A league clubs objecting to FA academies

[grazorblade]

Letter in code sports below

In an explosive letter, leaked to Code Sports, the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association has provided FA with a list of ways the organisation could better improve youth development outside of mimicking their highly successful academy programs.

The move means players from the new Football Australia academies will play in the NPL against the ALM academy clubs.

Putting them in direct competition and also pulling from the same pool of players.

ALM clubs have a very good system going with their academies helping to produce top-level talent like Socceroos star Nestory Irankunda – who Adelaide United collected a sizeable transfer fee for when he signed with Bayern Munich.

This year alone APL clubs have made $17 million directly from transferring academy players.

ALM clubs are not happy at the prospect of losing these players to a Football Australia-run program.

The letter, signed by APFCA chairman Gino Marra, says the FA academy is “direct competition” to the academy programs A-League’s clubs are required to run in order to maintain their license.

“This program is obviously in direct competition to the extensive and capital intensive initiatives of our members,” the letter states.

“Moreover, the FA’s academy initiative has lacked any meaningful consultation and has been conducted entirely without transparency and collaboration

“The collective spend on A-League clubs on academy initiatives is circa $12 million per year and growing.

“This does not include associated investment in infrastructure. APFCA envisages that the combined operational and capex spend will continue to increase exponentially as clubs concentrate on generating revenues from international transfers.

“Our understanding is that Football Australia has launched a pilot program without identifying any rationale or compelling objective.”

The pilot academy, announced by FA in September, is run in conjunction with Football South Australia, Football Tasmania, Football Victoria and Football West.

Football Queensland and New South Wales were not included.

Information on member body websites shows that each

Victorian Academy players will compete in the Junior Boys NPL competition as Football Victoria- Football Australia, in the U14-16 age groups.

This will line the Victorian Academy side up against Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory and Western United’s squads.

The APFCA labelled the FA academy as a waste of resources and unnecessary.

“The football development eco system is complex and requires Football Australia, Member Feds, APFCA members and NPL academies to work together,” the letter read.

“The unilateral and draconian approach taken by FA on this matter creates a lack of transparency and destabilising effect that has already been detrimental to the game.”

The APFCA instead called for the academy to be cancelled or frozen, audit the football ecosystem, review the Skill Acquisition Program, identify roles of private academies at all levels and conduct a review ahead of the 2026 season.

A Football Australia spokesman said the program would be reviewed.

“Football Australia values constructive dialogue and is committed to fostering an open and collaborative environment with our stakeholders,” the spokesman said.

“We are currently undertaking a Football Australia Academy pilot program, and upon its completion, we will conduct a thorough review to assess its impact and effectiveness.

“This process reflects our dedication to continuous improvement and meaningful engagement as we work together to support the growth of football in Australia.”

 

[Pasquali]

Probably a bad idea to have academy competing with the clubs. Perhaps a intense off season academy of the best players would be more suitable

 

[HappyGuus]

"ALM clubs have a very good system going with their academies helping to produce top-level talent like Socceroos star Nestory Irankunda – who Adelaide United collected a sizeable transfer fee for when he signed with Bayern Munich."

Can we credit them (Adelaide) with developing him? It was Croatia Raiders no?

Yeah I didn't think the Reds had an academy, just a youth team. The Reds have definitely helped him in later years, but not in any academy. Three years at Raiders, four at the Reds.

 

[HappyGuus]

On one hand I just want everything uniform and organised, all federations run the same way and the same rules regarding academies etc.
On the other hand, different paths and varied football educations are the spice of football life. You don't want a production line of the same robots.

 

[Lupi]

On one hand I just want everything uniform and organised, all federations run the same way and the same rules regarding academies etc.
On the other hand, different paths and varied football educations are the spice of football life. You don't want a production line of the same robots.

or the same duds as has been the case for the past 10-15 years

 

[grazorblade]

Probably a bad idea to have academy competing with the clubs. Perhaps a intense off season academy of the best players would be more suitable

for those who remember - what was the AIS model (including state AIS) and how does it differ from this?

 

[nm.apia21]

A-League really needs the Y-League again

 

[erogenouszone]

* FFA closes AIS.
* FFA divests itself of A League.
* APL spunks hedge fund money.
* APL gives out peanuts in TV distributions.
* APL goes in hard on academy/youth/transfer model to generate revenue.
* APL makes a bit off it.
* F(F)A doesn't like that.
* F(F)A reboots its own "academy" to get in on the action.
* APL annoyed because well why not.

Does that some this up?

