A-League will always be behind in the balance of trade - and that's a good thing

[Murfy1]

A-League will always be behind in the balance of trade - and that's a good thing

July 20, 2012 - 2:58PM

Michael Cockerill

Take a look at the panel below, and ask yourself one question? Has the A-League lost more than it's gained? Deep into the off-season, just days after Central Coast Mariners bid farewell to their popular skipper Alex Wilkinson, it's the hottest topic of debate.

Every winter, usually around the time the transfer window in east Asia hits its peak, there is this collective groan across the football community. Fans, pundits, officials and, yes, even some coaches, lament the loss of talent, and ponder whether the A-League has suffered a mortal blow. How can we expect the competition to evolve when so many players choose to leave? Will we ever be a fair-dinkum league?

Guess what? We already are. The A-League's destiny is to be what 90 per cent of other leagues around the world are. A first stop for emerging youngsters, a last stop for ageing journeymen, and a worthwhile, legitimate destination for all those players in between. That's not second prize. It's simply a reality.

Australian players were going to England and Scotland at the start of last century. Joe Marston played in an FA Cup final in 1954. Ray Baartz spent two years at Manchester United in the early 1960s. John Roberts, a goalkeeper from Cessnock, went to Blackburn Rovers in 1966. Nobody worried then, and nobody should worry now. Craig Johnston and John Kosmina turned the trickle into a flood in the late 1970s, and between the 1985 World Cup campaign and the 1997 World Cup campaign, the Socceroos went from a homegrown team to one almost exclusively drawn from players based abroad. Fifteen years later, we're still waiting for the doomsday scenario to materialise.

The NSL lasted 27 years, and the pipeline of talent was as strong at the end as it was at the beginning. The A-League is heading into its eighth season, and it's generally agreed that playing standards are the highest they've ever been. Economics, mixed with ambition, are a powerful cocktail. Who can truly begrudge any player for wanting to challenge himself? Players come, players go. That's not the issue. The challenge for the clubs, and Football Federation Australia, is to manage the hysteria which usually follows.

Take another, closer, look at the panel. The headline departure is Harry Kewell, but he had powerful personal reasons for returning to England. It couldn't be helped. Who else have we lost? Carlos Hernandez was a crowd favourite, but perhaps the extent of his ambition to improve can be measured by his choice of destination. India. We might have seen the best of 'Carlito' already. Eli Babalj? He's a talent, and might have been better served by another season in the A-League. But he's gone at the same age, and after the same domestic experience (two seasons) as Mark Viduka, the player he is most often compared with. Viduka's departure from Melbourne Knights didn't bring down the NSL, nor will Babalj's from Melbourne Heart collapse the A-League. Babalj is one of a handful of young Australians who have headed overseas, but the majority of off-season departures have been imports. You expect a 'churn' of foreigners - it happens all over the world. Mohamed Adnan is the only foreigner his club wanted to keep, but he also had unique family circumstances to deal with. Byun Sung-hwan was cut by Sydney FC, then cut by Newcastle Jets, and has ended up back in South Korea. Does he count in the debit column?

Which brings us to the flip side. The angst over the exit of Babalj needs to be countered by the return of Aaron Mooy, or Theo Markelis. Young Australians who have decided, after years trying to break into European football, that their pathway is better served by coming home. Imports-wise, Josip Tadic could be a revelation, Marcos Flores is back, and Krunoslav Lovrek has an interesting pedigree. The next few weeks will see a flurry of foreign signings, and hopefully we'll end up in front. At the very least, as these imports find their feet during the long pre-season, it's going to spark a lively discussion.

Whatever the merits of the individual, however, the focus needs to remain fixed on the big picture. A-League clubs sell because they want to, and sometimes because they have to. Why should that mean the league itself is going out of business, or the quality on the park is falling apart?

"Anybody who thinks developing players for overseas isn't integral to the future of the A-League is missing the point completely," says Melbourne Heart football manager, John Didulica. "Football is a global ecosystem, and we've all got roles to play in that. If we can find a player nobody has heard of, develop him over 12, or 24 months, and sell him to an overseas club, to me that's a massive endorsement of what we're about. How people can't accept that is beyond me."

The Heart have sold Babalj and Brendan Hammill in the last few months, and Curtis Good and Aziz Behich could join them in the departures lounge. Babalj will effectively be replaced by Gol Gol Mebrahtu, while the Heart have their eyes on a couple of emerging defenders. "There's enough quality, home and abroad, to plug any gaps," insists Didulica. "I tell you one thing. Our team will be a lot better this season than it was last season. I've got no doubt about that."

The Mariners, who have also been criticised for a 'fire sale' mentality, but chairman Peter Turnbull is equally steadfast: "We will continue to promote young Australian players and give them a career path. We make no apologies for that."

Nor should he. Our clubs are starting to get market rates for their players. Our clubs are using some of that transfer money to upgrade the facilities and off-field operations which create a professional environment. Our clubs are becoming more competitive in Asia. Nobody outside Australia thinks the A-League is struggling. As always, the enemy lies within.

WHO'S IN AND OUT OF THE A-LEAGUE

IN:

Brisbane Roar: Do Dong-hyun (free agent, South Korea).

Central Coast Mariners: Mile Sterjovski (Dalian Aerbin, China).

Melbourne Heart: Josip Tadic (Legia Gdansk, Poland), Patrick Gerhardt (Zeljeznicar, Bosnia).

Melbourne Victory: Jonathan Bru (Moreirense, Portugal), Mark Milligan (JEF United, Japan), Theo Markelis (Vicenza, Italy), Guilherme Finkler (Criciuma, Brazil), Marcos Flores (Henan Jianye, China).

