacking midfielder where Harry was a flanker with a very good change of pace with an excellent left foot.
Swampy
Guest
Very selective stats there - how about these stats - Pool Matches in 2006 - Kewell 236 minutes played, Cahill 183 minutes played. Kewell actually was injured for the Italy match. Kewell scored the goal to get us into the match against Italy.
Beardan
Roar Guru
Cahill scored in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 world cups. Harry Kewell sat on the bench vs italy in 2006 and played 23 minutes of the 2010 world cup. Who is better? Its not even close.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
The Duke = x factor Harry = best player Cahill = most consistent Who would I have in my team? The Duke. He was the best at his best!
Swampy
Guest
Timmy is past it for the EPL - the style of game there is too fast for him to be the box to box player he was. Matches are far more frequent - which makes it hard for the older guys. The manager also adopted more a possession/passing style which, as everyone has alluded to, is not Timmy's strength. He wasn't too good in the MLS either. However, at international level where most games we play are not at breakneck speed, he is still a prime target and has plenty of downtime between matches.