Despite (or because of) all the upheaval that Aussie soccer has been through, the future is looking better - but there are still a number of hurdles left to clear.

There is still a perception that the A-League is a combination retirement village and child-care centre for soccer players. The league still does not have the financial or performance clout to retain the very best that Australia has to offer and so the exodus of good players continues. The league will continue to serve as a development path for juniors and a comfortable place for returning veterans to see out their playing days.

There are currently around 150 of our very best players spread through most major leagues across the globe. Interestingly, this would be almost enough to fully populate the squads of all eight A-League clubs. It would also make it much more watchable.

'Until the clubs can offer their players more than A$100,000 per year, the talent drain is likely to continue unabated'


But with a club salary cap of A$1.6m to cover 22 players, it’s unlikely that they will be attracting the big names any time soon. There are some salary cap concessions for so-called marquee players, but there really aren’t that many people who look like tents playing the game. Until the clubs can offer their players more than A$100,000 per year, the talent drain is likely to continue unabated.

Performance-wise, the clubs are still struggling. The best test so far for the clubs has been their inaugural foray into the Asian Football Conference Club Championships. Both Australian representatives, the top two sides from the previous season, Adelaide United and Sydney FC, were eliminated in the group stages. While neither club was disgraced, they both showed that Australian club soccer has a long way to go.

By way of contrast, the national team’s star is on the rise. The defeat of Japan and the draw with Croatia in the World Cup finals saw the side through to the second round against all expectations. It was there that the valiant Aussies were exposed to the harsh realities of international football and while dominating possession in the second half, they failed to capitalise. Fabio Gross’s inward two-and-a-half summersault saw the dream shattered in the third minute of stoppage time.

But Aussie soccer had come of age. So empowered are they by recent international success that there is even a move on to recapture the word “football”. There is a renewed belief in their ability and a real expectation that good things will happen in the upcoming Asian Cup. With a galaxy of superstars (by Australian standards) at their disposal with the likes of Harry Kewell (fit for a change), Mark Viduka, Lucas Neill, Marco Bresciano, John Aloisi, Tim Cahill, Vince Grella, Mile Sterjovski and Mark Schwarzer, they have a real chance to do something special.

It may not be panic time for the established Aussie sports, but you can bet they’ll be keeping an eye on proceedings. More importantly, so will their fans.