Newcastle Jets: Dominik Ritter (FC Winterhur, Switzerland).

Sydney FC: Yairo Yau (Sporting San Miguelito, Panama), Krunoslav Lovrek (Qingdao Yonoon, China), Adam Griffiths (Hangzhou Greentown, China).

Wellington Phoenix: Benjamin Totori (Koloale FC, Solomon Islands), Michael Boxall (Vancouver Whitecaps, Canada).

Western Sydney Wanderers: Aaron Mooy (St Mirren, Scotland).

OUT:

Adelaide United: Daniel Mullen (Dalian Aerbin, China), Francisco Usucar (Tecnico Universitario, Ecuador), Evgeniy Levchenko (uncontracted).

Brisbane Roar: Mohamed Adnan (uncontracted), Issey Nakajima-Farran (AEK Larnaca, Cyprus).

Central Coast Mariners: Alex Wilkinson (Jeonbuk Motors, South Korea), Mustafa Amini (Borusssia Dortmund, Germany), Rostyn Griffiths (Guangzhou R&F, China).

Melbourne Heart: Rutger Worm (Willem II, Netherlands), Maycon (Pahang, Malaysia), Alex Terra (Daejon Citizen, South Korea), Brendan Hammill (Seongnam Ilwha, South Korea), Eli Babalj (Red Star Belgrade, Serbia).

Melbourne Victory: Carlos Hernandez (Prayag United, India), Harry Kewell (uncontracted), Jean-Carlos Solorzano (LD Alajuelense, Costa Rica).

Newcastle Jets: Byun Sung-hwan (Seongnam Ilwha, South Korea).

Perth Glory: Andrezinho (uncontracted).

Sydney FC: Juho Makela (HJK Helsinki, Finland), Bruno Cazarine (uncontracted).

http://www.smh.com.a...l#ixzz218qO67QJ

[Murfy1]

Very good article.

Also, Didulica makes some excellent points. Whether people like it or not football is a global game, and all the leagues are interconnected. Meaning the A-League and A-League clubs need to adapt to being lower in quality and wealth than other leagues and clubs. Selling players will inevitably happen (think not just Babalj and Hamill, but also Amini, Oar, Langerak, Leckie etc etc). Therefore, clubs need to make the most out of the situation.

Importantly for Heart the article also reveals:

Heart have their eyes on a couple of emerging defenders. "There's enough quality, home and abroad, to plug any gaps," insists Didulica. "I tell you one thing. Our team will be a lot better this season than it was last season. I've got no doubt about that."

The complete lack of faith in some people regarding Heart's recruiting I find ridiculous. It was Heart who in the first place scouted and signed the quality players that some people are so anxious about losing. There was always going to be a point in the offseason where we needed to sign some players and thats no reason to freak out. We're still going through that period now, but we'll commence the season with a full squad that once again should easily make the finals (even if all the players linked to moves leave we'll still have 7 of last season's starting XI by my count).

I'm looking forward to discovering the signings we make, and not spending every second of each day lamenting the Heart players who are leaving to further their football careers.

Edited July 20, 2012 by Murfy1

[toogood18]

I like the article and the fact JD has said we are going to be better than last season gives me some optimism.

[jw1739]

We have not actually sold anyone yet.

Red Star have failed to make their due payment on Babalj.

Good's purported move to Newcastle has stalled, possibly because he cannot get a visa to play in England.

Hamill has gone to Korea for a medical (although I agree that it does look as though this deal will be consumated).

Behich at this point is 'interest' from a Turkish club that has no money (see Red Star above).

At this point therefore we have not received a brass razoo from anyone.

Edited July 20, 2012 by jw1739

[belaguttman]

Thank you Murfy1, we may all be anxious about possible signings, but JA & JD are working to a plan and have a clear picture of the the players that they want. It's better to wait until the next window than to sign a player who won't add to the value of the team. The HAL will always be a selling league, better to set up clear player development pathways and optimise the returns to the club as those players leave, whilst also ensuring that we are always developing or scouting players who are at least 'like for like' replacements. I'm sure that we've done better than most if not all other HAL teams this off-season with our sales and at least until we have at least double the membership this wil be a major source of club income. We just need to ensure that as much of that money as possible is invested into player facilities and staff recruitment as this is the basis for future success.

[Luke]

The only line that worried me out of this:

"Babalj will effectively be replaced by Gol Gol Mebrahtu"

[belaguttman]

Well I won't be worried as long as he is as effective. I'll be more worried if he's 'ineffectively replaced by Gol gol Mebrahtu'.

[natalie182]

JD had also said that he guarantees that we will win the first derby this season. Woohoo!

[LR9]

JD had also said that he guarantees that we will win the first derby this season. Woohoo!

Lol, cause that means a lot!

So what, has he already paid of Victory?

[natalie182]

He's worried about how sad some of the supporters are this off season and he thinks if we lose that first derby we really wont be able to take it, so yes, he has somehow guaranteed we will be winning it

[heart_fan10]

as I've said before, the result of the first derby is extremely important for various reasons

[Sash]

I just want these transfers to get done quickly so we can get these players off to their new clubs and finalise their replacements. The Good transfer is taking way too long and it isn't good for anybody. I'll be really disappointed if he ultimately doesn't get his move to Newcastle for whatever reason. And I'll be disappointed for Babalj too if there's problems. They need to be off playing football at their new clubs and we need to get our squad finalised and ready for the start of the season.

[HEARTinator]

TBH, the article is a timely and a no brainer. What is better though is that is focuses on Heart and that's a good thing. Free publicity. The more that I hear JD talk the more I'm convinced that the Heart have a clear strategy for the club and we should just chill out and enjoy the ride.