John Mitchell: A Canberra visionary?

John Mitchell is the new Technical Director of ANU.

He was also the guy that wrote the Mitchell Report in 2004 which basically laid the foundations for Small Sided Games across Canberra, indeed the FFA followed, copied many of his ideas some years later.


The reason Canberra is so far ahead in the adoption of SSG's is because of John's work some years ago, and it was interesting to hear at a recent FFA Coaching Course Canberra being held up time and time again by the likes of Craig Foster and many others, as the leading light in junior football.

And John is leading the way again to change a culture.

He's taken a job at the ANU, a team renowned for it's own friendly but less than competitive style in the Men's Premier League.

John has seen the future. An A-League team in town could bring a Youth team in as early as August 2009. Just eight months away.

And any guy wanting to get in to that team from Canberra...well how will we get 10 locals in that team?

Our ACTAS boys are generally too young yet to go to the team en masse, and any guys playing ACT Premier League football probably have had their fitness levels seriously reduced.....most would agree I'm sure.

John, I believe, is bringing some former-ACTAS boys to ANU, increasing training levels and introducing a gym program to match the aspirations and needs of players aiming to jump into a Canberra A-League Youth side or indeed trial, successfully for a place in another A-League Youth side.

Indeed ANU started training last week, they normally start in Feb!

Ned Zelic believes Canberra should have MANY more professionals coming through each year, and if you don't get to the AIS it should not be the end of your career, not any more. Watch out for news from Ned's vision and support for Canberra players coming soon.

Mixing John Mitchell's elite football vision and ANU culture will be no easy task.

But John has laid a vision, a vital vision for our young players. A pathway is now created.

Time for our leading clubs Canberra FC and Belconnen United to lift their game for young players...or do they think they are doing enough?

After all developing players to play at the local level can hardly be the goal of these passionate football clubs, I'm sure it's not, indeed I know it's not, but how do they ensure a Taylor Beaton, Nathan Denham or Ben Pagett is fit enough, and skilful enough to move to the next level.

An A-League team in Canberra is going to change many players, coaches and administrators attitudes to player development.

Some, like me, think an A-League will definitely happen, others are still unsure, Mitchell has taken the bull by the horns, and even if the A-League team comes later rather than earlier why should our players not get into other A-League Youth teams.

If they are playing ACT Premier League football, training twice a week at best, they won't will they?

They'll be so far behind a 19 year old in Sydney or Melbourne Youth team it would almost be embarassing to send them for a trial.

Take the ACT Rockets side recently against Sydney FC.

Sydney FC have had many Youth games recently playing against A-League players who have dropped down. Some Sydney players are now moving into the A-League team already, Antony Golec, Chris Herd to name two.

ACT Rockets players have, to my knowledge, not played another Youth team game at that standard yet.

This is not a criticism of the ACT Rockets program so please don't send emails or phone on this issue. It's merely an observation.

Any player from the ACT is falling behind in fitness and experience and therefore has much less chance of cracking an A-League Youth and obviously a Senior A-League contract.

As the year goes by those ACT players will be so much further behind their Sydney counterparts.

To further their development they need to move to the NSW Premier League. It's not an easy or cheap option is it?

We need to assist these young players now to get to the next level. With an A-League side coming to town change will happen and quickly.

Once more John Mitchell is ahead of the game. I applaud his vision.