 

[grazorblade]

* FFA closes AIS.
* FFA divests itself of A League.
* APL spunks hedge fund money.
* APL gives out peanuts in TV distributions.
* APL goes in hard on academy/youth/transfer model to generate revenue.
* APL makes a bit off it.
* F(F)A doesn't like that.
* F(F)A reboots its own "academy" to get in on the action.
* APL annoyed because well why not.

Does that some this up?

did the fa close the ais? Wasnt the funding cut to oblivion after 2 failed olympics campaigns?

 

[grazorblade]

Ome interesting factoid, the club acadrmies spend 16 mil a year on all a league academies combined
The ais at its peak budget over a decade ago was 15mil

Still havent caught up in terms of pure dollar value

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

A-League really needs the Y-League again

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Ome interesting factoid, the club acadrmies spend 16 mil a year on all a league academies combined
The ais at its peak budget over a decade ago was 15mil

Still havent caught up in terms of pure dollar value

milking parents to pay for the first team???? Shameful

 

[Barca4life]

Why does Aus football do it the hardest to make people work against one another? If FA feel this is the best way they could do it at least consult first rather trail the idea first.

The eco system is messy at it is anyway the last thing the game needs is more confusion especially in player development where it needs to be clear as possible.

And people like Muz were having a go at me lol, well this is why because it can have an effect at the top end like the Socceroos.

By the way what happened to the technical plan the FA were going to release? Clarity is needed for ideas like this.

 

[grazorblade]

Aussie scout approves of the fas plan


The nst will hopefully also bust the monopoly too

 

[grazorblade]

A league scout's tweet thread is worth repeating here for an interesting and alternative view

We should be suspicious whenever an organisation is afraid of meaningful competition. If clubs are worried about losing their best players, they should be improving their academy in every respect to make sure this does not happen. This goes for both A-L and NPL clubs.
In my view, the FA academy programs are positive in every way. In WA and Victoria, they provide another elite development pathway for players outside A-League clubs, while in SA and Tasmania, they provide extra training for elite players. I'm unsure of the downsides of this.
Having another 'elite academy' is invaluable - including to the A-L academies. It creates another 2-3 elite matches every season where players will face players of similar ability. Too often A-L academies produce players in key positions (CB, 6) not used to playing tough games.
In Victoria and WA, it also provides another pool of ~20 players annually who have come through an elite development system who A-L clubs will be able to freely sign when they leave the FA academy at 15-16. This is an open goal for A-League clubs.
Personally, I don't really agree with the claim that A-L academies have been highly successful. They are certainly improving, and some have been better than others (Sydney, Melb City, FSA/Adelaide, WSW in the past).
But there have only been two players to have played at an A-League academy (Circati, Volpato) who have started a game in a top 5 league, and one of these players (Volpato) was released by two A-L academies. This doesn't represent the output of a highly successful academy system.
This is not to say that A-League academies are bad or are not doing a good job. Many are doing a good job - many could also do better. The FA academy program doesn't seek to undercut A-League academies but instead seeks to complement them - which is a good thing.
If this means that sometimes the A-L academies will compete with the FA academies - this is a good thing. Competition drives improvement. There's too little competition in Australian football. It also will deliver the A-L academies plenty of accessible talent aged 15-16.
There are many other upsides to this program. In SA, 7 regional development centres will be created - addressing the longstanding problem that very few Australians from regional areas are making it to professional football.
The extra elite training for non-FSA club players in SA are also addresses the fact that there is currently only 15-20 elite development spots in each age group in South Australia from 12-16. SA produces an outsized amount of talent but more elite opportunity is needed.
Another upside is the additional coaching opportunity. The program will employ dozens of talented Australian coaches and provide them access to elite development. This is a positive thing.

 

[HappyGuus]

It's actually surreal how much talent comes out of SA from just 15-20 available spots and a smaller population.

 

[theFOOTBALLlover]

* FFA closes AIS.
* FFA divests itself of A League.
* APL spunks hedge fund money.
* APL gives out peanuts in TV distributions.
* APL goes in hard on academy/youth/transfer model to generate revenue.
* APL makes a bit off it.
* F(F)A doesn't like that.
* F(F)A reboots its own "academy" to get in on the action.
* APL annoyed because well why not.

Does that some this up?

Don't forget the fact that the A League clubs want to keep a closed shop on top tier football in Australia and also don't want any competition in the youth space.

 

[Beretta]

A-League really needs the Y-League again

Yep. They can fuck off out of the NPL.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Aussie scout approves of the fas plan


The nst will hopefully also bust the monopoly too

Sorry is this somebody/something who's opinion matters somehow?

 

[Sutherlandbear]

did the fa close the ais? Wasnt the funding cut to oblivion after 2 failed olympics campaigns?

The government not run /own the AIS ?