A-League needs another Queensland team, says FNQ Heat coach Martin Docherty by: Vince Rugari •From: The Cairns Post •November 28, 2014 12:46PM

THE NPL talent drain to Melbourne has exposed the urgent need for a second Queensland-based A-League team, according to FNQ Heat coach Martin Docherty.
His concerns come after Heat midfielder Tom Murphy joined a growing exodus of state league players seeking moves south to put themselves in the A-League shop window.

Docherty said young players had no choice but to leave Queensland if they harboured ambitions of playing at A-League level and are unable to secure a contract at Brisbane Roar.

“All it does to me is highlight the fact that we need another A-League team, sooner rather than later,” he said.

“Whether it’s in the southeast as in Gold Coast or up north in Cairns, I don’t know, and how you do it I’m not sure. But the cries are getting louder and louder because in this area, we just keep producing talented players.”

Murphy will play for Green Gully in next year’s Victorian NPL, following in the footsteps of NPL Queensland MVP Chris Lucas, Troy Ruthven, Matt Thurtell (Bentleigh Greens), Jake McLean (Oakleigh Cannons), Reuben Way (Heidelberg) and Jai Ingham (Hume City).

The FFA is reluctant to discuss expansion but it is anticipated two more teams will be added to the A-League in conjunction with the next broadcast deal from 2017.

There are persistent rumours a third Sydney team is on the cards while the Heat’s major sponsor Aquis expressed its desire to bankroll an A-League bid earlier this year.

Docherty believes another team in Queensland is required to service the amount of talent produced by the state.

“From a football point of view, Queensland is probably on par, if not better than the other states – but we’ve only got one A-League team, and they can only accommodate so many players,” he said.

“You’ve got a guy (Lucas) who scores 36 goals last year and he can’t get a look in – where’s the sense in that?

“I’ve got a couple of contacts in Melbourne that have been telling me that Queensland’s being pillaged and there’s still more to come. It’s a bit of a worry.”

Docherty said he was excited that more opportunities would open up for NPL academy players next year.

“That’s why I’ve got six or seven of our academy boys training with us at the moment. That’s the idea of the NPL,” he said.

“Strikers and Palm Beach will be in the same boat. This is when your club structures really get tested and you see how strong you actually are.”

Football Queensland technical director David Abela said the player losses were a sign that development in Queensland was on the right track.

“Whether we get another A-League side or not – and you’d like to think we will get one at some stage – players will move where they think is best for them,” Abela said.
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/sport/local-sport/a-league-needs-another-queensland-team-says-fnq-heat-coach-martin-docherty/story-fnjpuwsz-1227138220467

Edited by Arthur: 2/12/2014 01:43:39 PM

Speaking to the Coach of Bentleigh Greens he is very excited about the 3 boys he has signed.

So whats happening up there fellas?

Needs two more teams IMO.

The main reason A-League sides don't look to Queensland is the level of competition - so players go to Sydney or Melbourne and play in a better league, for a greater chance to show off their talents. This all points, to me, to the need for a national competition below the A-League. There's obviously a decent range of talent up in Queensland, so if you had Fury and Brisbane Strikers playing in league against the best from the rest of the country, you'd raise the standard of competition - improving the players, and making it a lot easier for the best to get spotted by the A-league sides.

My issues are -
Who would pay for this? When would it run?
Would teams still field a team in the NPL? Would clubs be willing to leave NPL?
How do we tell WA nicely "thanks, but no thanks"?

Of course the idea makes sense but would be controversial when certain teams weren't included.

It undermines the NPL playoffs. Plus what's to stop Strikers and Fury eventually being full of Vic/NSW players.

Like he says
“Whether we get another A-League side or not – and you’d like to think we will get one at some stage – players will move where they think is best for them,”

Brisbane to Cairns is twice the distance of Brisbane to Sydney.

If they aim to be professional footballers they should be prepared to live away from home. Especially if they come from a town without a team in the highest division.

