Agree there are too many NPL clubs running elite development, would like to see an accredited system in rating the best NPL and SAP licences based on quality but Mr Abrams has changed to be geo. based so the quality is spread thinner, would like it go back to the best v best model and create a rating system.

Just remember that the FFA regulations have created these "costs".
In the next two years the requirement will be to have A Licensed coaches as a minimum for Senior Mens, U20teams and TD.
That alone will further drive costs north due to lack of supply.
Remember this Abraams said that a two star Academy will cost $600K to function that's $4,000 per player.

The closure of the AIS academy does not have an affect on NPL academy costs - you paid $2k+ when the AIS existed, and you'll pay $2k+ after it closes. So the loss of the AIS has no impact in this regard.

From an Australian football perspective what replaces it is important though - the 9 HAL clubs must provide academies that are free and only cater for the best players, not just those that can afford it. That also means that part of the FFAs cash distribution from the HAL revenue must be allocated to running academies. Say $250k?

I don't know what to do about NPL academies. I coach at a junior club with 1,600 kids in it and every year we have a handful of kids transfer to a local club and pay the $2k+ .... they're not the best players going and in one case we had a kid transfer from our Div3 team paying $400 last season to Brisbane Citys Div3 team paying $2k+ this season. Same level but the extra cost must be worth it? I would have though this is something the AAFC can address?

Someone touched on the coaching situation; outside of the elite pathways this for me is the biggest issue - there aren't enough coaches or coaching programs available nationwide to meet demand. This is something the ffa should address but is failing spectacularly to do sadly.

One of the changes that need to be made to the NPL structure below the first team is to allow coaches to use their full compliment of 16 players on match day.

Very difficult to keep a kid interested if he only gets a token 5 minutes here or there every other week. Kids need to know they will get an opportunity to prove themselves and win a place in the starting line up. Hard to do that when they aren't getting a chance

@waz
This is the problem, kids player div 2 or 3 in local comps paying to get into npl 1 teams
So many good kids that cant afford the 2k plus walking away from the game.

No kid should be getting 5 min here or there. Even with a squad of 18 in a 27 round year 2 players can miss one game per week, maybe 2 max per season. All the kids are paying the same and should get the same game time. That's if we are serious about calling the NPL as development pathway.

@ jonsnow

Why are they walking away from the game? Just go and play for a non-NPL club. If people are walking away from the game why is junior participation booming?

We've gone from 450 kids U16 playing at our club 5 years ago to 1600 playing today. We're turning away 300 kids a year due to capacity problems not fees and we're not alone in Brisbane. Many clubs are capping out on capacity - this ffa BS that they're helping grassroots is crap

The problem is while you can put 16 on a team sheet you are restricted to the number of substitutions you can actually make. In most cases in NPL that is 3. Meaning 2 kids who made the match days squad not to mention the two you are talking about that have already missed the match day squad

At the end of the day, NPL clubs must take initiative when developing Australian talent for a number of reasons. One is that there are only 9 Australian HAL clubs in Australia with many regions in Australia under-represented by these clubs. Canberra is one of the key examples of this where their top players will have no pathway once the COE closes. Other countries would have no problem as players could travel half an hour to an hour to their nearest pro-club, in Australia that could be 6 hours. These HAL clubs are also just starting up their own academies and each team can only really fit 16-20 players in each age bracket limiting the amount of elite talent these teams can hold. One day Australia might have 20-30 pro clubs and when that happens those clubs will be able to cater for more elite young players in their academies. Until that happens, however, the onus falls on NPL clubs. 

Therefore I feel it's up to the NPL clubs to develop their youth pathways as the majority of players will come to them. At the moment NPL clubs are falling spectacularly short with coaches changing each year, players being selected based on who they know, coaches not up to a certain standard and the amount they train not enough. This doesn't just extend to the NPL ages but all ages from 6 up. I've seen NPL coaches having players in pairs and just passing to each other with no defenders, pressure or decision making. And that's at multiple clubs, not just one. 

