FFA set to permit loan moves between A-League clubs

It's a start. There's probably a few more things to implement but baby steps I guess.

Its a start... but i still dont know why players cant transfer between clubs. You would think it would limit the journeymen a bit and encourage youth development

Repealing one shit rule 10 years at a time. 

this is more bluebird territory, but I think the socialistic philosophy of the league is at the heart of it, all clubs are equal, all clubs must behave in the identical way, you can't have a situation where powerful clubs emerge as buying clubs and weak clubs become selling clubs, etc, etc

Dont think this helps much in a ten team league. You're just going to get players like Aspro or Gameiro joining Mariners on loan instead of an outright transer and probably fetch the parent club the transfer fee rather than Mariners.

But this is already happening - players and agents agitate to move to the bigger clubs all the time in the A-League. The difference is that, under the current system there is no compensation for this - it's simply the free transfer merry-go-round that happens every transfer window where clubs are forced to cancel a player's contract because they wish to move elsewhere. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for player freedom, but at the moment it is heavily skewed in the player's favour, and there is literally no incentive for somebody like a Charlesworth or a Sage to invest in a) young talent or b) foreign talent because they know that, as soon as they have one good season they'll ask for a release from their contract to go and join a Victory/City/Sydney/WSW etc. A transfer system at least provides some compensation for the club who has nurtured the player, which in turn gets reinvested into the next player.

One of the good things about CFG buying City was that, through a dubious loophole, there was finally some compensation for a smaller club when players moved - when Manchester City bought players like Fitzgerald and Caceres and then loaned them to Melbourne City, there was at least some cash flowing the Mariners way for a change.

The only 'cap' that should be in place is a max squad of 25 with 3+1 visa players - everything else should be solely up to the club's discretion.

As melbourne_terrace said though, it's just the FFA feeding us a small sugar hit to placate us - don't get me wrong, I'm happy it's happening, but it definitely not a decision that the FFA should be applauded for.

True. Probably more effective if/when the league gets to a decent size etc.

Well this sets up a Div 2 nicely.
A lot of young HAL players can be loaned to Div2 clubs and get the game time they need.Div2 clubs all of a sudden have a host of cheap full time players.

As mentioned it’s only the first step, next we need is a transfer system to be introduced this would allow the clubs invest in young players and good foreigners to be secured without the need of them of going for nothing, the clubs investment in them will be all but evaporate.

The current market where players get a release and then join another club is not a healthy long term look, we want clubs to invest in young players and them to get rewarded with decent transfers (another revenue stream) same with good foreign players too.

On top of that, they are only 10 clubs so where will the loaned players go to, given the spots in the squads are limited? It would make sense if there are more teams and a second division but even this limits opportunities to a few in the current climate.

But this is a start, and that’s a positive step.

can loaned players go to the NPL until a second div is set up?

Agree, It probably won't have much of an impact, and I doubt many players will get loaned out in the coming seasons, but it's important to have these systems in place now. Better to have something and not need it than need something and not have it.

Agree its better they in place now before the expansion process happens.

This is probably only happening because the FFA has worked out a way to get a cut of any loans between clubs.  When they work out how to get a cut of transfers as well then they'll implement that as well.  It's important that we're not like any other league in the world for about another 30-40 years when the FFA will feel confident enough in their  monopoly over all aspects of football in Australia that things will actually happen that appear normal to everyone.   

Maybe late in coming but at least its in place now.

Can this happen while we have a salary cap? I might be incorrect, but I think any transfer fee paid would be counted towards the salary cap.

Any transfer fee shouldn't be counted as part of the cap. A transfer fee is paid to the club not the player so technically it is not a salary. The club still has to pay a player the negotiated salary on top of the fee they pay the club. That salary should be all that matters to the cap.

I remember melbourne hear loaning Kamal Ibrahim and Kliment Taseski to South Melbourne ages ago

No where near. We are miles off where we should be but agreed if this does happen this is a good start.

It's just a PFA suggestion

And here lies the problem. The wording makes you think the FFA have done it already but the reality is someone not related to the FFA has merely suggested it.



It won't happen.

Something something unique something something competitive market

Yeah, as far as I know players can be loaned to NPL teams. For 'Nix most recently Lewis Italiano was loaned to WA teams for game time the past couple of years; even going as far back as Kosta B being loaned to McArthur Rams in 2008.

Badly needed. While more needs to be done, at least young players can get game time at a decent level, without the parent club holding them back for fear of losing a quality player and potential transfer fee down the track.

Need to bring in transfers more importantly.

Too many players weasel their way out of contracts once they become disgruntled or have interest from a ‘bigger club’

every week it's a another lame gimme to try and show the ffa are doing things.  iniesta, loans, list of expansion bids.  it's smoke and mirrors to help them for the impending show down.

too little, too fucking late.

Loans will be great across the 32 team A & B divisions.

There is definitely some work that gets swept under the carpet by A-League clubs. Case in point is Melbourne City youth Goalkeeper Yaren Sozer, Plays for NPL side Pascoe Vale, yet during the week is at Melbourne City trainings, doing the same drills as Bouzanis and Galekovic. this was about a month ago. 

It makes you wonder whether there are partnerships within the NPL scene (being done discretely), regarding loan moves to and from A-League clubs.

although seems like a good move which under 23 player currently would benefit from this?

Also how many clubs have spots for these players? With the HAL the way it is right now, I reckon we will only see these deals happen in an injury replacement type situation. I reckon most clubs would promote a player from their own youth squad before looking into any loan deals.