Really? I can think of only a handful, that went bust all the rest pretty much still exist and have done, some for almost 100 years. Its interesting that the only "clubs" to fold were not really clubs to begin with, just stupid prototype franchises like Carlton SC and Northern Spirit...... 

Anyone else finding it annoying you can't rewind the stream on the 10play app?

Missed 2nd and 3rd goals of WSW game tonight and it reminded me.

Going to miss being able to do that!! 

I guess so many clubs went bust in 27 years it probably seemed like the NSL did have promotion/relegation 

A-League clubs are now investing proper youth academies that should pay dividends in the future (e.g. Sydney, WSW, Macarthur, Melbourne City, etc.). The problems we have now derive from the development black hole of the 2000s when NSL clubs were shunted back to the state leagues and A-League clubs started from scratch.

The main thing that needs to change for the purposes of player development in the current set-up is more games. Both the A-League and the NPL need to have 9-10 month seasons with 30+ regular league games, not 6 month seasons. 

The second issue is the domestic transfer system which will encourage clubs to see players as an investment in the future, which will hopefully mean longer contracts and the like. There is a certain degree of incompatibility with the salary cap there. It's already been watered down but should probably just be scrapped altogether.

An NSD will also help bridge the gap between semi-pro NPL and the A-League. I'm all for pro-rel but it's a minor consideration as far as player development goes.

FTB and to all with your welcome counters......
In the big picture everyone here is a football follower/supporter first and foremost I'm sure we all can agree....we wouldn't be here eh.

Spot on times have changed but the holy grail hasn't - FTB can you tell us have you seen any kids/youth/teens wearing any Asian/ME Club kits to trainings or in the local parks ? nope they are wearing Euro Snob land kits and they know feck all of the NSL more so they know AL.
Even us devoted mature supporters of ol NSL/AL Clubs/NPL clubs who invest alot into local football LOVE Euro football because its still the goal period mate !
What opened up as you say is for our average talent thankfully is to make a pro living nothing more nothing less, what has it achieved to date of players stepping up above Asian/ME leagues ? who has excelled in those leagues to date and moved further up the ladder ? (we're 16odd yrs down the times have changed timeline)
Most come back home don't they.
The one and only Asian/ME comp with decent cred is Jap who might I add as we've known produced some pretty impressive talent last 20yrs playing in top leagues today, where in eurosnob land.
Whats that telling you or are the Japs behind the times have changed mantra.
Were supporting all of football here, were watching what the current crop of Atkinson/Tilio etc do in the coming couple of seasons, hope they make it, not in Asia/ME getting good cushy money I hope to see them break through in eurosnob land for thats the holy grail ffs.

Its all AOK, CBS is the new dawn shining light getting back on topic.
I'll be @ the Roos game tomorrow night cheering on our boys and that hated Arnie for most here, for lets face it everyone has an opinion because we are passionate supporters of the game here, we do have alot in common :)

Hmmmm
Anyway, you can slice it any way you want but the only thing the NSL had over the A-League was they had more teams which meant more opportunities.

There wasn't a true pyramid then either, the players weren't paid professionally for the most part.

I have admitted the second half of that likely did form a bit of a culture of sink or swim when they went overseas BUT nobody in their right mind would trade a professional league at home for that.

It's everything else that needs tweaking not that - which you agreed with I know

Bulleen was an NSL team?
How is that different to playing at any of the local clubs now?

If you wanna play it that way then the A-League is a 17 team league :hehe::hehe:
teams going broke isn't P&R in the classic sense

And most of them, not just Viduka, speak of their NSL clubs as if they were "home" ...

Bresciano played for Bulleen for a decade as a junior and naturally played seniors at Lou Sticca's Carlton FC the defacto Itey Club in Melbourne at the time.....

NSL that over 27 years had 42 different clubs play in it is closed shop? Thats not a laboured point now is it :) Agree with the rest.

Final point - I am by no means in hell saying the system we have now is perfect.
Only that so many of these points are laboured while also missing said point

I don't think he wants them to fail but if I was being cheeky I do think some of them are happy to bask in the glory of nobody taking their mantle aha

Viduka yes.
I doubt Bresciano was born and bred to love Carlton SC.
No doubt they had good good youth to seniors set-ups - woin't argue that point but again I think most of these players had the passion not just from their NSL clubs. Not all of them are Vidukas in that sense.

I don't get your point.

Schwarzer etc always go on about their generation had to do it tough as there was no league to come home to that could give you a reasonable career. I doubt his point would be the same if he was solely referencing youth/academy wages.

Shit tonnes of players are scouted - Bresciano's generation were more natural ball players and I maintain that's because of how they were raised at home as much as anything else.

I meant the players.
The golden generation (players) existed mainly on the back of migrants who had football in their blood and skills long before they played a season of a closed shop NSL league.

OK, Ill try and humour you, despite your condescending tone (don't worry I always expect it)

Because they are boring old men and need "content"..oooh no not CONTENT!!!!! -
Correct one of the reasons is they probably want something to write about, doesn't make it not true though.

The golden generation happened in spite of the NSL structures (closed shop, no?) not because of it.
They existed in large part on the back of 50s migrations.
Not sure how you can claim clubs like Newcastle Breakers, Perth Glory, Brisbane Strikers, Carlton SC, Northern Spirit existed because of 50s migration but OK, what's your point? - Surely, despite your antipathy towards the "ethnic bogeyman" you can see that if these clubs where not around the so called "golden generation" would be playing some other sport or nothing at all?

