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Wednesday 1 June 2011

In Canberra we want:

In no particular order:

1. Blatter out.

2. Capital Football to produce a vision, a plan for our boys post-15. (It is possible to make professional ranks despite missing out on the AIS or ACTAS - just not in Canberra football.)

An A-League Youth team, inspired but not run by Capital Football.

Dollar for dollar girls v boys expenditure. For every dollar Canberra United get we should aim to match this and provide another organisation the resources to run a Youth team.

This is not an attack on Canberra United - only a fool would think that - this is a call for a plan for our boys.

Do Capital Football care - or do they just wish to keep taking all our boys money in their HPP program etc

And if we only have a pathway for girls - y o y o y o did we start with U10 BOYS development squad - completely ignoring the girls - the most important group given we've only got a girls pathway.

And finally, how many years does it take a board to come up with a plan for boys?

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

cannot agree with you more Eamonn.
My suggestion is the the Capital Football have you as an advisor.
I would like all clubs in the region to support this proposal.

You thought FIFA was bad.

They get ther advise from Capital Football.

No A league in this town this century, Im afraid.
You should have added Mr Slavich to your list he should go as well.

Eamonn said...

agreed with me?

sssh hope no-one knows who you are!

Anonymous said...

I believe the Under 10 squad is a combined squad? There were definately girls involved in the trials

Eamonn said...

Girls involved in the trial - does not make a combine squad.

We havea W League team - we should have 12 girls working at U10 - not 1 or maybe none in a boys/open squad

No brainer - girls in Canberra should be the priority

Anonymous said...

didn't you say boys should be the priority? I'm confused

Eamonn said...

come on think about it - guess we're all confused:) not least Capital Football priorities/pathways.

Why would you take U10 boys and not girls in first batch when you only have one team post 15 in a national comp.

Madness innit - of course we could get a boys team - or get a girls squad to add some consistency to what we have.

Would Man United only have girls squad at 10?

But Canberra United - only has a boys squad of 10 year olds. Get it?

Anonymous said...

anonymous is right eamonn, you should be on the capitol football board!

Or at least you should get behind someone to run who has the same idears as you! You and the local post guys should both be on there. GET US AN ALEAGUE TEAM!!!!!

when are the elections? do they even advertise them?

Anonymous said...

but CF is the pathway to ACTAS, not Canberra United (it is not an academy like professional clubs would have, this would be like saying Project 22 teams are academies for Sydney FC). This is the same for boys and girls

Eamonn said...

We all know the pathways are to ACTAS - so how many girls in the squad -50/50 or full complement of boys AND GIRLS.

Why would you start with boys? More girls will play national league from ACTAS than boys in any year group.

So only you start with the girls. Makes no sense the Cap Football strategy - everyone knows it.

and there's the whole town telling me Capital Football is only interested in promoting girls football - I tell em it's not true now I have my proof - everyone is saying the wrong thing.

Now do you work for Cap Football? Just getting that feeling:)

Anonymous said...

no, just a parent who can read the curriculum

JJ said...

I think its puzzling that at under 10s they are only selecting 12 players and then there is no under 11 squad. Why would they want only 12 kids across 2 age groups, where is the development in that? The old academy system use to have 20-25 kids each age group boys and girls and didn't cut down the numbers until the 16 were picked for nationals and the previous HPP, even though the quality wasn't so good, still gave plenty of kids from both north and southside an opportunity for development.

I really don't understand the logic with Capital Football and their current ideas on developing young talent. There were 3 Canberra boys (Steven Lustica, Kofi Danning, Jason Geria) in the Young Socceroos team that beat Germany a few days ago and you've also got others like Chris Bush who has been on past tours for this team and Tom Rogic who was part of the training camps in the lead up to the tour. 5 Canberra boys in the mix for a national squad is a great achievement. Does anyone think that Capital Football's HPP could deliver similar success for its players? I think they'll be lucky to get 1 player involved in the Young Socceroos in the future.

Anonymous said...

The last comment hits the nail on the head.
Where will our next young socceroo come from.
We have no one in the under 17 squad.
For all our 10,000 plus strong rego's we are a shambles.
That rego money pays for our inept Capital Football Office.
Have you seen the office.
Upton Park Station or its close proximaty Farmers market is better looking and more organised. As least unwanted goods are thrown out after each week...

Anonymous said...

From everything we've seen and heard FFA have no intention of giving us an NYL team any time soon. However, I don't see any reason why there still can't be an ACT Youth team that trains and plays over summer. They could play home and away friendlies against the Sydney FC, Jets and Mariners NYL teams, a couple of games against the AIS and then organise a short trip to Melbourne where they play the Victory and Heart NYL teams and all of a sudden you have 10 NYL standard games for our young players.

