Nearpost Local - 29/12/09

Local show Download



The closing program is given to a lengthy "fireside chat" with John Mitchell, Coach and technical director of the ANU Premier League club, the U20 Elite program, which broke new ground in the Capital Football Premier League in the 2009 season. For the first time we saw a Premier League club take a whole of year approach to football and players, much like the AIS. John and ANU lifted the bar considerably and good thing they did if we are to see a significant improvement in the standard of Premier League football in 2010 and beyond. In fairness, Capital Football gave them the thumbs up to proceed. The ANU program is aimed at giving talented players under the age of 20 years, who have missed ACTAS and AIS, a chance to pursue serious football. So should every other Premier League club and the question remains as we close the year - what will Capital Football do to address this "tragic vacant space" (to quote John in an earlier interview) in our football development process? Perhaps this is the way? The new HP program has left it a vacant space (excluding the Summer 20s comp - club based anyway) and it looks like staying that way. For all the other PL clubs - if you want to keep your best - do as well or better than the ANU program. Who could argue with that?
In this discussion, much of which has not been broadcast before, John ranges across several football topics pertinent to the ACT and region. Its very interesting and he leaves you in no doubt about how he sees things. We need more of this.