AIS: When did Australia last create a player with flair?

No AIS creative player since Zelic!!!

Aussie media have been whinging for months about the Socceroos style of play...and I'm from the school that it's not all about the Coach.

If you don't have the tools it's hard to paint a picture.

But, until recently, our so-called best of the best came through the AIS, and therefore it's worth noting who is our most creative player to come through such an organisation...and indeed are we creating enough?

I'm no expert on AIS history but I do know that the Socceroos 2006 side contained many wonderful AIS products.

Lucas Neill, Mark Viduka, Brett Emerton, Vinny Grella to name a few.

But when did we produce a midfield player or wide player with real top class flair?

And I can't remember one, not since Ned Zelic!!

A forward player who can get you out of your seat, a midfielder with an eye for a pass in the final third.

Go on. Name one!

Harry Kewell didn't go to the AIS. Nicky Carle didn't and if he did he has hardly reached the top anyway. Marco Bresciano...hmmn not really, not consistently, Brett Holman, the list isn't great is it?

So who?

All those years of training on the cold winter fields of Canberra since Zelic left and what do we have to show. Nicky Rizzo threatened early, Kaz Patafta promised...but now no-one will even play him, not even in the worst A-League team!

So while the AIS produces wonderful defenders, and defensive midfielders, where is the organisation that creates that something extra. A forward or midfielder with flair.

Does the AIS knock it out of them? Or does the AIS just refuse to select them. Too small, too skilful, too many touches? I have no answer.

Will the A-League Youth Structure enable more "eccentricity" in our play. More Ronaldo's. Do our Coaches encourage step-overs, hogging the ball?

Did Ronaldo get where he is by passing the ball in his younger years?

For now we've stuck with what we have, and creativity, and flair aren't there.

Robbie Kruse, Mitch Nicholls, Nathan Burns show or in Kruse's case showed potential. Nikita Rukavystya, Bruce Djite have also caught the eye and may go on to better things. Is James Troisi top notch? Doesn't feel like it to me.

Michael Zullo, Taj Minnicon, great for the A-League but they aren't Ryan Giggs are they.

We need 10 Patafta's strutting their stuff, maybe another 10 Nathan Burns and from that group we may get a Riquelme, or Giggs, or Ribery, or even one day a Ronaldo.

For now I'd settle for another young Kewell, Zelic or Viduka.

We need to plunder our best athletes. The AFL boys. If we can nick another from Melbourne, another Viduka or even a Kennedy this may be our best chance. They'll have the athletism but the skill factor is something else. Something you can't teach I guess.

Is the AIS just a conservative player production mill? Good enough, but not nearly exciting enough, not risky enough.

Can you think of a player with flare we've produced? One who gets you out of your seat, one who can thread that pass, Nakumura style, or who can dribble away like a young Ryan Giggs?

And is there even a threat of one on the horizon?

The Dutch in recent years have produced a Van Persie, a Robben so there is hope. And of course Cruyff, Van Basten and the rest before them.

They are a small nation with I daresay a similar player base to us, but they have produced many many quality players.

Maybe we'll be saved by the Dutch...maybe?

But how long before we should expect the products to start to shine...with an oranje glow?

I'm impatient.