There are plenty of things happening in football right now. Major European leagues are underway, the Women’s World Cup and the stunning spectacle put on by the joint hosts is still the talk of the town and Australian domestic NPL competitions are reaching their climaxes around the country.
In addition, the Liberty A-League Women’s competition is around the corner, closely followed by the men’s a week later on October 20 and an Australia Cup Final looms as the Round of 16 matches are completed over the next couple of days.
Most relevant to Australians is the stunning success being achieved by those plying their trade abroad and the attention they are drawing from international pundits, experts and fans who appear to be finally noticing and respecting the Aussie production line that is churning out talent in considerable numbers.
Most notable has been Tottenham Hotspur’s brilliant start to the new EPL season under Ange Postecoglou, the club taking seven points from nine and sitting in behind champions Manchester City in the early running.
Ange Postecoglou. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
Postecoglou, despite all his success and professional experience, was still an unknown quantity heading to England and of course, there were doubters. Far from those doubters being completely silenced this early in the season, it certainly does appear that the 58-year-old will fit in as nicely in London as he has wherever he has chosen to coach throughout his career.
Former Melbourne Victory boss Kevin Muscat has his Yokohama F. Marinos squad sitting at the top of the J1 League after 25 matches, continuing an excellent run of consistent results since his arrival in 2021. He has the club on target for consecutive championships.
Postecoglou’s former assistant Peter Cklamovski was appointed as head coach of FC Tokyo in June, with the team struggling. Since, his squad has lost just twice in eight matches and climbed from twelfth to tenth on the league ladder, off the back of some sparkling football and a re-energised fan base.
A draw with second placed Vissel Kobe spoke volumes about what the new coach has been able to achieve in such a short period of time, using an attacking strategy that reeks of Postecoglou’s philosophical approach to the game.
Now, news has also broken around rumoured overseas interest in Socceroos manager Graham Arnold. Despite extending his contract with the national team after returning to Australia following the team’s gutsy run at the Qatar World Cup, Hibernian in Scotland has allegedly shortlisted Arnold for their coaching position after recently parting ways with the former boss.
Suggestions Arnold has also drawn interest from EFL clubs a little further south mean that should any club be keen to acquire the 60-year-old’s services, they could well be required to enter into a bidding race for them.
Just as Tony Gustavsson’s guidance of the Matildas into the final four of the Women’s World Cup puts him in the frame for a host of national jobs, Arnold’s control of the team and the positivity with which they played in Qatar has drawn respect and attention.
Even more Matildas have signed lucrative overseas deals in the post-script to the World Cup and it is hard to comprehend Cortnee Vine and Clare Hunt remaining in the A-League Women’s for anything other than the short term.
Cortnee Vine. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Despite an obvious gap in class between the Lionesses, Spain and the Matildas, play well they did. No player did their personal reputation any harm during the tournament and international leagues and scouts were clearly watching.
The new European season has seen the flock of young male talent that headed abroad over the last two seasons continue to seek out playing opportunities and minutes at their respective clubs.
It is a big season in the English Championship for Riley McGree, Tom Glover, Harry Souttar, Massimo Luongo and Sam Silvera, whilst Alex Robertson and Kusini Yengi at Portsmouth also have important seasons ahead in League One. Word from the club is that Robertson has made a sunning start to the campaign and the more we observe his talent, his long term presence in a Socceroo shirt becomes more likely.
As near as I can tell, there are Australian footballers playing in 47 separate countries in 2023. Ajdin Hrustic will be hoping for more first team football and better luck with injuries at Verona FC in the Serie A. Denis Genreau is receiving minutes in France, starting for Toulouse against Strasbourg over the weekend and the German-based Aussies are led by Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe with St. Pauli in the second tier.
Harry Souttar. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Mat Ryan and Garang Kuol will play in the top flight in Holland, Jason Davidson is starring in Belgium with AS Eupen and a host of Australians, from Iceland to Singapore and from Turkiye to Scotland, have hopeful seasons ahead. Eleven Australians will compete in the Scottish Premier League in 2023/24, four will spend the season in the top tier in Korea Republic and 14 will play in the Indian Super League.
A quick search in your browser of choice will give you the full list, and extensive it is, with over 200 male players currently abroad and an ever growing number of Matildas.
It is brilliant that the world appears to be taking notice and valuing what our domestic leagues are producing. With A-League Women’s memberships on the rise, another quality men’s competition on the cards and plenty of international football for the Socceroos in the New Year, it is certainly exciting times.
Australian football may have had its troubles in the past, but right now, we look to be moving forward rather than back.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
Why would the truth embarrass me ?
chris1
Roar Rookie
"So you can have your giggle fest for a few weeks every four years, the NRL & AFL dominate the sporting landscape in this country for nine months a year, every year". The more you speak the more you embarrass yourself.
