A topic sometimes discussed on this site .... sometimes about the Nix's themselves ie play ugly for results or play with style...
According to Hans Berger Football in Australia needs to Modernise or perish very strong words.. two links first the article and second a link to the new Australian ... National Football Curriculum
The article http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1167905/Modernise-or-perish,-warns-Berger
National Football Curriculum http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/nationalcurriculum
Australian football needs to adopt a modern possession game at all levels if it is to compete with the world's big guns, national technical director Han Berger warned.
Berger was speaking at Football Federation Australia headquarters after he released the second edition of the football curriculum that is designed to take Australia to the next level of the world game. "We need a shift in our culture and mentality and we must have a fundamental transformation to make it happen," Berger said. "Australia will only become a major football country if it adopts a modern patient approach, which in my opinion should be based on a 4-3-3 style. "This system should help us develop players consistently to make Australia competitive. "This way we won't need to rely on a golden generation like that of 2006. "The patient possession game is not in the Australian psyche but the fact of the matter is that it should be and we should look at the big picture and at the top level. "It is impossible to think that you can be regularly successful with a physical and direct playing style. "Last season Celtic beat Barcelona in the Champions League. Yes, you can beat some big team in a one-off. "In one game anything is possible. "But on a consistent basis the direct style is not the way to go. "Modern, top-level football has moved away from that and we need to follow." Berger said he was pleased to note that several A-League clubs had already adapted to the needs of the modern game but the same could not be said about the attitude in the lower levels. "To change that we have chosen a top-down approach for our top coaches and now we are trying to start a bottom-up approach based on communication with grassroots, reaching out to them," he said. "The idea is to try to convince coaches, players and parents why this makes sense. "At grassroots level I'm afraid it is generally still very much a win-at-all-cost physical mentality. "That's the big challenge we face. These things take time and don't happen overnight but I am convinced that Australia will see results from this." Australia's Socceroos are at the crossroads, having qualified for their third straight FIFA World Cup albeit with a rapidly ageing team. Berger, who will relinquish his post after the World Cup in Brazil, said that Australia as in a delicate situation in terms of its national team priorities. "The expectation level regarding the Socceroos is high," Berger siaid. "When they qualified in 2006 the whole country went crazy, in 2010 it was becoming a bit normal and now it is completely normal. "Fans expect them to qualify every time, so if the Socceroos fail to reach the finals it would be a disappointment. "But we did not do it easy this time and to me that was a signal that we have to put in a structured approach that would enable us to consistently develop a level of good players. "It is difficult situation for coaches because every coach who goes to a World Cup wants to perform as well as they can. "We are currently in a transition phase between generations and that is always very difficult. "So it is up to Holger Osieck to find the right balance and I think it is very difficult for any federation to tell a coach 'look, this is what you have to do'." So has the time come for FFA to look ahead long-term and appoint a coach who would be under no pressure or obligation to help the Socceroos qualify for a major tournament or two? "That's a philosophical discussion," Berger said. "We are already doing that with our under-age teams. "But with the national team it is much more complicated."