Bresciano etc etc would have been just as talented without their 1-2 years in the NSL and that same player today would have gone o/s just as quickly.
Maybe, maybe not, fact is they where nertured with these clubs and without them would not have had a chance to be scouted overseas. - What is today's excuse?

The safety net issue is the only possible point of interest that players can come back on a secure career rather than fight it out but that is purely as a result of having a professional league no matter what the structure is.
Yeah I get your point but fact is that players were paid back then too, only slightly less (n comparison) than they are now. I hear of players on "academy wages" at Aleague level who are surely not staying n Australia because of the money... 

The idea that we would trade a professional league for a non-professional one so they don't have a cushy home to come back to is ludicrous no matter how you look at it.
Agree with this 

A player like Viduka or Bresciano wouldn't come back after 1 season anyway and never try again o/s
Also agree with this, but partially I think it was their club and fanatically ingrained club passion that made them have this hunger.

This is all bullshit and Optus is just taking pot shots that fits their audience
Agree to some respect about Optus taking pot shots but I do think thy have a valid concern for the national team - I mean Schwartzer cannot be questioned for his commitment to the Socceroos, why would he want them to fail?

Did not address a single thing I said - not sure why I expected any better

Yeah your probably right, these old men have no idea. Australian Football is in safe hands with the APL , I mean a NZ franchise is the only "professional" club to send its youth teams to world wide youth tournaments (Lets not include the dozens of NPL teams that participate in tournaments in Asia, America and Europe every year they are old and 50s migrants) but Im sure the *cough *cough Australian owned franchises will see the benefits of investing in youth tournaments and qualifying (and playing) in overseas senior tournaments like ACL soon ... I hope for Paramount's sake the APL send their clubs to Asia this year otherwise there might be a few low rating metric events.

Because they are boring old men and need "content"..oooh no not CONTENT!!!!!

The golden generation happened in spite of the NSL structures (closed shop, no?) not because of it.
They existed in large part on the back of 50s migrations.

Bresciano etc etc would have been just as talented without their 1-2 years in the NSL and that same player today would have gone o/s just as quickly.

The safety net issue is the only possible point of interest that players can come back on a secure career rather than fight it out but that is purely as a result of having a professional league no matter what the structure is.

The idea that we would trade a professional league for a non-professional one so they don't have a cushy home to come back to is ludicrous no matter how you look at it.

A player like Viduka or Bresciano wouldn't come back after 1 season anyway and never try again o/s

This is all bullshit and Optus is just taking pot shots that fits their audience

Sorenson and Bridges both played in the Aleague though didn't they? Also a bit harsh calling Schwartzer a Eurosnob in my opinion but if thats what you feel about him then OK. If the narrative is so outdated, why do you think it is still constantly brought up over and over and over again by people so passionate about football in this country?
As for your second point, I dont criticize the young players at ALL.. I criticize the system that has failed them.....

without watching the video, I’m tipping it was a bunch of Eurosnobs talking about the bullshit outdated narrative of how Australian youth players are not striving to play in big European leagues anymore. And reminiscing about how the NSL were producing players for those leagues, but the AL isn’t.

Times have changed. There are other options out there. New markets have opened up to us now that we are in Asia. We have some very good youth coming through right now. the best we’ve had in a while. Start supporting them and stop criticising them.

I think the point they are trying to make is that we are the only (or one of the very very few) countries in the world that have a closed off professional league which has its main purpose of existence as being to provide "content" for a broadcast deal and NOT as a football competition... Like Schwartzer and Bridgey said, the Australian top flight will never be a "destination" league for our best players but without the ability of clubs and therefore players to climb the pyramid then Australia is creating a mediocre "safety net" without ambition for the development of playing stock for the national team.

Yeah 100% this.... I agree, the whole "NSL wasn't that bad" shtick Optus Sport have got going screams of sour grapes. It is interesting though that former A-League associates are now strongly of the view that APL doesn't care about football development, only about profits... They certainly didnt seem to care too much when they where drawing a salary.

I am a lazy old sod mate. I have a so called "smart" LG OLED and apps like Youtube, Netflix, Optus Sport etc are straight of the TV remote...... First world problems I know :)

"Is this league that a rival streaming service has the rights for holding Australian football back?" 

FWIW plenty of good points made. 

Love casting to the TV. Search up a youtube vid and blammo, watch it on the TV.

Yeah, I swear we are the only country in the world who sees having a fully professional league as a bad thing for player development. The mentality of young players today is a lot different to those of the golden gen. The AL is far from perfect and has neglected youth until last season, no doubt. But giving players a chance in a professional environment is not a bad thing.

What players lack is someone to help them make correct club decisions for their development and not rush overseas. The irony is, since the AL leagues inception, most players who leave the AL with less than 80 games basically dont make it to a big league. Those that do have played in a big league, which is the bigger issue imo

And during the whole time the NSL was around, the lack of a stable professional competition that could provide development pathways for local footballers was lamented. Instead talented players would leave for Europe while still teenagers. The lucky/good ones made it, but plenty of others were left on the scrapheap. The grass is always greener.