Anonymous said...

Come and watch the current under 10 HPP Team play before you comment. The quality is unbelievable.

The kids are trained by a great young coach and play against the best kids from other regions. These kids are the future of ACT football, get behind them and support!

Eamonn said...

No!

I've got no problem with the quality of the Coach, the program - merely training those boys (not girls) for what.

To retire at 15!

Let's give those kids a reason to train - we don't have it in boys. Have you asked yourself where those boys are aspiring to - and how they'll get there.

Two issues:

Girls need the same opportunity.

Boys don't have a pathway post ACTAS - if you miss out at 14 your career and opportunities in Canberra are ggoooonnnnee.

Hope the parents understand where these boys could go - and indeed where they will go. Retire from elite pathway at 14!

Is that the best this football community can do?

Anonymous said...

Interesting comment. These kids are 4 years to 5 years away from 15 years old. A lot can change in that time. If things do change wouldn't it be better for these kids to be ready?

I agree there should be something after 15 yo for these kids but that is no reason to give up on them now!

Eamonn said...

No-one is "giving up" on these kids.

I'd argue I'm trying to get a program and opportunity for these kids.

Yes a lot can change in five years - maybe you are new to Canberra football.

Ask yourself this.

Football is the World Game - not hard to get good pro football in any town in the World.

Canberra has nothing post-15 in 2011.

I see no chance of having anything in five years time - besides what about the kids going thru in 4, 3, 2 in 1 year or even now or last year.

The saying goes Xmas never comes - well actually it should be changed to opportunities for boys development in Canberra never comes.

No Canberran in the U17 Aussie team, not this year. So our progression of talented players is once again reduced.

We used to get four boys in!

If your kid is in the 10 year old boy group - all I'm saying is unless he's in the top 3 or 4 kids he has nothing to work for - and even then once he comes out of ACTAS at 16 - he has nothing, no way of keeping his work rate and improvement going.

Twice a week training at Belco does not improve a young player to the level required.

So sit and wait by all means and hope for change - it won't happen under this leadership.

I've talked to the CEO there is no vision for boys, no plan to get things going, never has been over 8 years - so see absolutely no interest or desire for change.

Me? I've got a daughter - I'm sorted:)

Anonymous said...

Eamonn I love your passion and although you don't see the light at the end of the tunnel, I believe football in Canberra can rise again.

I must admit that I have not followed Capital Football closely so can not comment on the past. But I must have hope that people like you and myself can make a difference in the future. I love the world game and have both sons and a daughter that share my passion.

I agree that we need a plan. As you can tell I have a son that trains and plays in the new Capital under 10 elite team. To say training the best kids in Canberra is not going improve a young player I don't agree with. The team has already played elite teams from Southern and Riverina. With the added factor of football being very poor at club level I think this program is a must.

I think to tackle the problem of “nothing after 15 yo for boys” the following questions need to be asked and answered:

- What do other regional Football areas (300k makes Canberra regional in my books) do after 15 yo both in Aus and OS?

- Canberra in the past have produced some great pro players like Ned Zelić, Josip Šimunić and Carl Valeri. Why has this not continued? Has something changed?

- Why is capital football not attracting the level of administrator with the vision and passion we need?

Anyway just my thoughts. Love your post. Keep up the great work!!!!

Eamonn said...

"To say training the best kids in Canberra is not going improve a young player I don't agree with."

I agree - and would never say that. That was never my point.

Of course these kids will improve -we agree - but for what? That's my point.

I'm not alone there is a whole chrous of people who understand football pathways way way better than me. They all say the same thing.

Point remains - we produced Zelic and Simunic and co but fact is we should be able to produce more given our player base, ability to get to training, good facilities.

Take an A-League Youth team in Canberra.

Every year a team below this team made up of 20 U17, U16 U15 would be aspiring, working their socks off to get in.

Every year four of these boys would get a gig in the Youth team.

Once in the A-League youth team - they would be spotted by other A-League teams and be able to meet and match the standard of the best young Aussies going around.

Look at the number of boys who would have something real to aim for, would be working their socks off to improve.

At the moment I feel sorry for all the U10 boys in the Development Squad. These squads are happening in Sydney and Melbourne and elsewhere.

The boys are great but the standard is rising across Australia but the problem for Canberra kids remains the same.

Where can these boys go once they miss out on ACTAS and/or are dumped from ACTAS - not to mention the late late developers as Aussie footballers are renowned for.

Parents get enthused to get their sons into Canberra football programs - but the Canberra system isn't doing anything to help them.

Anyway at least you know see the problems for elite player development in Canberra.

