Marco Monteverde
The Courier-Mail

BRISBANE Roar football director Craig Moore has urged Football Federation Australia to shelve plans to ditch its Centre of Excellence.
It’s understood that at Saturday’s FFA board meeting, the future of the Canberra-based Centre of Excellence – whose forerunner was the Australian Institute of Sport - football program ­will be discussed.


FFA technical director Eric Abrams and head of community, women’s football and football development Emma Highwood are expected to present a case for the Centre of Excellence to close in the coming months, with the focus switching to A-League club academies and the establishment of strong football programs in schools.
That’s despite a decision - believed to have had the support of Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou - made last November to continue with the Centre of Excellence until the 2019 under-17 World Cup.
Brisbane Roar football director Craig Moore.



But by December, Centre of Excellence technical director Peter De Roo and national under-17 coach Tony Vidmar were told their program was under review.
It’s understood that neither De Roo nor Vidmar will be given the chance to address the FFA board on Saturday about the need for the Centre of Excellence to remain in operation until at least 2019 for the betterment of Australian football.



The Roar have taken the first steps in setting up their own academy, having appointed Drew Sherman as director.
But Moore said the Centre of Excellence still had an important role to play in the development of Australia’s best young players.
“Drew’s doing a lot of great work at our club already, but we know the academy is something that’s going to take two to three years to get up to a level where we need it to be,” Socceroos legend Moore said.
“If you’re asking me whether we’re ready to roll something like that out today, we’re not, and I don’t think there are a lot of clubs that are in that position.
“The reality is that there’s no reason why the Centre of Excellence should stop now.