Just coming back from back surgery. He is a natural striker, is quick and finds space. If he can stay injury free then a front three of Garang, Goodwin and Irakunda looks very exciting. 

I’ve been obsessed with this topic for over a decade.
In the Golden Generation, we were insanely lucky to have a quick succession of elite strikers like Viduka, Aloisi, Kennedy and Cahill.
As they started retiring we all expected someone else to come along. But it’s been 10-15 years and still nothing close to comparable.

I’ve just been suggesting in another thread that this new generation of players coming through is a cut above the quality of youth we saw in last 10-15 years. However, the clear and obvious weakness is still the #9 Striker position. There’s certainly a lot more potential than we’ve seen since the golden gen. But no one stands out as an obvious superstar.

So, I decided to channel my Australian Striker search obsession into this analysis and see what really are our options + what do the stats tell us?
Note on stats: I don’t beleive in including penalty kicks in goal stats. So all goalscoring stats are excluding PK’s.


1) New generation natural Striker options:
So many young strikers have at least started getting game time. So there’s a lot to consider, but so far no clear stand out favourites.

Kusini Yengi
Age: 24.8
Height: 6'2
Summary: Looked promising in the A-League and has upped it during his short stint for Portsmouth in League One which has earned his first cap for the Socceroos. Physically strong and fast player. Fingers crossed he can maintain this level of productivity and convert it to higher levels of play.
2023-24 | League One: Portsmouth | 136 minutes | 2 Goals | 0 Assists | 1.32 Goals/90 | 1.32 G+A/90
2022-23 | A-League: WSW | 827 minutes | 4 goals | 2 Assists | 0.44 Goals/90 | 0.65 G+A/90
2021-22 | A-Leauge: Adelaide Utd | 386 minutes | 1 Goal | 0 Assists | 0.23 Goals/90 | 0.23 G+A/90
2020-21 | A-League: Adelaide Utd | 760 minutes | 4 Goals | 2 Assists | 0.47 Goals/90 | 0.71 G+A/90

John Iredale
Age: 24.3
Height: 6'2
Summary: Been kicking around Europe on our radar for years. Finally made it to a good level at 2. Bundesliga, but yet to score a goal.
2023-24 | 2. Bundesliga: Wehen | 277 minutes | 0 Goals | 0 Assists
2022-23 | 3. Liga: Wehen | 912 minutes | 6 Goals | 1 Assist | 0.59 Goals/90 | 0.69 G+A/90
2021-22 | 3. Liga: Wehen | 390 minutes | 3 Goals | 0 assists | 0.69 Goal/90 | 0.69 G+A/90

Al Hassan Toure
Age: 23.5
Height: 6’1
Summary: Included more for comparison sake with his younger brothers further below.
2023-24 | Turkish 2nd Div | 483 minutes | 0 Goals | 0 Assists
2022-23 | A-League: Macarthur | 1259 minutes | 3 Goals | 5 Assists | 0.21 Goals/90 | 0.57 G+A/90
2021-22 | A-League: Macarthur | 825 minutes | 2 Goals | 2 Assists | 0.22 Goals/90 | 0.44 G+A/90
2020-21 | A-League: Adelaide Utd | 555 minutes | 0 Goals | 0 Assists
2019-20 | A-League: Adelaide Utd | 633 minutes | 2 Goals | 1 Assist | 0.28 Goals/90 | 0.43 G+A/90

Alou Kuol
Age: 22.3
Height: 6'0
Summary: Promising start to his career but went to Europe early where it didn’t work out for him. Since overshadowed by his younger brother in midfield, but has plenty of time to get himself back on track and compete for National Team selection.
2023-24 | A-League: CCM | 214 minutes | 1 Goal | 0 Assists | 0.42 Goals/90
2022-23 | Bundesliga: Stuttgart | 5 minutes | 0 Goals | 0 Assists
2021-22 | 2. Bundeslinga: Sandhausen | 11 minutes | 0 Goals | 0 Assists
2020-21 | A-League: CCM | 911 minutes | 7 Goals | 2 Assists | 0.69 Goals/90 | 0.89 G+A/90

