I have never doubted that the Kewell and Viduka era that Aussie players were playing in a higher league.
I agree football has changed, but my point being, when Kewell & Viduka was breaking into the EPL, how many French players were playing in the league, how many Africans, how many south Americans & how many Eastern Europeans, yes there were a few, but just have a look at Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Man U & Arsenal, how many foreigners are the stars, Mane, Sane, Augeruo, Hazard, Salah, De Bruyne, Silva, Silva, Firmino, Progba & the list goes on & on. I could pick a side of very talented French players, who couldn't get in the French National team playing in the EPL. Look how many Africans & sth Americans there are compared to in those days of GG generation.
We are also seeing alot more football these days then in those days, I can watch Ronaldo & Messi play every week, I don't remember being able to see Maradona every week, I just remember his glory days, not the week to week grind. I hardly saw any of Okon & Zelic after they left the NSL, we didn't see the Bundesliga or the Belgium leagues much & Australia only played a meaningful match once every 4 years. Imagine if we got fed that Leckie was playing in the Bundesliga every year & never saw him play & for Socceroos once every 4 years or so.
Okon 28 odd Socceroos appearances, Zelic, 34, Kewell 56, Viduka 43, all legends of Australian football played less then Kruse 73 caps & Leckie 59 & many more to come.

How many of them would play in the top leagues today? I'm not knocking what they achieved, they were my heroes, but my point being outside Kewell & Dukes, the players now are not as poor in comparison as some would like to make it out, just because they are not playing in the top leagues any more. Look at Juventus today in super cup, just 2 Italians in starting lineup for the top team in Serie A.

Watched the matched on a two hour delay...first chance to visit this thread. While I am proud of the boys and super glad to finish second in the group.... My take is;

- Ryan had a shocker. Poor distribution and he should have dealt with the cross that led to their first goal much better (even caught it).

- Our first 25 mins or so were terrible. We were like a ship without chart and compass waiting to be wrecked or marooned.

- credit to Rogic, Ikon, Mabil and Grant for bringing it when we needed it.....they were our best. There’s no way Leckie or Kruse would have converted those chances. They have been our attacking Achilles for many years now and finally we have better options.

- Giannou has proven why he should have been selected in the squad in the first place and should start next match.

- I’m gobsmacked that Arnie did not opt to play Jurman at CB and retain Millsy at DM. If Jurman wasn’t brought in for that scenario then why hell bring him....he has proven himself in the position in the past. I was even more gobsmacked when Kruse came on for Mabil around the 80 mark instead of Jurman entering the fray and us reverting to a 5-4-1 for the final 10-15 and shutting up shop.

While I understand keeping possession denies the opposition the chance to score and a third goal would/did kill off the game(last minute mind you).....you are playing a dangerous game by allowing so much space at the back; all it takes is a few quick accurate passes into space on the counter and bang; they score. Anyone would think that WE needed to win the match in order to progress.

If it wasn’t for an often poor final ball/cross by Syria in the last 15mins then we would have been in all sorts of bother. I would much rather take my chances with denying the opposition space and time and defending for dear life than trying to score a goal that is uneccessary while leaving huge space at the back. This time we got lucky....will we be so lucky next time.....

Don't see the point of this debate, like it is obvious at least our 2006 and 2010 squads were playing at a higher level (Bigger clubs or sides competing hard in European competition such as UCL and Europa League) and had better depth. That's not really debatable (And i have provided the stats in the past two pages to back it up_ Myths that the 06 team were not playing regularly have already been busted.  People rewriting history, we have fucking 1 point in our last two World Cups lol. 

World football is obviously improving, especially with the competitive environment, improved scouting, improved sports science if you were to make both teams play i don't know who would win. Football has changed so much, but the thing is these players compared to peers in that era were playing regularly for clubs competing for titles and doing well in European competition. Who have we even got left in European football at the moment? Rogic?  When Viduka and Kewell broke into the EPL the Serie A was a top league, and a lot of the countries that now provide talent to the EPL had players based in the Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga. Football has changed a lot. 

I'm all for the curriculum and trying to create a factory of footballers who will make us regular threats to win games at a world cup but not at the expense of rewriting history. 

Those playes are a long way off before you can classify them as stars.

Leckie and Kruse you can forget it.

Rogic and Mooy do have potential though.

But we still don't have enough compared to the past.

Rogic 101 games Celtic 26 years old
Mooy 105 games for Huddersfield including 54 in premier league, 28 years old
Leckie 107 in Bundesliga  27 years old
Kruse 64 games in Bundesliga

I was watching Football all the way back to the early 80s, and would hardly miss a game.