I'd be raising the questions loudly with the other parents now - or else you have two options - if your kid doesn't make the AIS - (one kid might from the ACT)

Pay for your kid at 16 to go and live in Sydney

Join a local Premier League Club at 16 and reduce your training to twice a week.

Other options for a 16 year old Canberran?

Anyway something to ponder - especially if your kid is obsessed with the game over the coming years.

Who would you talk to get a sense of what is going on for our boys?

Milo Milovanovic(ACTAS Coach and father of Dane), John Mitchell(ANU/Canberra A-League Youth team approach Coach), Bernie Lustica (Stephen Lustica), Tony Bush (Chris Bush, parents of Luke Pilkington (fmr Melbourne Victory) Dad, Codey Larkin (trialled at Adelaide United), the list goes on and on.

All would know the costs and opportunities for our most talented boys in Canberra over the last few years - all will tell you the opportunities in Canberra are stuffed...for boys.

Anonymous said...

Can not agree with you all more, but its not just capital football holding back players 15+.
FFA have stopped the nationals boys 15+ and now all states have now also stopped their elite programs for boys 15+ and FFA have also stopped players under 18 from leaving Australia to pursure a soccer career. So my son who is 15 has no opportunities to develop anywhere. So his only opportunity is for him to play premier league and what train 2 nights a week? I am sure Capital football could organise an elite comp for boys 15+ maybe joining the NSW Premier league. The Boomerangs can do it!

Anonymous said...

Eamonn is right - it seems from the outside looking in that CF are NOT interested in the boys, only the girls - this is why we have Canberra United pathway but nothing for the boys - and CF also pander to CanberraFC and BelconnenUtd and WodenValley (and probably all the other clubs as well) who are only interested in the local Premier League and nothing else. So parent you need to get ready to make your own way for your children unless of course they make AIS, Joeys etc. as there will never be anything locally in Canberra for boys whilst, it seems, the current CF leadership (use that term loosely) remains.

Anonymous said...

How can any of you possibly predict how many of the current Under 10s will make it to future national team? It’s absurd to make assumptions like that! There is finally an elite program starting at Under 10s who have the opportunity to play matches again the best players around the country but you all want to bag it! Has anyone actually been and seen the program? Oh let’s just give up on it because there isn’t an A-League team.

Eamonn how can you say “Twice a week training at Belco does not improve a young player to the level required.” What a stupid comment! Training with one of the best young coaches in Canberra under the guidance of a world class technical director, playing against interstate opposition won’t improve players? You are seriously kidding yourself if you think that is true

Eamonn said...

Think you are missing the point(s).

I was talking about post ACTAS, post 16 age; players training twice a week at Belco or any other Premier League Club. How will they improve compared to a A-League Youth team player training 5-10 times a week?

Impossible to improve.

And in Canberra as shown by the U10s we have the talent pool to improve players - yet post 16 we have no improvement. Full Stop.

And secondly people on here seem to be saying what are the opportunities "if" we have some strong skilled enthusiastic players coming thru under the great skill program now introduced for the 10 year old boys.

Why?

They have no pathway post 15 if they don't make the AIS.

That's the point - people on here are actually trying to support the 12 boys selected by voicing our/their concerns.

And I'd suggest most of them don't have a kid in the program.

Bigger picture - and get behind the wheel!

Anonymous said...

At ACTAS training (mens) this is the topic that is most talked about by parents. A consistently frustrating subject. Capital Football need a new CEO because the current one is not doing the job.

How does one become the CEO of Capital Football?

Anonymous said...

All parents out there in Canberra-land don't waste your money on expensive programs for your kids football unless you are very confident they are going to make ACTAS and the AIS (and how many of those are there ?) or you are going to do something additional to further them once they don't make those squads, otherwise you'll end up playing in the PL16 and PL18 competitions that contain some players that can hardly control, pass or kick, there will be no referees usually, and the grounds will be not much better than a junior league ground (in some cases worse). Sad but a true state of affairs of Canberra football !

Anonymous said...

QUOTE: "All parents out there in Canberra-land don't waste your money on expensive programs for your kids football unless you are very confident they are going to make ACTAS and the AIS (and how many of those are there ?) or you are going to do something additional to further them once they don't make those squads, otherwise you'll end up playing in the PL16 and PL18 competitions that contain some players that can hardly control, pass or kick, there will be no referees usually, and the grounds will be not much better than a junior league ground (in some cases worse). Sad but a true state of affairs of Canberra football !"

And every other state in Australia.....

Anonymous said...

All those natural advantages in the ACT going to waste - AIS facilities, easy to get players together, close to NSW/Sydney for competition, realtively affluent parent base...
And some people are happy to just brush off the problems and the missed opportunities by saying "And every other state in Australia....."