March 2, 2008...12:10 am
Youth In The A-League: Part 2C – Brand New Jets
Perth Glory
Finally, we get to the clubs where praise can be handed out. Although Perth had a horror season, at least their youth got plenty of exposure to first team football and the spread is also much better than clubs below Perth. In fact, they comfortable beat the clubs below them even in terms of absolute playing time of youth players even though they did not make the finals.
Four players managed to top a thousand minutes while Velaphi and Simpson also contributed significantly. I really hope that the club benefits next year from its youth policy and I hope that the policy continues. Their youth have already been rewarded for their time on the park with Rukavytsya being a late season revelation, Downey providing ammunition for the likes of Harnwell, Velaphi becoming the Olyroos’ number one and Topor-Stanley being the bolter in the Socceroos’s squad against Qatar and winning the club’s Player of the Year award. Congratulations to the clubs and its youngsters for what they have achieved and long may it continue.
Ability to introduce new faces: Only James Downey to mention and he had a productive season on Perth’s ring flank – 5/10.
Ability to continue the development of youngsters: Excellent. Topor-Stanley and Rukavytsya were the standouts while Tyler Simpson significantly increased his playing time. Velaphi will now be the Olyroos’ number one while Celeski also contributed significantly – 8/10.
Newcastle Jets
Standing heads and shoulders above the rest are the Super New Jets with over nine thousand minutes clocked up by its youngsters. They came second in the league, they are this year’s champions and they have qualified for the Asian Cup. Out the window goes any argument that the club needs to play with experienced players in order to achieve results as this club completely dispels such notions. A club can contribute to youth development, play the best football in the league and also be the most successful club in the league.
I put much of the success of the club down to the management and footballing philosophy of Van Egmond. The club will be lucky to hold onto him. I will write a fuller article on him later as he is clearly the coach of the year.
On the pitch, the form of their young players has been a key factor in their championship run. Although Bridge struggled in front of goal this year, he grabbed the most important goal of the year with a sensational finish in the grand final. If he is moving to Sydney, I think he will miss the ball being played to his feet. It was Tarek Elrich’s goal that sent them through in the semi-finals against Queensland, it was Stuart Musialik’s crisp passing game that much of their play is built around and Adam D’Apuzzo has been a first team regular in the Jets defence. All four youngsters started in the grand final and the Jets will be lucky to keep them in the Squadron.
Ability to introduce new faces: Only Jason Hoffman was introduced this season – 4/10.
Ability to continue the development of youngsters: Fantastic. Everyone stepped up. Musialik and Bridge were already established but the likes of D’Apuzzo and Elrich really announced themselves while Wheelhouse and Hearfield also contributed significantly – 9/10.
If Craig Foster caused some aggravation by his ranking of the teams by the football they play, I hope to do the same. This league will be a feeder league to the leagues to Europe and like the South American and Dutch leagues, it is the obligation of every manager to sustain the lifeblood of this league, the youth, so that they can improve the quality of this league. Queensland, Adelaide and the Central Coast are contributing but could be doing more.
High praise should be given the Perth and Newcastle, particularly Newcastle who have shown that a club can be successful while also ensuring the future of Australian football.
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