You are deluded to believe we have the players of the same class as back then. The only class player we have today is Azani (potentially) and he might not reach his full potential now.

In the old days we had household names. People in Europe would be able to name half the Australian Squad. Now, they can't do that and our players are washing out everywhere.

We are not producing the same quality. We do not have the class I listed above. I haven't even named a dozen or so more as well.

'The Aussie players are not making it in Europe like they used to'.

Mate I 've been watching football for a long time, I thik back to the GG era, who were the stars in the premier league in 02-06, lots of British players with a sprinkling of foreign players, have a look now, it's all foreign players with a sprinkling of British players. WHY, because football has changed, no longer was the hard running, tough tackling, physical direct footballers that the British & the Aussies are famous for, are no longer in vogue. They prefer more skillful players, who can handle the physical stuff, that's why the luxury player almost gone too. Look too how many Africans (feeding whole villages), Sth Americans, eastern Europeans & now even Asians playing in the top leagues in comparison to the days of the GG, the competition got a lot harder for the Aussies & even the Brits.
I wonder how many of the GG generation would be in the top leagues these days, Kewell & dukes I admit were the exception.
Yes I think you have an agenda,

The stats speak for themselves!

NED ZELIC

	Borussia Dortmund	72	(1)
1995	Queens Park Rangers	11	(0)
1996	Eintracht Frankfurt	20	(4)
1996–1997	AJ Auxerre	18	(4)
1997–2001	1860 München	102	(3)

PAUL OKON Club Brugge 72 (1) 1996–1999 Lazio 19 (0) 1999–2000 Fiorentina 11 (0) 2000–2002 Middlesbrough 28 (1) 2002 → Watford (loan) 15 (0) 2002–2003 Leeds United 15 (0) Brett Emerton 2000–2003 Feyenoord 92 (11) 2003–2011 Blackburn Rovers 247 (13) MARK VIDUKA 1995–1998 Dinamo Zagreb 84 (40) 1998–2000 Celtic 37 (30) 2000–2004 Leeds United 130 (59) 2004–2007 Middlesbrough 72 (26) 2007–2009 Newcastle United 38 (7) Harry Kewell 1996–2003 Leeds United 181 (45) 2003–2008 Liverpool 93 (12) 2008–2011 Galatasaray 63 (22) FRANK FARINA
1988–1991 Club Brugge 75 (43) 1991–1992 Bari 8 (0) 1992 → Notts County (loan) 3 (0) 1992–1994 Strasbourg 47 (14) 1994–1995 Lille 27 (6)

You are no doubt joking!!! I have seen all these players in my time, everyone talks about Zelic winning the Bundesliga, he played 4 games that year, Okon had all the talent, but how well did he go in England or even for that matter in Italy, a bit part player in an era where you didn't have the influx of Africans, Sth Americans & even eastern Europeans in the top leagues. Emerton also another player with huge potential spent 10 years at Blackburn being a decent loyal servant, (nothing special) just like Leckie in the Bundesliga.
Please I never said today's team is better I said there was not much difference. We get all caught on how great we once were, when we only ever create 2 high quality players.
Look at Jedinak, if he played in 2002/2006, he would be remembered as a great leader, strong no 6 & free kick & penalty taker with amazing ability, why because in 2002/06 the ball would have flew over his head from centre back to the attack, but instead Jedinak is also remembered for his poor passing, because in 2014/18, the no 6 had to learn to pass the ball.
Too many people look at the past with rose coloured glasses, especially those players that played in Italy or Germany & we had very little view of them

it's probably been beaten to death already in this thread. but i only just watched the game.

i think i called it. pulling milligan out of midfield was a fucking nightmare. and we sorely could have used jurman to muscle up against their striker,  irvine was nowhere near the player this match and i think it's because milligan was much more of an anchor to allow him the freedom to get up into those contests.

i really think that's about the worst movement off the ball we have had for a long while. well the first 40 and patches in the second half.  awful. no one was opening up passing options.  we were getting caught with the ball, turning it over, and playing desperate low percentage passes just to move the ball around. 

grant was probably motm - if his throws weren't so shit. motm is the ref for giving us a free hand ball in the box. muy bueno mi amigo.