Yes the HAL needs to improve how it transitions young players into the senior league as they are abysmal at it. But at the moment the number of young players been produced is not high enough and this comes down to the NPL clubs who produce them from a young age. 

Need to look at that in context mate. It's possible the coach/s have identified a technical deficiency in the way the players are passing the ball.

For all the good the curriculum has brought to us it has also neglected many of the basics so coaches are dealing with technically poor players. You can have all the fantastic drills and practice sessions you like in your mind but if they are breaking down simply because a player cant hit a ten yard pass im afraid its back to basics and start again. Far from ideal but a reality for our NPL

I understand that technically alot of players are not up to scratch in the NPL especially in the lower age groups 13-16s. However, I believe that even the simplest drills should have elements of decision making and movement incorporated into them. I tend to look at it like this: In a game in what situation would you be standing still with the person you are passing the ball to also standing still directly in front of you with no defenders applying pressure. The answer is probably that doesn't happen. So in a simple passing drill can you incorporate some movement and maybe decision making into it. Sure if they're really struggling don't incorporate defenders. But by making it more game related, while still making it simple and easy to complete you enhance the learning they'll take into the game. I think this is off point a little from the conversation but it does highlight things that Australian players do struggle with; Off the ball movement and decision making. If we can incorporate these into every exercise players will always be thinking about these two key principles. 

In Vic NPL U13-U18 its unlimited subs with 3 stoppages per half. Not sure about other states but if its only 3 subs per game that's not good.

In Sydney YL U13 - U16 its 5subs per game FYI.......

Welcome HeadCoach, good 1st post.

Arthur, yes mate, in my original post that was turning into a long winded sermon that I edited I had FFA as the Governor of what we have currently and to come - they, unfortunately with all due respect Must have someone who knows whats the better for our game overall BUT.......you know what I mean I gather. 

Wow that's interesting we have the exact opposite in Townsville. We lose so many players as they rise through the ages. So bad we have to cut down the prem league from 8 to 6 teams to encourage more competitive comp.

I think to be a player pathway the NPL academy must produce the players . If they fail for a number of years to meet a set standard the thTD and coaching staff should be removed and more resources sent to that area. This would mean and a rotation of qualified staff around the state.

Agreed there has to be a penalty for not meeting certain standards such as a senior team demotion or points cut at the start of a season. Producing players might be a hard one to measure but having a state assessor looking at the programs NPL clubs run and the coaches running them will help keep clubs on track. But at the moment football is run all over Australia by individuals with everyone focusing on themselves rather than looking at the big picture. A lot needs to change before we make progress. 

Possibly building up to a more game related scenario?

Capital Football have identified their own struggles in the premier league with non competitive teams being involved and almost no one meeting the required criteria of NPL, be it infrastructure, coaching quals etc.

It appears at this stage that Capital Football will be moving to an NPL1 and NPL2 of six teams in each. I'm not a fan of six team comps at all unless the intention is to push the season out so that you play each team 4 times to ensure players are getting enough games over the course of a season to actually develop.

From what i can tell, initially the NPL2 will have less restrictions as to the number of youth teams you are required to run. However in order to gain promotion you must have all teams etc in place

Why all the stoppages?!

Not sure I don't make up the rules. Good thing is all the players get a chance for game time.

But all the Capital Football NPL clubs have the same amount of youth teams? I don't think a 6 and 6 will work exactly. Especially as that means they will need to find another 3 clubs to step up/come in.

It's happening as we speak bud.

May affect you guys if they expand by taking in Wagga.

There are also talks of Albury. Effectively Capital Football appears to be moving to take over Southern NSW and Football NSW are happy for it to happen.

I'd like to say more but there are a lot more ducks to put in a row before anyone says too much

I'm not sure where you live, NS, and don't want to know, but it seems you are much more impressed with the Capital Football set up than a Football NSW regional zone that is not too far away.

A few years back Capital Football was about three years ahead of us in development, according to FFA staff coaches.