Eventually we may see the Victorian and nsw leagues pull away standard wise.
I don't have a problem with that. If a second tier league is unsustainable in the short term.


Edited by scott21: 1/12/2014 09:37:18 AM

That's all well and good if structures are in place that allow for a quality pathway to professional football but they aren't in Australia. Players don't get good enough coaching and development in NQ and other regional areas and those that are good enough often don't get scouted until it's too late.

Without financial support its a hard question to answer.

It's easy to say
1 x nth Qld
1 x Brisbane
3 x Sydney
3 x Melbourne
1 x Canberra
1 x Adelaide

But I feel it wouldn't be glamorous enough for the FFA to take on board.

It would be perfect to if it ran the same time as NPL season, so fans could get their fix and so it is played under cooler condition. That would allow Saturday 3pm on SBS.

I just have trouble seeing the investment sponsorship appeal.


Edited by scott21: 1/12/2014 10:00:51 AM

What do you mean what is happening?

Northern kids always move south in their young years and the NPLV is always regarded as one of the top state leagues along with FNSW.

-PB

Meanwhile at the sugar plantation
[youtube]O17MA58P-QY[/youtube]

Hume City fills attacking holes with shrewd National Premier League recruiting moves
by: Tim Michell From: Hume Leader December 02, 2014 8:52AM

Hume City technical director Dean Hennesey, players Jai Ingham, Josh Markovski, Nick Hegarty, Shane Rexhepi, Denk Aguek, Marcus Shroen and coach Lou Acevski. Picture: Mark Wilson Source: News Corp Australia

DEFENDERS will need to be on their toes at Broadmeadows Valley Park in 2015 if Hume City’s prized recruits live up to expectation.
The National Premier League club has made positive moves in the recruiting market to cover one of its most glaring holes — a prolific striker.

Hume City finished sixth this year despite one of the lowest goal tallies in the division, netting 33 times in 26 matches.

Coach Lou Acevski said the club hoped the signing of Calvin Mbarga, one of most potent strikers in South Australia in recent years, would give his side an edge.

“We’ve lacked a proven goalscorer for a few years (and) now that was vital for us to fill that gap,” Acevski said.

“Once we got in contact with Calvin it took a few days to come to an agreement, but it was all minor stuff.

“We’re expecting him to score some goals and make a big difference for us.”

Former Brisbane Roar winger Jai Ingham, Ballarat Red Devils striker Deng Aguek and Sydney United’s Ivan Pavlak have also been added to the club’s attacking arsenal.

“(Jai’s) very quick, scores goals from the right hand side of attack,” Acevski said.

“The kid has got a lot of ambition and drive.

“We were missing in that position as well, he popped up and we didn’t think twice.”

Defender Petar Franjic has returned to the club from Uzbekistan, while attacking midfielder Marcos Schroen and wing-back Dean Tomeski have signed for 2015.

As successful as it has been in its recruiting raids, Acevski said Hume City’s most important recruit could be skipper Nick Hegarty.

The midfielder spent most of 2014 on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury early in the campaign.

Acevski backed the introduction of a NPL finals series in 2015, which was announced last month.

“After halfway through the season that just went past, you knew there was only two teams challenging for the title,” he said.

“The rest of us were trying to finish as high as possible.

“But now knowing there’s five or six spots up for grabs in the finals, I think (everyone) will be playing for those three points up until the last round.”

Hume City has also added new faces off-field, with Dean Hennessey confirmed as its technical director.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/hume-city-fills-attacking-holes-with-shrewd-national-premier-league-recruiting-moves/story-fngnvocb-1227141606823

In terms of player development and as a support structure to the A-League (whether we like it or not, that is how state league football is mapped out by the FFA), the highest standard second tier possible is essential to the game in Australia.

In all honesty I'm glad to see some inter-NPL transfers happening now.

-PB

Classic!