Handling the Ball, Holding and Impeding
ok then, for Milligan:

71 Is the hand moving towards the ball or is the ball moving towards the hand?
Ball moving towards hand
72 Are the player's hands or arms in a ¨natural position" or an ¨unnatural position"?
Questionable. He was jumping and put his arms out to balance so more or less natural... 
73 Does the player attempt to avoid the ball striking the hand?
Not much time 
74 Does the ball strike the player’s hand from a short or from a long distance?
Pretty short
75 Does the player use the hand or arm to deliberately touch or block the ball?
No
76 Does the player attempt to score a goal by deliberately handling the ball?
No
77 Does the player prevent a goal by deliberately handling the ball?
No
78 Does the player prevent an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball?
No
79 Does the player try to deceive the referee by handling the ball?
No
80 Is the ball moving in the direction of the goal?
No
81 Does the player deny an obvious goalscoring opportunity by holding an opponent?
No
82 Does holding start from outside the penalty area and continue inside?
No
83 Does the player impede the progress of an opponent with contact?
No
84 Does the player impede the progress of an opponent with the hands?
No
85 Does the player unsuccessfully attempt to prevent a goal by deliberately handling the ball?
No


Overall, I think the referee was probably right to not pay it, purely because it was such an innocuous situation. Milligan was clear, there was not real goal scoring threat or opportunity if the ball did not hit his arm.

looking at those criteria, if it were the same situation but the ball was heading in a slightly different direction and there was actually an opposition player who may have been able to get on the end of it, then the chances of a penalty would be much higher

In the context, the accidental handball just did not impact play and Syria would have been lucky to get a penalty for doing nothing.  

Where are the press conferences? Terrible coverage.

Absolutely.

Cahill was evertons best play in 04/05 and 05/06. Nominated for balon dor in 2006. Fergie nearly bought him in 07 and claims not signing him one of his biggest regrets. Cahill was an absolute star. So too bosnich was a star and was golden gen albeit his career ended early before the others. Bresc and Neill at that time were also stars subjected to big bids from big clubs. Chippers is an all time best 11 player at Basel and club legend. What a team it was. The current crop has some good players too. Mooy has a legitimate claim as being Huddersfields greatest ever player, rogic is on his way to legend status at Celtic. Matty Ryan is the standout player at Brighton. Sains getting reasonable minutes at a champs league team. Need now Irvine Luongo Mabil and Ikon to get moves

Grant is far superior to risdon. Grant has close to the biggest engine ive seen olay for the roos along with Emerton. 
Final ball and composure better also

Correct. Unfortunately the natural/unnatural consideration has come to define handball decisions. As with any statute interpretation, the law must be read in its entirety to identify the meaning of the words in the context in which the law-makers had intended, i.e., you can't base the decision/argument on an isolated sentence.  
If the law-makers had intended that every time the ball touches the arm/hand be deemed a foul, then that is what the law would say. 
In Milligen's example, it was a clear attempt to clear the ball by kicking it out, a poor clearance kick saw it ricochet into his arm and put Fox commentators into a spin. If his attempt to clear the ball had missed his arm and continued backwards towards Ryan, who catches it, it would be play on. Yes? No?

My one quoted in the original post.

https://www.ffa.com.au/sites/ffa/files/2017-09/FIFA%20Analysis%20of%20Match%20Situations%202015_1rnefe2q5b22m11andt2h6gga1.pdf

Linked from here:  https://www.ffa.com.au/get-involved/refereeing/resources

Edit: referees thread started on main page.  Have at it.

Well here you go.  A more up to date version here from the AFC: 2017

https://www.ffa.com.au/sites/ffa/files/2017-09/AFC%20Consideration-Booklet-2017-revised_9nlkpp5ei4sr17tnk5rrlowf9.pdf

Handling the Ball, Holding and Impeding

71 Is the hand moving towards the ball or is the ball moving towards the hand?
72 Are the player's hands or arms in a ¨natural position" or an ¨unnatural position"?
73 Does the player attempt to avoid the ball striking the hand?
74 Does the ball strike the player’s hand from a short or from a long distance?
75 Does the player use the hand or arm to deliberately touch or block the ball?
76 Does the player attempt to score a goal by deliberately handling the ball?
77 Does the player prevent a goal by deliberately handling the ball?
78 Does the player prevent an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball?
79 Does the player try to deceive the referee by handling the ball?
80 Is the ball moving in the direction of the goal?
81 Does the player deny an obvious goalscoring opportunity by holding an opponent?
82 Does holding start from outside the penalty area and continue inside?
83 Does the player impede the progress of an opponent with contact?
84 Does the player impede the progress of an opponent with the hands?
85 Does the player unsuccessfully attempt to prevent a goal by deliberately handling the ball?

