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Saturday 14 September 2013

Nearpost Radio celebrates hosts rise, not once, but thrice!

When Simon Hill, from Fox Sports, launched the Nearpost Radio at 2XX most Canberrans knew that the Canberra community needed a football show. For many reasons.

But it has been great to see a new breed of wannabee football journos taking their first steps on the Nearpost and going onto bigger and better things.

I gained employment albeit briefly at the Canberra Times, covering the Socceroos Asian Cup adventure in Thailand in 2007.

Russ Gibbs used the airwaves to great advantage and to give him a foot in the door to his first love, football. Soon after hosting the Nearpost and calling Canberra United games Russ was appointed Capital Football media officer. He's also has had stints on SBS covering the Futsal Nationals.

And now Lucy Zelic, who having entertained us with her knowledge, insights and laughter at the Nearpost, has scored a wonderful opportunity as part of the new SBS football team. With SBS showing A-League games live every Friday for the first time this season what a fantastic time for Lucy to join the team. Good luck Lucy.

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Sunday 8 September 2013

Brazil gave Australia a gift - so lets use it. It's all about the future, Asia Cup 2015 and beyond.

Australian football fans have long known our 2006 generation have been on the wane since, well, Italy defeated us 1-0 in the 2006 World Cup.

 But somehow they managed to get us through to the 2010 World Cup under Pim Verbeek and we got found out with an absolute pasting against Germany.

Then our new coach Holger provided us some hope with a much improved and more mobile 2011 Asian Cup, only to see us lose narrowly to Japan.

And again our remaining players from 2006 managed somehow with a little help from a few of the younger brigade to get us to Brazil 2014.

Three World Cups in a row, and this last one is a gift.

So lets use it.

Football in Australia will continue to grow, particularly when we get to a World Cup. No matter how poor our team.

So wise men and women would say that we've got to the 2014 so let's use it to ensure we get to the next one, with a younger team, in better shape.

We should salute the Coach, both Pim and Holger, and of course the Aussie players who got us to three World Cups. Brilliant. Thanks, it's added so much to our history, our profile at home and abroad and of course our bottom line.

We all know our defence is old and porous against the best teams, our current midfield needs work and our forward line is interesting but not of Champions League quality yet.

So Brazil beat us 6-0. Hands up who was surprised?

No-one because we know our players are not of a Champions League or Brazilian standard.

Certainly not in the numbers we require them to be.  Not yet.

So let's not kid ourselves anymore.

We stumbled through the last World Cup Finals, lets do it this time with the future of Australian football on display.

Sell the message we are rebuilding and and lets do it.

Big Sas must go, Marco Bresciano also.  Mile Jedinak is simply not good enough to take us forward - central defender maybe but he's not a modern midfielder. His touch!And it won't improve scrapping around at the bottom of the EPL will it.

Mark Schwarzer's decision to play less is a sign of his age. Would he have been prepared to do this ten years ago? Time to move him on.

Out with Archie Thompson as well.

The focus has to be on the Asian Cup, on home soil, and the World Cup 2018 qualifiers after that.

There can be no room for sentiment. Tim Cahill at 34 is too old and too slow to really give us hope for the future. Lucas Neill shouldn't be allowed to continue should he?

Should any player over 30 be on the plane to Rio? Really?

Last night proved that even the remaining old brigade can't save our face at next years World Cup, so why not embrace our opportunities and build for 2015 Asian Cup and beyond.

 Let's get on with and enjoy the World Cup and set our stall out accordingly.

 If Holger won't do it - move him on. No ifs, no buts. Lets not waste anymore games.

We have a wonderful opportunity to mould and develop our team, from now to the World Cup.

I'd rather take a few pastings at the World Cup with a younger side then a few pastings with the current squad.


We've been handed a gift with this squad enabling us to get to Brazil.

Let's use it!

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