This particular proposal is in the light of so many top teams falling over in this World Cup when many of their stars play somewhere else. The Soceroos are right up there in these stakes.
The 'follow the leader' commentators on the Socceroos World Cup final performance in their final 'pool' against Serbia claimed that the Socceroo brand was still good, flies in the face of international opinion. They might now have a considered review reflecting on their results in the wider picture.
The Socceroos World Cup results were as follows:
Germany 4 – Australia 0
Australia 1 – Ghana 1
Australia 2 - Serbia 1
Their first match against Germany destroyed any real hope they had of advancing to the next round, and moreover this writer has already written of that disaster and how the Australian Kookaburras (Hockey team) could have given them a few tips on winning big matches against Germany.
The Kookaburras not three months previously put paid to Germany in the Field Hockey World Cup and before that, last November at the Champions Trophy final, 5-3. This writer suggested they could have called for the Kookaburras technical team as both their hockey and soccer is played on very similar principles.
The other two results were disappointing to say the least. Harry Kewell got the red card in the match against Ghana and the Socceroos played with a man short for much of the fixture. Enough said of that disaster.
The Serbian match result was thrown away when the Socceroos allowed in a catch up goal which sealed their fate although they won that game. Enough of the hype. All in all a slack performance considering the name players.
But here is the rub. New Zealand with their team of A League players performed as well as the Australians. Yet the Socceroos coach, the hired help from overseas, showed disdain for the A League. New Zealand's Shane Smeltz who plays for the Gold Coast in the A League came out fuming over such comments.
The one good thing this writer can say about this World Cup Socceroo coach is that the hired help has left the country, the sad thing is that he's got his pockets full of our money. But it's not only the coach who has left our shores, most of these Socceroos have also left returning to their European soccer honey pots. They too live somewhere else.
Here are the issues that Australian soccer might consider.
First: With New Zealand as a model, do we need these so called soccer exiles 'here' at home.
Second: What reasoning is there for an overseas coach? Look at the Kookaburras' Ric Charlesworth, we could name oodles of other Australian sport coaches. Why do we need another European coach.
Third: as money is the issue, an effort should be made that for 12 weeks every year a world wide 'back home' policy needs to be implemented so that every soccer player must play in their national competition.
Clubs want the best soccer exponents. Nations want to keep their stars at home. Soccer players want the best deal for their talents. The question therefore is, how can this mix work together for the good of all, a win win situation.
It needs to apply across the world and it would work more easily if the same 12 weeks were deemed the 'back home nation weeks'.
The principle is not that different to the Biblical idea of the seventh year off but in a different manner. There is also a Respite factor in this, which includes soccer player wider families, getting back in touch with their roots and boosting their national identity.
