I am the guy standing next to you at international fixtures, cheering on the Socceroos to the point of exasperation; the idiot clenching his buttocks in anxious fear over opposition raids into the penalty area and the fool praying for that rare moment when a striker finds the net and, for just a second or two, Australian football fans believe.
The night Australia defeated Honduras in the 2018 inter-confederation play-offs in Sydney, I arrived home, a few sheets to the wind mind you, and cuddled my youngest daughter at the front door shouting, “We are going to Russia, we are going to Russia!”
Of course, what followed under Bert van Marwijk was disappointment personified; just two goals across three games and losses to France and Peru saw the Australians once again leave the world’s biggest sporting event with their tails between their legs.
However, the Socceroos were at the World Cup for their fourth consecutive appearance, a place many Aussies had grown to feel they actually belonged and in turn, deserved. Surely, that is all that matters?
Perhaps it isn’t.
The football world has changed immensely over the last 30 years. The explosion of African and Asian representation in the biggest leagues in Europe has completely refocussed the radar of recruiters who once predominately sought the best young English, German, Spanish and Italian boys.
Now they look far wider and more broadly, uncovering talent in previously untapped corners of the globe.
Egypt, South Korea, Japan, Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire are prime examples of nations of which talent scouts were highly sceptical in the past, yet places where they now seek out the next genius to emanate from a once unlikely source.
No longer is the next world star assured to be Spanish, Argentinian or Portuguese, he could well come from anywhere on the planet and that says all that needs to be said when it comes to the immense changes we have seen in the world game.
Such a broadening of talent identification is at the heart of the foolish lamentations of people wondering why there is not more Australian talent honing its craft in the English Premier League; a ridiculous musing based on the rather flawed belief that Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka were competing in an equally international league as they enjoyed success during their primes.
In reality, Tom Rogic, Aaron Mooy, Mathew Ryan, Ajdin Hrustic and Harry Souttar would have also played consistently and enjoyed long careers in England at a similar time, yet now find themselves just a step or two off the pace when it comes to consistent selection at the top level in the EPL.
That reality is not a reflection of their talent, more a clear reminder of the expanding global game and the uber-challenging path to the elite level that players right across the world now face. In essence, the talent pool has been funnelled into the narrowest of places, with access to the English Premier League now reserved for the best 300 players in the world.
Tom Rogic is one of Australia’s brightest overseas stars. (Photo: Paul Ellis/Getty Images)
Currently, there are few Australians worthy of such a position. However, this is also the case for many young English players who now head abroad to the United States, India and even Australia in search of a kick, when in the past, they may have been able to find a spot on the roster of a mid-table English team.
There has never been fewer English-born players competing in the top English flight.
Thus, Australian football fans need to shift their thinking and see the new global game for what it is. After the move to Asia and what many saw as ensured advancement to World Cups for many years to come, the new reality is that nations such as Oman, UAE, China, Vietnam and Thailand have caught up with Australia, with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea careering into the distance.
Even with an expanded tournament in 2026, qualification should never be taken for granted and is likely to become increasingly difficult.
As a football nation, Australia needs to face a simple and somewhat sobering reality that others in our confederation do not face the same intense competition thrown at them by a multitude of other sports, have clear government and corporate support that fuels growth in the game and are getting better with each major tournament in which they compete.
Ex-Socceroos can sit and lament the losses to Japan and Saudi Arabia, questioning commitment, passion and unity in the camp, yet they all miss the point. Australia is still a football minnow, with the odd highlight to show for its efforts. That is nothing to be ashamed of, just an inconvenient truth that some fail to acknowledge.
Right now, the Socceroos are a team not quite good enough to qualify for the FIFA World Cup, barring another miracle in the play-offs. I’ll be cheering them on as always, yet even if the team somehow does manage to succeed in its quest, the chances of doing anything significant in Qatar are slim and none.
The Socceroos will and should always strive to perform better in international football, yet understanding just where we sit in the pecking order and accepting that as reality might also provide an oft-absent sense of perspective and self awareness.
Bludger
Guest
Bosnich went as a teenager, maybe 14 when he left, Viduka about 18 yo to Croatia, Kewell must have been 15 yo at Leeds..... need I go on? Viduka was the oldest to leave as I recall.
Sheffield WesDay
Roar Rookie
If what the author says is true, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for our talent to secure lucrative moves abroad, surely the most sensible thing would be to invest heavier in our local game. Many great comments and suggestions offered about 2nd div promotion/relegation, youth pathways, funding of the game, old soccer/ new football etc... It seems we know what we need to do, we just don't have people putting it into action. We cant keep looking to Europe to develop our football identity. We are Aussies, we should have our own style and take responsibility for it.
HR
Roar Rookie
To go off on a complete tangent... Memory can be a funny thing. Opel did indeed make the Commodore. But it was called the Commodore in Germany too, not the Kommander. And in 1974, they were making the Commodore B, which was a completely different car to the Commodore C (which looked superficially similar to the VB Commodore sold by Holden). Both the Opel Commodore C and the first Holden Commodore were brought to market in 1978. The Holden was nominally based on the Opel, but had a different front end to accommodate Holden's own engines, and was re-engineered by Holden to suit Australian conditions.
Kewell
Roar Rookie
Well Thomas I’m frustrated because I know there are better athletes running around in provincial football codes that have little or no world significance. And some of these athletes if picked up earlier enough would walk into the Socceroos and Matildas.