Noah Botic
Age: 20.8
Height: 6'0
Summary: Currently first choice striker for the Olyroos which means he’s highly rated by Australian management, despite a poor start to this season for both Noah and his team.
2023-24 | A-League: Western Utd | 274 minutes | 0 Goals | 0 Assists
2022-23 | A-League: Western Utd | 879 minutes | 6 Goals | 0 Assists | 0.60 Goals/90 | 0.60 G+A/90
2021-22 | A-Leauge: Western Utd | 23 minutes | 0 Goals | 0 Assists

Mohamed Toure
Age: 19.6
Height: 6’1
Summary: To some people, Mohamed is out most promising future Striking talent. His stats below on the A-League and Ligue 2 speak for themselves. Physical thread and has a knack for goal. But can he get more game time in France, be consistent and step up to a higher level of play?
2023-24 | Ligue 2: Paris FC | 146 minutes | 1 Goal | 1 Assist | 0.62 Goals/90 | 1.23 G+A/90
2022-23 | Ligue 1: Reims | 23 minutes | 0 Goals | 0 Assists
2021-22 | A-League: Adelaide Utd | 475 minutes | 3 Goals | 0 Assists | 0.57 Goals/90 | 0.57 G+A/90
2020-21 | A-League: Adelaide Utd | 357 minutes | 3 Goals | 1 Assist | 0.76 Goals/90 | 1.01 G+A/90
2019-20 | A-Leauge: Adelaide Utd | 150 minutes | 1 Goal | 0 Assists | 0.60 Goals/90 | 0.60 G+A/90

Archie Goodwin
Age: 19.0
Height: 5’10
Summary: Prolific goalscoring at youth level and seemlessly adapting to Senior level. Already clinical numbers infront of goal. One to watch as he starts to get more minutes.
2023-24 | A-League: Newcastle Jets | 0 minutes
2022-23 | A-League: Newcastle Jets | 144 minutes | 2 Goals | 0 Assists | 1.25 Goals/90 | 1.25 G+A/90
2021-22 | A-League: Newcastle Jets | 175 minutes | 2 Goals | 0 Assists | 1.03 Goals/90 | 1.03 G+A/90
2020-21 | A-League: Newcastle Jets | 298 minutes | 1 Goal | 1 Assist | 0.30 Goals/90 | 0.60 G+A/90

Thomas Waddingham
Age: 18.6
Height: ?
Summary: Brand new senior debutant who's off to a promising start to his career.
2023-24 | A-League: Brisbane Roar | 202 minutes | 1 Goal | 1 Assist | 0.45 Goals/90 | 0.89 G+A/90

Luka Jovanovic
Age: 18.5
Height: 5’9
Summary: Showed he has a knack for goal last season with 3 goals at only 17 years old.
2023-24 | A-League: Adelaide Utd | 45 minutes | 0 Goals | 0 Assists
2022-23 | A-League: Adelaide Utd | 372 minutes | 3 Goals | 0 Assists | 0.72 Goals/90 | 0.72 G+A/90

Max Caputo
Age: 18.3
Height: 5’10
Summary: Young debutant Striker with a goal to his name in a small number of minutes.
2023-24 | A-League: Melbourne City | 47 minutes | 0 Goals | 0 Assists
2022-23 | A-League: Melbourne City | 12 minutes | 1 Goal | 0 Assists | 7.5 Goals/90 | 7.5 G+A/90 (LOL)

Musa Toure
Age: 18.0
Height: 6’0
Summary: Youngest of the Toure brothers and the most technically gifted of the three. His 1.5 years older brother Mohamed is still ahead, but definitely has potential to overtake him. Some call Musa the most talented brother.
2023-24 | A-League: Adelaide Utd | 119 minutes | 1 Goal | 0 Assists | 0.76 Goals/90 | 0.76 G+A/90

One player who I’ve noticed who seems to be flying under the radar on this forum is Luka Jovanovic. I can’t recall a striker coming through that is so technically good but also so lethal in front of goal. For me, he is the most promising striker playing in Australia right now with Archie Goodwin in second. 

One piece of caution for development is that eli Babalj's 2nd season he looked like he could really come good - 9 goals in 1400 minutes at 19-20 years of age. That's not far off some of our better players today. Weirdly, he seemed to peak at 19 and never reached the same heights again. Anyone know what went wrong with him?

He got a bad injury I think just before he went to AZ, then while on loan back in Oz did his ACL and he was never the same.

Like I've been saying for decades, our attacking gifted players do not get protected enough by our refs they get hacked to death and always injured.

