sport news How junior fees higher than $2500 are blocking Socceroos and almost cost them ... trends now
The Socceroos are inspiring a new generation of junior footballers and the Matildas are set to do the same in 2023 with a home World Cup - but will parents be able to afford to fund the journey of our next national superstar?
The David versus Goliath accomplishments of the Socceroos at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar have been well documented and a pathway to the top from the domestic A-League is now clear to see.
When Melbourne City striker Mathew Leckie hammered home the winner against Denmark, it proved that any Aussie kid could do the same on the world's biggest stage.
Leckie celebrates his goal against Denmark that ultimately secured Australia to its second knockout stage of a World Cup
And with Sam Kerr and the Matildas set to take centre stage when Australia and New Zealand host the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2023, there is likely to be even more juniors entering the football ranks.
But parents are going to struggle to help their children's dreams come true because of the eye-watering fees associated with junior football in Australia - fees that almost saw Socceroos teenage sensation Garang Kuol quit the sport.
While other like the NRL and AFL trickle money down from the top grades to grassroots level, the A-League broadcast deal means there is little to hand back to the junior levels.
Thomas Deng of the Socceroos thanks fans following an international friendly match between the New Zealand All Whites and Australia Socceroos
In powerhouse nations the big clubs can pick and choose young players they identify with potential and fund them from juniors all the way to the top.
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold called for an in-depth review of Australia’s soccer pathways this week.
He revealed his struggles when looking for the next crop of players to replace the likes of retired stars Tim Cahill, Mile Jedinak, Mark Milligan and Robbie Kruse.
'When I started looking, there was nothing coming through,' he said.
Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has called for a review into junior development in Australian football
In Australia, places in training programs set up by A-League clubs require the parents to pay. Often it is the parent with the deepest pocket, not the kid with the most ability that emerges the winner.
At the higher end, Sydney FC runs the Sydney FC Academy that presents 'opportunities for selected talented players to train under the Sydney FC Youth philosophy' and players have to be selected to take part.
However, with a $1500 price tag to participate, many talented young players can slip through the cracks because families simply cannot afford it.
The real issues for the Socceroos moving forward come at the National Premier League [NPL] level, the second tier competition under the A-League where the brightest teenagers are picked to develop their game.
The NPL Youth competition has eye-watering fees that average around $2500 a season, some clubs charge slightly less, some charge more.
They are fees that many families can't afford and almost meant that Socceroos star Garang Kuol - who has also signed for Newcastle in the English Premier League - was lost to the sport.
Goulburn Valley Suns coach Craig Carley was the man the developed both Garang and his brother Alou, who signed with German club VfB