Kewell
Roar Rookie
Chris I think this a fallacy now. Australia are no longer pores in sport. Look at tennis, we were the best but not now. We are still good a sports like yachting, shooting, swimming, canoeing maybe basketball. We are tops in provincial sports like NRL and cricket. Look how channel 9 see a test match between Australia and Bangladesh as competitive its a joke. Yet they never entertain football, they treat it like the plague. I won’t mention AFL because it’s not really played outside the souther Australian states. That leaves football, we could do a lot better but it’s hardly not seen on FTA. The other leagues are locked up behind pay wall, so it’s not in the public or upcoming athletes radar. I can imagine any upcoming potential juniors would be encouraged not to play football if they lived in an AFL or an NRL household.
Kewell
Roar Rookie
At work I your optimism. But at the moment they can’t score a goal nor pass a ball under pressure, that makes it hard to win.
David V
Guest
That doesn't quite explain why English clubs often won European competition back in the day.
Chopper
Roar Rookie
Bob you are completely right. When given 12 teams we opt for a minimum league based on reaching the minimum amount of games (26) that FIFA/AFC require rather than taking on 33 games (play each other 3 times). Adding cup games, finals (because Australia must have finals)and Asian Champions League games it is possible that some Aussie players may rack up 40 games in a season and that is a way to breed soccer (football)players. Our poor youth team players may get 12 games a season currently and they need the exposure to masses of gametime. Same with the girls/ladies, soccer is not a boutique game like AFLW or RLW or sevens rugby.
Kewell
Roar Rookie
NSD Holden needed hundreds of millions of dollars in government subsidies to keep them going, we don’t have that option.
Kewell
Roar Rookie
Yep, you have hit nail on the head, I have said this in one form or another for a while. Look at how Sam Kerr moves compared to others in the Matildas. Get enough the best athletes each year to form the back bone of the national teams. Pay heaps if you need to it is the number one priority.
Kewell
Roar Rookie
NoMates, my opinion is the national teams have lost when they have had the largest viewing audiences. We know Aussies like winners and loosing these clutch has hurt football and viewership.
Kewell
Roar Rookie
Para, to be honest at the moment they are good enough to go to the World Cup.
Kewell
Roar Rookie
Chris AFL and NRL have got stronger at the same time. Why they are recruiting the exciting athletes we are not.
Kewell
Roar Rookie
Yes Grem, get the best junior athletes train them up with quality technical and tactical trainers and the national team will start winning against teams we are now loosing against. And we will once again have smiles have smiles on our faces.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
If the USA played AFL seriously they would have all these fast 6f - 7ft athletes . Imagine their fast bowling attack in cricket Imagine the speed in rugby, we already see that with just their two fast rugby sevens players which isn't even remotely well paid and their team can hardly pass. Australia are up there in basketball worldwide , basketball in the USA outside of the NBA players cant make good money, so players have to go overseas, which means you have tall basketballers going to Australia play in the NBL and then they make money with all the youth training here. Iceland is not even any good at ice Hockey.
jbinnie
Guest
Chris- In my time in football I have watched some of the greatest dribblers to have played the game from Finney and Mathews to Garrincha, Best, Johnstone, Henderson and others who have been classed as "entertainers " of the highest order, but at the same time I have also witnessed the game itself changing from the deployment of players in a "standard" 1-2-3-5 formation to the other extreme when the Italians almost killed off the game as a spectator sport with their "catenaccio". Today the game tactically is going through another phase which involves getting peak performance out of all players at all times ,whether in or out of possession. In this phase the effectiveness of a winger beating one, two, or three players is gradually being phased out as coaches play around with zonal and man marking strategies. Hopefully this tactical trend will not last and once again we will see the "flying winger" get up to his tricks, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting. Cheers jb.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Lets get this straight, if Messi was in Australia as a youth the other codes would have grabbed him as a youth and he would have ended up playing rugby league or AFL. Surely you cant be serious with this rubbish. Why didnt they take look to recruit Kewell then in the days when a higher percentage of players were playing other codes as juniors, Kewell was lightning fast though he had a thin build. Mooy have you seen this guy in action , he is short ,weak looking and a bit slow , I suppose he could play as five eight in rugby union like Grant Fox. Rogic have you ever watched him play the bloke lacks any sort of athleticism. If you watched the A-league you could see some good athletes who would have no trouble playing in the other codes, Mooy and Rogic physically and athletically are in the lowest rung in the A-league. I know Canterbury wanted Slater when he was young , he was more solid than Kewell and fast. Slater played in the EPL, limited talent, but he was fast and could run all game.
Bob
Guest
We are what we are... Play 27 games a season. Comfort football... Honing ones skills or any future growth is completely dependent on the amount of practice and games played. But yes the football Australia economists would tell you no need for more games or teams or divisions... But obviously the might be
John ODonnell
Guest
Correct...great comments..author is miles off..
jbinnie
Guest
Keith -In 1974,while driving along a highway in the UK my eye was attracted to a nice looking car in my rear view mirror. The car slowly overtook me and became more impressive as it all became visible.to me. The makers badge and name were clearly visible on the back panels .it was an OPEL KOMMANDER, obviously a German car being built by Opel in Germany under the flag of their American owners General Motors. Some 3 years later I was told by my then boss to go and get myself a new company car. I visited both Ford and Holden and was most surprised to see my "OPEL KOMMANDER" being marketed as a "brand new model" ----"Holden Commodore". In this day of world wide ownership and nationalisation of design, don't always believe what you are told by the marketing men. Cheers jb.