By Oliver Walker-Peel (@olliewalkerpeel)
A report released by the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) today found the A-League Men’s competition to provide the most opportunities to U21 players across the AFC.
Across last season, Australia’s top tier ranked seventh worldwide in the percentage of minutes played by U21 players with 11.1%, more than all of the top five leagues.
45 percent of players contracted in the league at the start of the season were under the age of 23, detailing the league as a breeding ground for young talent.
“Since the pandemic has impacted Australian football, the average age of players in the A-League Men has dropped significantly,” the report stated.
“The A-League Men leads all AFC domestic competitions for fielding players aged 21 or under and eighth on a list of 60 leagues around the world: 11.1% of minutes in 257 matches were recorded by players who had not yet celebrated their 21st birthday.”
This has reflected also in the average age of contracted A-League Men’s players stagnating at around 25, dropping from a high of 27.6 in 2019-20.
The likes of Nestory Irankunda, Max Caputo, Alexander Badolato, and Steven Hall all made league appearances before celebrating their 17th birthday in 2021-22, with Irankunda 15 years old when making his debut.
Kathryn Gill and Beau Busch, the co-executives of the PFA, were satisfied with the chances given to younger players in the term just gone, hoping that the following campaigns can do likewise.
This was used as one pillar of positivity to commend the league for its effort to work through the COVID-19 pandemic, with the last three seasons affected by the virus.
As the league looks to move past lockdowns, the development and sale of players made in the league could present an avenue for it to progress as a whole.
“The emergence of players such as Kye Rowles, Jordan Bos, Bernardo Oliveira, Kusini Yengi and Nestory Irankunda highlight that our collective challenge is to now turn opportunity into sustained development of these players on and off the pitch,” a statement from the co-executives read.
“Ensuring the survival of the professional game has required immense sacrifice from players, coaches and staff, with this generation being owed a debt that can only be adequately repaid by ensuring that the professional game transitions from surviving to thriving.
“The past three seasons have required immense courage and it is truly an honour to work on behalf of players so committed to both the profession and the game.”
The platform has allowed multiple A-Leagues clubs to turn a profit on their assets, with ex-Mariners defender Lewis Miller, St. Pauli sensation Connor Metcalfe, and Socceroos full-back Kye Rowles among those to leave Australia’s top flight.
These moves have contributed to an overall A-League Men’s intake of $3.4 million in terms of transfers, the highest total since 2018.
Rowles and Miller helped contribute to the 47.1% of minutes played by club-trained players last campaign, with Central Coast ranking 17th in that metric worldwide, and best in the AFC.
The 2022-23 A-League Men’s season will kick off on October 7 with a Grand Final rematch, with Melbourne City looking to exact on Western United.
Featured Image: Sarah Reed/Getty Images