Grem
Roar Rookie
And from that piddly pool of players they play the “greatest game” in the “rugby league world” – State of Origin! NSW v Queensland is the “greatest game” in their “world”! That’s the top of their totem pole. Imagine if the greatest game (or top of the totem pole) in any other real sport was NSW v Queensland. Tennis, Basketball, Athletics, Boxing, Swimming, Cricket, Rugby Union, etc. People just don’t realise how duped they are. That is the joke that makes our sides hurt with laughter.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
These days they all go to the same schools.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
At least our probation scheme can get on TV, and get paid hundreds of millions annually to do so, the Anonymous League barely gets 30 seconds on the tail end of the nightly sports bulletin.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
We don’t pretend our WC is as big as football or rugby, it’s low on our totem pole. The NRL & Origin are our priority, and they never fail to deliver. Origin games are the three highest rating programs every year in this country. So you can have your giggle fest for a few weeks every four years, the NRL & AFL dominate the sporting landscape in this country for nine months a year, every year.
Brett Allen
Roar Rookie
I’m sure there’ll be a small bump, but it’ll be gone soon enough
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
love your plan Mid, and let's not forget that Saudi, Japan and China don't have backyard codes to compete with. The U.S. has a population of 300 mil, plenty of supporters for every code.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
you're not Robinson Crusoe Stu, bring on the new season. Can I also suggest that the new 2nd Div next winter brings in another level of visibility. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but with pro/rel with NPL in play it makes things a little more serious for the clubs involved. It also starts to foster a culture of preparedness for eventual A-League pro-rel.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Actually, I think we need to change that statement slightly, it should read more like "the Plonkers that make it to the top shoot us in the foot every time". We need generational transition to get younger, more progressive and information savvy personnel at the top.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
hmmm, when you listen to the RL pundits, commentators, officials......it's Forrest Gump syndrome, Stupid is as Stupid Does.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Yes, the Wallabies actually have a genuine World Cup to attend, more than the World's Highest Paying Probation Scheme can muster. Nobody is interested.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Difference is the RU lads are educated.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
have you seen ticket sales for the Matildas Olympic qualifier in Perth next month. Somehow I don't think they've forgotten bud
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
I was crying with laughter when I read that the NSW RL was so happy that they reached a grand total of 107,000 players this year. Attendance at two Matildas matches last month exceeded that number. See, if you don't have players coming through the system, then eventually stream dries up. Enjoy your NRL now mate because eventually, the product will not cut the mustard. ARU are totally cashed up, and they are hunting for players to return to their native codes. Your mob cannot even must a pretend World Cup any more. The masses of kids playing football are going to grow with football in their blood and they are going to buy tickets to football, not to the World's Highest Paying Probation scheme. Supply and demand, supply and demand, it's simple for some of us to understand.
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Athletes, or just knuckle draggers keeping themselves out of incarceration?
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Stu, you might disagree, but I would suggest that a strong WSW is a stronger A-League. Antonsson looks like he is the goods, and when you combine him with Borrello, the likes of the Sydney derby and the City game are going to be crackers. Hope you are well. Cheers FIL
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
Mid, I would suggest that this begs two questions; 1. with the evolution of football in this country, has there been a mirroring effort to educate the non-playing football community as to how we are progressing and the lens or context with which we see Australian football to understand it? 2. With the steady stream of media, albeit under heavy bias to the backyard codes, the Australian football community has the opportunity to see that our Coaches and our Players are on the radar in places like Scotland, Belgium and even England. The question is how do we raise that profile and see football news earn a high place in the pecking order before the archaic media barons like Murdoch and Stokes fall off the perch?
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
What a load of nonsense. Hardly anyone play rugby league these days, and AFL their figures are exagerrated by a factor of 2 minimum. Mcgree average player good athlete, Samuel Silvera talented but can be lazy, Geneau lazy, Alexander Robertson he could be the one. Souttar for me is a liability not a good defender on the ground and cant score from set pieces what use is he in Asia. So you actually watched Kuol in his limited minutes? I think the younger Kuol can make it he has speed and control he doesn't need physicality. Australias real problem is the local NPL and their interest in only rich parents. Cahill and Kewell will not get detected by NPL clubs, they dont like talented attackers because the sponsors kids are in those positions. If they are in the big cities Cahill would be still working at the pizza place. Its not like Kuol got picked up by a Melbourne he is from country Victoria.
Grem
Roar Rookie
I’ll keep my eye on them in round 1. It’s interesting how we are all more interested (assuming that is true for others) in the women’s game. The Matildas effect continues. I’m now really interested in young women coming through for The Matildas as I am for young men and The Socceroos.