Comments on: A-League: The right direction? http://australia.worldcupblog.org/1/a-league-the-right-direction.html World Cup 2006 - Germany Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:03:03 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: chris http://australia.worldcupblog.org/1/a-league-the-right-direction.html/comment-page-1#comment-70 chris Mon, 10 Apr 2006 16:34:14 +0000 http://australia.worldcupblog.org/1/a-league-the-right-direction.html#comment-70 The EPL was once considered a retirement league for famous players from South America and the Continent. Ossie Ardiles, even Jurgen Klinsmann to a degree - players at the end of their careers staying in a competitive league for either money or enjoyment of the game. Not saying that the A-League is in a similar place, cos it's not, but I think encouraging big name players to come can only bring a benefit to the game - if they come to play and not ust to party. That is up to the clubs to decide. Of course, it is a financial issue too and I don't think clubs should break the bank just to get a big name player. But crowds will come out to see these players that they once saw on the EPL round-up. Domestic players will benefit from their experience and professionalism and hopefully the quality of the league will improve over time. Overseas players are not the saviour of the A-League. But I think they are an important part of its development into a strong, viable league that shows young Australian kids that they can be a professional football player. If kids see that there is a clear path to do so, more kids will stay in football instead of switching to rugby or cricket, or leaving to apprentice with European clubs. The EPL was once considered a retirement league for famous players from South America and the Continent. Ossie Ardiles, even Jurgen Klinsmann to a degree – players at the end of their careers staying in a competitive league for either money or enjoyment of the game.

Not saying that the A-League is in a similar place, cos it’s not, but I think encouraging big name players to come can only bring a benefit to the game – if they come to play and not ust to party. That is up to the clubs to decide. Of course, it is a financial issue too and I don’t think clubs should break the bank just to get a big name player. But crowds will come out to see these players that they once saw on the EPL round-up. Domestic players will benefit from their experience and professionalism and hopefully the quality of the league will improve over time.

Overseas players are not the saviour of the A-League. But I think they are an important part of its development into a strong, viable league that shows young Australian kids that they can be a professional football player. If kids see that there is a clear path to do so, more kids will stay in football instead of switching to rugby or cricket, or leaving to apprentice with European clubs.

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