Football in Australia doesn't need another strategy, it needs a sledgehammer

[SocceroosFan84]

Sharpen your scalpels, friends. Another FIFA World Cup post-mortem has begun.

As is becoming tradition, the Socceroos' exit from a major tournament -- and the frustrating manner in which they did so this time around -- has thrown a harsh spotlight across the domestic game, with football fans, pundits, and administrators alike offering their views on what went wrong, why, and how to fix it.

https://www.espn.com.au/soccer/story/_/id/49310985/football-australia-doesnt-need-another-strategy-needs-sledgehammer

 

[grazorblade]

Good article and the cost of youth football in elite pathways is an important topic. I loved her previous article, but do wish paid journalists would do something very simple when talking junior fees

Call an npl club and a club at a similar level in england and get a cost breakdown for junior players. I did that as an amateur journo and the answer appears pretty quick

the breakdown was this:

Kit: roughly 500 aud each
license and registration: 50 in england 333 in victoria
Field hire: 0 in england 500 in australia. The fa helped by the field of the local club
Youth coaching: 0 in England 1300 in Australia

Total differences: 2083 Aud

The reason for the difference is the fa put in minimum standards for coaching education and required clubs to have a technical director. There is an undersupply of coaches (due to the cost and waiting lists) which drives wages of coaches up.