Just for clarity there was no selective editing in my post where the considerations jump from 50 to 256. From the other sections of that document there are other considerations numbered like that but under different sub headings. I think they’re additions added after the original issue.

I’ll try and link the original document.

We played like a busted arse at times, but we still got the job done.  I am happy that I can say that, rather than how gallant we were in a 2-3 loss.  Our young players (Mabil and Ikon in particular) are getting invaluable tournament experience and gaining confidence.  Next round will bring some more entertainment I'm sure.

People rewriting history now lol. 
lol Emerton would have had 6 seasons with over 3000 minutes (For Feyenoord and Blackburn), Neil had 5 or 6 with an EPL clocking over 3000 minutes or at least  5 seasons over 2500 minutes (Which you said was uncommon), Kewell easily had 5 seasons clocking over 2500 (At least 3 seasons above 3000 at an actual club challenging for titles), Viduka about 5, Grella had a few in the Serie A as did bresciano (I recall there run to the semi finals in the 2005 Europa League think Bresciano played 50 games that season in all competitions)  Can mention more players lol. 

unfortunately

even 2500 minute seasons were uncommon (actually sub 2000 minute seasons were more common than over 2000 minute seasons for many GG players)

a first choice player usually gets 3000 minute seasons (or in the ecl 4000 minutes!) Jedi when he was dominating the epl got 3000+ minutes. When he was struggling for his place he dropped well below that

33.3 full games is also pretty rare for the HAL

a 3000 minute season was actually rare for most of our golden gen players

number 41 to 44 are to establish intent ...if not established ...play on ......if established..... go to 45 to 256(?) to decide punishment ie card and or penalty/free kick (note 45 to 256 all need intent as the word "deliberate" is used in each case ...except 50 where it is implied)

Strangely enough I don't disagree with the Reardon penalty . Whilst I do doubt he did it intentionally...... his intention is not clear .
He ran out to a player who was going to shoot to block the shot or put the striker off...fair enough .....but he did have his hands raised which many defenders do intentionally to make themselves "bigger" to put off the striker . So his  "intent" is unclear to the ref so I would have been happy with it being given... or not... in that instance.
The Milligan one was different , he was simply trying to trap a ball with no one nearby ....and it bounced up into his arm awkwardly and quickly ...no intent was possible at that speed .....and I very much doubt he had his arms out so that just in case it bounced up he could knock it down with his arm .

I don't agree with your idea of making the Law simply "ball touches arm = handball".
It has never been that anyway ( even 50 years ago)
The Law has always stated that it must be "intentional" handball...its just that 50 years ago refs simply played it that way ( I also remember those days clearly and you are right ...refs just gave a free kick every time a ball had contact with the hand ). It didn't matter so much then , but in modern times where huge money and prestige are on offer players would cheat and deliberately target players arms to gain free kicks .
So the laws were added to by IFAB to add other conditions onto the old law regarding handball...ie  must hand to ball ....not ball to hand etc ..but the overrider to refs should still be "is it intentional in your view".....thus we still get varying decisions like the Reardon one above ..and we always will .

It's quite funny that the usual FFA fanboys are talking up the success of the curriculum and"modern coach edumacaton" in the current Socceroo squad and yet they argue that our youth teams are shite because the junior players havent been though the full curriculum. Which one is it.........

Oops. my bad. Read from after my first sentence :)

41 Ball to hand
42 Debatable, we'll say YES for argument sake
43 NO
44 Short
45 NO
46 NO
47 NO
48 NO
49 NO
50 NO
256?? NO

Considerations before awarding a handball. 

From: FIFA Analysis of Match Situations 2015

Handling the ball
41 Is the hand moving towards the ball or is the ball moving towards the hand?
42 Are the player's hand's or arms in a ¨NATURAL POSITION" or an ¨UNNATURAL POSITION"?
43 Does the player attempt to avoid the ball striking his hand?
44 Does the ball strike his hand from a short or from a long distance?
45 Does the player use his hand or arm to deliberately touch or block the ball?
46 Does the player prevent an opponent gaining possession of the ball by handling it?
47 Does the player attempt to score a goal by deliberately handling the ball?
48 Does the player prevent a goal by deliberately handling the ball?
49 Does the player prevent an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball?
50 Does the player try to deceive the referee by handling the ball?
256 Is the ball moving in the direction of the goal?