True. 
I'm sure we can dig up these types of lists on the forum every year. 
The more the players head overseas, and stay there, the better they will get. 
The quicker they return to the A-league because the going gets tough and they get paid more here, the more likely they will stagnate or decline. 
Potential unfulfilled once again. 

Yes.  You should see what the kids are doing on the parks on the weekends.  The problem is the same as in the past:  at 16 years of age the great majority of the talent leaves the game.

Most always will.

However, if there is a clear path to a professional career, then the most driven (not always the most talented) will push on.  If there was an additional 300 places available, within country, for those kids to aspire to, then the wastage will reduce to less devastating levels.

The creation of that second division will be the formative step that elevates professional football from its baby knees to at least a stumbling toddler's gait.

This. Mcgree is slipping under everyone’s radar but he can be our best player 

You forgot about McGree who could be the best of the lot in 2026 if injuries don't drag him down. I'm a bit with bettega though - there will be the typical attrition rate where a percentage won't reach their expected potential due to injury, poor choice of club/league, lack of work ethic and willingness to sacrifice, or just simply being overhyped from the start. 

Just need the right coach to guide them.

We say the exact same thing every couple of years, since season 1 of the A-League.
But 17 years on, and there are only a handful that have reached semi-decent heights.

Yes to a degree. There's no doubt this latest batch of olyroos is the best we've had since at least the 2008 team. Having said that i think that Covid aided this batch greatly as more players left for overseas and clubs had to play more youngsters rather than recycling the same old guys - that still happens a lot but with covid it just wasn't as much.

We've got guys like the young chipperfield,  Volpato and Circati and Alex robertson who could yet (hopefully all) become Socceroos too. 

Very exciting. As i said on the other forum, when these guys go over they need to make sure that they are going to be getting game time otherwise these young guys careers while fall of a cliff like other youngsters 

Yes.

Maybe not a Golden Generation, but I look at the current crop of youngsters playing in the A-League and I think a lot of them are already almost as good as some of our current Socceroos despite being a decade younger. I feel like we could be on to something by the time 2026 rolls around, I've compiled a list of what our squad could potentially look like by then (ages in brackets). There's plenty of talent around in the league now that will just coming into their prime around a similar time, if you look at our current squad, the ages are really scattered and I think the only quality players we've had that are now 28-35 are Ryan, Sainsbury, Mooy and Rogic. Seems a big cap to get that next range. I am sure I am forgetting a bunch too but this crop has me really excited for what our talent pool could look like for 2026, think we'll have loads more playing in Europe.

Goalkeepers
Ryan (34)

Gauci (25)

Maynard-Brewer (26)

Izzo (31)

Chapman (25)

Glover (28)

Bilokapic (23)

Right Backs

Atkinson (26)

Rawlins (22)

Karacic (30)

Miller (25)

Strain (29)

Centre Backs

Rowles (27)

Souttar (27)

Ryan (25)

Popovic (23)

Wright (33)

Sainsbury (34)

Degenek (32)

Deng (29)
Rich-Baghuelou (26)

Bility (26)

Left Backs

King (25)

Farrell (23)

Bos (23)

Garuccio (30)

Gersbach (29)

Centre Mids
McGree (27)

Genreau (27)

Metcalfe (26)

Hrustic (29)
Devlin (27)

Rogic (33)

Gomulka (24)

Stensness (27)

Yazbek (23)

Watts (24)

Irvine (33)

Mauk (30)

Wingers

Tilio (24)

Volpato (22)

Italiano (24)

Brook (25)

Mabil (30)

D’Agostino (28)

Najjarine (26)

Bernardo (22)

Arzani (27)

Folami (26)

Boyle (33)

Borrello (30)

M. Toure (22)

Irakunda (20)

Strikers

Yengi (26)

A. Kuol (24)

Iredale (30)

Cummings (30)

Wood (23)

G. Kuol (21)

Potential line up:
Ryan
Atkinson-Souttar-Rowles-King
McGree-Metcalfe-Hrustic
Volpato-A.Kuol-Tilio