Yeah I have heard as much. Wagga, Albury and even South Coast/Nowra I have heard mentioned. And I agree, it would be great for ACT to effectively absorb the Riverina region.
Wagga... is a touchy point though, as technically.. the Rhinos are not just Griffith, but Albury and Wagga as well, and this has basically been a reason why Wagga may be pushed aside unless there is reform from the Rhinos and the Riverina branch. Just quietly.. Murray United is technically in Wodonga...

Capital Footballs current premier league and Capital League is a farce make no mistake about that.

There are people working hard to rectify the issue though i feel they need to be a little more open minded to those who have been there and done that to guide them away from pitfalls.

CF very much want regional association based clubs where possible and are holding the Rhino's up as their great success story. No offence to NicCarBel and his club but to date they have proved nothing. Longevity and success will be the proof.

I look to previous failures of association based clubs Albury, , Blacktown, Parramatta, Southern Tableands, Southern Branch etc. These clubs were set up with the best intentions of being representative of an area the problem is it is all too easy for these associations to turn on 'their clubs' and kick them out in the cold. The inconvenient truth is the majority of the time this is because people lose focus on the big picture and are more worried about being the boss to do whats best.

Am i correct in saying there are moves to base the women's premier league team out of Wagga?

Trust me, long term the current set up wont work particularly if you dilute the talent pool by introducing a second team. CF may try and sell it as a derby or a rivalry but it wont work. You region will require one team and one team only representative of Griffith. Wagga will need to represent Wagga and Albury represent Albury.

You will also face second and third season syndrome where players decide they couldn't be stuffed travelling anymore and will want to play with their mates locally.

I'm not sure of your involvement with the Rhinos Nic but  i'm willing to provide you with advice as to what can go wrong so you don't make the same mistakes i've seen made

Yeah, I wouldn't say we have done anything or proved anything yet, that's in the seasons to come.
But most of what I'm about to say comes from myself, and not as anything to do with Riverina Rhinos.

But having Wagga represent Wagga, Griffith represent Griffith, I agree. That is how it should be. At the moment though, due to structures, it's a bit hard to do that. Riverina Rhinos is actually organised by the Riverina Branch as a whole, but run by, and from, the Griffith Association. There is a few technicalities and the like to get around, even I don't wholly understand it, as I was distanced from football in the Riverina during the Rhinos initial formation. But, the telling point, most of the players, including juniors, are from Griffith. I don't think there is a player from the 18s up that isn't from Griffith.
So the issue is, it is effectively a Griffith team. But technically it's not because it has the backing of the Riverina branch. For this Regional NPL to work (that's what I'm calling this proposal), Griffith needs to become wholly responsible for the Rhinos (mostly are, but there is still a little input from the Riverina branch, from what I understand) which will allow Wagga City (most likely) to jump across when the NSW State League disbands, and possibly Murray United to jump across from Victoria.

Also, in terms of Women's, I haven't heard anything, but that makes sense to me if the route doesn't change to something like I stated above. I did hear another proposal re: Wagga, but I don't know if I am in the position to just state it publicly.

I don't think we will have the travel issue, although a valid point. For example, this years NPL18s have played right through the Rhinos structure from 2014, and were quite successful. And are generally continuing that success this year. The travel issue will hit them though, if they are continued to be required to play back to back games because of.. the travel issue. That issue is a bit more prevalent in the two senior aides, but it's mostly due to work commitments, rather than wanting to just play locally

Great post.

Before any drill starts the coach should ask himself 2 questions:

Does it look like football and/or is it game related?

If it's a no to either of those questions then there ought to be very good reasons for going on with what they're proposing.

IMHO the biggest and most fundamental issue at training sessions is the lack of intensity.  Go to any ground, anywhere and you'll see it.

If you train like a busted arse you will play like a busted arse.



Oh... and ball movement.  Kids play the ball too slowly. 

This and particularly that second point.

Move the F^^^^^g ball