Just pray that Nestory doesn't get hacked to death this year AGAIN.

I totally appreciate Duke but it can also take up to 10 caps for a player to click and we've got to go hard to get these new guys integrated. 

The crop is significantly better than what we have produced in the last 10 years while well below the early careers of aloisi and viduka. None of these players are viduka or aloisi level in their early career trajectory but many are competitive with sterjovski, tiatto, aurelio vidmar, scott mcdonald's careers. So hopefully we have a bunch of strikers doing slightly better than juric having say 5-6 good seasons in 2nd tier euro leagues with the occasional having a season or two in a big 5 league. Will post another update at season's end

Didn't René Meulensteen develop a program that took care of Rashford's development at a young age? This should've been happening as a side role while at the Roos and he should be approached about this. 

When in form he's certainly a great player... but very rarely does he track back and do the hard work/intelligent pressing. etc... Not the best example to learn from for a modern day forward.

To be fair, outside Aloisi and Duke, we have produced only two other strikers of world class IMO, Frank Farina and Ray Baartz ... whereas keepers we have produced plenty.... lack of strikers arguably coms down to lack of coaching knowledge  ... mids a heap arguably lead by Kwell & Cahill.and backs a plenty...

Excellent topic, as an aside, I recall being at Football forum back in the mid 80's and the whole emphases was we should move to the 'total football" style... a sorta of shift away from coaching of positions.

The post has made me think, and across my entire Football experience, I understand were keepers, backs, mids etc should play and move off the ball, whereas in strikers its always been hang on the shoulder of the last defender.... further the back to goals striker who can hold a ball up front , play others in, is rare in Australia, Jason Cummings could do that but arguably lacked the speed that great strikers need... 

Out of left field maybe FA should appoint somebody to develop a strikers program to be introduced Australia wide... 

One player who I’ve noticed who seems to be flying under the radar on this forum is Luka Jovanovic. I can’t recall a striker coming through that is so technically good but also so lethal in front of goal. For me, he is the most promising striker playing in Australia right now with Archie Goodwin in second. 

I wanted to also look at touches per 90 since for the national team it tends to matter how involved the player is when not scoring goals. When maclaren doesn't score it is like playing with 10 men

Jamie Mclaren:19.8
Duke 47.1 (last a league season)
Taggart: 29.7
Juric: 32.3 (20/21 season)

 id love a specialist striker coach be appointed by the fa

I heard that the main skill strikers need and are jidged by is their ability to manage space aroubd defenders. By that criteria all of our strikers are a bit remedial and id love a specialist striker coach be appointed by the fa

yes therefore striker coaching gets right down to SAP up..
All my years with my boys from that level on (> YL) has had no training or even shooting practice or attacking crossed balls.
All too late introducing this for NT level.

Because he was never even given one chance, we'll never know.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Porta

"He is a two-time golden boot winner, having won the award whilst at River Plate and most recently at Nacional in Uruguay's Primera División."

To be fair, outside Aloisi and Duke, we have produced only two other strikers of world class IMO, Frank Farina and Ray Baartz ... whereas keepers we have produced plenty.... lack of strikers arguably coms down to lack of coaching knowledge  ... mids a heap arguably lead by Kwell & Cahill.and backs a plenty...

Excellent topic, as an aside, I recall being at Football forum back in the mid 80's and the whole emphases was we should move to the 'total football" style... a sorta of shift away from coaching of positions.

The post has made me think, and across my entire Football experience, I understand were keepers, backs, mids etc should play and move off the ball, whereas in strikers its always been hang on the shoulder of the last defender.... further the back to goals striker who can hold a ball up front , play others in, is rare in Australia, Jason Cummings could do that but arguably lacked the speed that great strikers need... 

Out of left field maybe FA should appoint somebody to develop a strikers program to be introduced Australia wide... 

Your partnership with Bobby Despotovski became legendary - why did it work so well?We just complimented each other. We were very different - Bobby was very technical and came short. I played on the shoulders of defenders - we didn't get in the way of each other. We understood where each other would be running. Bobby was a true number 10. He could hit a ball with both feet, and he could turn on a dime. It was a pleasure to play with him.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/simon-hill-chats-to-damian-mori-about-his-career-in-the-nsl-and-a-league-and-his-coaching-ambitions/news-story/43a6fbdf493ba8a1a4f0fb94d23be4ff