Some rationale for each choice

1. Decline of funding for the AIS
Leading up to the Sydney 2000 olympics there was a lot of youth funding. The Sydney 2000 squad corresponds to the core of the golden generation. After we finished without a single win, the program started to get defunded. Multiple golden generation players including Viduka credit the AIS as pivotal to their development
2. Lack of domestic opportunities for Australian talent
Mark Schwarzer made this point that the nsl had around 140 starting spots for australian players, so there were many chances for our pathways to catch players who would eventually be good enough to outgrow the league. Since we exported more players in that era, law of large numbers meant some of them continued to progress. When the a league started there were 7 Australian teams with 5 foreign spots each which means a mere 42 spots for aussie players, below 1/3rd of the norm in the nsl era
3. No academies for the first decade of the A league
Craig foster complained over a decade ago on the world game that the a league is the only league in the world with no connection to the grass roots or youth teams. We do seem to be producing more talent who are breaking through in europe at a younger age and doing better now we finally have academies. These academies are new mind you, so it will be interesting to see how they improve over time
4. Changes in global football making it harder
The Matildas currently have a zillion euro players because the women's game is still developing. However, some of the performances at youth level have me alarmed we will slip behind quickly. The womens game is becoming more competitive now and perhaps the last 3 decades has seen the mens game become more competitive. In the early to mid 90s the majority of epl players were brittish. That eventually dived to around 25 percent of players as africa, eastern europe, asia, usa and many other nations rose. For an interesting case study, consider that in 2005 and 2021 we had to beat the 5th placed south american team to qualify for the world cup. Now compare the 2005 uruguay squad with the 2021 peru squad. The 5th placed south american team in 2021 seams to be our team was on paper! Many developing nations are improving their player pathways, Japan now has a connected pyramid with multiple professional divisions, as does south korea, Saudi has 32 pro teams and semi pro teams below that, America has been introducing leagues below the mls years ago. We are finally introducing an nst in 2025!! The game also seems to be becoming more technical. While,we produced the occasional technician, we were team whose best qualities were grit, fitness, and physicality throughout the 90s. We weren't  a bunch of hoofballers, but watching old roos games and old nsl games, the change to everyone playing a more technical style has required a particularly harsh culture change from us. We introduced a ntc and its 2nd version with practice sessions in 2014 so fingers crossed that helps us close the gap in technique (I think it has) and the nst might help us close the gap in player pathways. But gee we have a mountain to climb. I'm thrilled with the ntc and the possible nst though. So hopefully greener pastures ahead
5.Removing nsl clubs meant removing intergenerational knowledge
With all the demonization of ethnic clubs a lot of intergenerational knowledge was just cast aside. Majority of player development is at home or with friends in a backyard and these ethnic clubs are connected to ethnic communities where everyone knows football well. A friend gave me a book about coaching in the usa compared to europe. In europe, kids automatically learn which parts of the foot to use for which action from messing around in the park with other kids. In USA, they don't have that peer reinforcement and that presents a challenge with making sure kids don't learn bad habits. Most of our golden gen seems to have spent at least some time at either marconi, sydney united and adelaide city. Who knows what was lost by throwing those (and other) clubs aside and perhaps we are about to find out what we can regain by their reinclusion. Aside from all of that, the nsl was pretty poor at producing talent in its first 15 years. Perhaps casting them aside and starting anew with the a league meant that a league clubs had to start again
6.The golden generation was a freak event and we have reverted to our level
Hans berger dismissed the golden generation as an outlier after saying that most minnows have golden generations. The PFA also made a lengthy report arguing it was an outlier. They provide a strong case and people should read it. Amongst the things the pfa listed was the roles of migrant parents and siblings constantly playing at home. Now we no longer have a flux of euro immigrants, perhaps we might get lucky with a flux of African immigrants. Would be sad if this was the reason as there is little we can do to create a regular stream of class talent. 
7. Other
Go ahead and give your view!