Quote Originally Posted by The Dunster View Post
Good post Premy. It doesn't seem we have as many playing in the first team in the elite leagues as in the past.

2018 We have 0 in Serie-A, 0 in La liga, 2 in Bundesliga, 1 GK in EPL, Eredivisie representation is strong though question mark over the quality of the league these days. Championship, and youth representation looks surprisingly strong as well - could evolve into something over the next few years - but it's not EPL !st team representation like we had in 2006.

2006 though we had players representing all the major competitions in Europe and many of them playing first team football and Champions league as well. That's clearly not the case anymore.

EPL and Serie-A representation was much stronger if we compare 1st team football.
The current model has just actually limited opportunities to young kids as the HAL clubs dont give the yoof a go

Back in the NSL days the clubs understood the value of sending players to Europe so that is why your Vidukas and zelics and Okons were playing at 16/17 etc

HAL clubs really have not embraced this but this is more of a problem with the model

Then you throw in the cozy welfare state pay cheque system the PFA have got going on where many players show no ambition to go OS but are happy to just move club to club around the HAL

Then if 1 is lucky enough to get an OS gig then look at how many of them fail

Birraz
Taggart
Brillante
Goodwin

All get out of Oz with an opportunity to suceed in Europe

All come back and coast along at this level again

It is an absolute tragedy

All starts with the system in place