A-League - more players to leave? We're going forwards right?

More quality Aussies coming through than ever before, right?

We're all agreed and there seems no co-incidence that the increased focus on young player technical skills, an increase in the length of the A-League season over the last five years, add in the ACL games and of course the numerous young Aussies playing more competitive national games in Asia and....

voila we have more players pushing hard to improve.

How many are left in Australia? How many will be left in Australia at the rate we're going.

Seems the shorter A-League season will guarantee one thing:

More players will leave for Asia and Europe.

What young players can afford to stay in Australia when the season ends in Jan or maybe March if you get to the final?

Given the lack of professionalism in the A-League now, how many teams have two sessions with a ball during the MASSIVE off-season, players must leave to develop.

Mark Bridge, Stuart Musialik, A-League Champs two years ago with the Jets - they've never improved have they?

Not enough ballwork? Not enough of a challenge? They are in that post-20 age where players need to leave to improve - and leave quick.

Matt Leckie, Mitch Langarek, James Holland, Tommy Oar all left and may or may not improve - sadly they couldn't have improved if they'd stayed here. Not with the reduction in games, match pressure.

To Asia, To Europe - wherever they can get a game.

Sad but true - what professional player desperate to improve can afford to stay at a club that isn't in the Asian Champions League during the off-season.

Have we reached the bottom, or is their more to come?