A-Leaguers Fly the Flag

Tomek, I think it’s hard to measure how “good” a player from Australia is, because we haven’t won anything as a footballing nation. Those guys you’ve mentioned were not only technically wonderful players individually, but they’ve also achieved so much throughout their careers for clubs and country.

In terms of achievements, former Liverpool and Middlesbrough winger Craig Johnston has won the most trophies. But then again, he never chose to play for the green and gold (he in-fact played two U21 games for England). Plus, he was actually born in South Africa, and I think we claimed him through a technicallity (his dad’s an Aussie or something).

In regards to individuals, (despite all the complains that I know I will inevitably receive) I actually think that Harry Kewell is (or was) the most technically gifted player we’ve had. In his old Leeds days, he was a joy to watch, and it’s a shame Harry never managed to live out his full potential. Similarly, Ned Zelic was from the same mould, before politics cut short his international career.

Finally, it’s debatable whether or not he’s “the best” player this country has ever produced, but I think Johnny Warren is the most respected footballer from our shores. He captained our side the first time we made the World Cup in 1974, and the things he and Les Murray have done for the game of football off the pitch makes him one of THE most important figures of Australian football.

Thanks for your support Tomek, glad to hear you’re enjoying the blog!

Marco, I think Dean Bouzanis is the best example of a good current young player who is undecided about his future. The 18 year old Liverpool keeper was born in Australia with Greek heritage, and there has been a tug of war between the two nations for him. He’s played U17’s for Australia, U19’s for Greece and U23’s for us… I’m not 100% sure how the rules work, but I think that until he plays a full international, he could still swing either way.

Of course, we’re wary of his defection because players in the past have chosen to represent their parent’s nations instead of Australia. Just think back to the ‘06 World Cup match against Croatia, when we faced of against former AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) students Joe Didulica, Anthony Seric and Josip Simunic. Croatia also tried to persuade Mark Viduka to play for them, and of course in the 90’s the Brits were kicking themselves for not trying to lure Kewell into an England jersey (which would have once and for all solved their left sided problem for the entire decade). Lucky these two guys chose to play for the Green and Gold!

I think there are two reasons why this is becoming less and less of a problem for us. Firstly, back in the days of Seric et al, Australian football was still in the pits. The old administrators were crap, and more importantly our national team demanded no respect. Therefore, these guys jumped at the chance to represent a strong footballing nation (like Croatia) with the lure of the World Cup and European Cups being too tempting (of course, a good showing at either of these tournaments usually gurantees a massive payday in their respective club careers afterwards). But now, with the astounding growth of the game and the national side, football has become one of the top tier sports in Australia, and we’re classed as one of the strongest nations in Asia.

Secondly, the traditional view for kids (13-14 year olds) and their parents is that to make it anywhere in football, you have to go overseas as early as possible and get attached to a foreign club. This can have an adverse effect as the more time they spend overseas (especially at such a tender age), the more likely they are of neutraliaing for that country. But hopefully with the new Natioanl Youth League, kids can see that they don’t have to go overseas to have a career in football. We’ve already seen some of the kids come through, especially for Sydney, so there is definitely a good talent pool there.

A good example I always like to point to is the careeer progression of Brett Emerton. He attended the AIS as a kid, then played in the old NSL for Sydney Olympic throughout his “formative” years. Despite being sought after by European clubs, he chose to stay in Australia for several more seasons (until he was 21). This way, he matured as a footballer and more importantly as a person, therefore preparing himself for when he did eventually chose to go abroad. He waited for the perfect move before going to Feyenoord (despite interest from bigger clubs), and of course the rest is history.

Sorry for the long rant, but this is an area which I am very passionate about. Properly cultivating the talent of our future is vital to the growth for the game here, both on and off the pitch.

Go Australia! Happy Austalia Day everyone!