OPINION: Are Victoria’s Croatian soccer clubs losing too many Croatian players? (Part 1)

In this two part series, the Vjesnik’s TONĆI PRUSAC examines why the Victorian Croatian soccer community needs another Croatian community backed club to fill the ever-expanding gap between the higher competitive (elite) level and the lower social (recreational) level….

Maybe it’s time we started asking an uncomfortable question about the Croatian football scene in Victoria.

Are Victoria’s Croatian soccer clubs losing too many (Croatian) players?

Are we losing too many players – not because they don’t love football. Or simply are not good enough. But, rather, because we don’t have another, alternative Croatian community backed club for them to go to?

Female football is still in the development/expansion phase and by all accounts there is more than enough room/spaces to accommodate them. At least in a social, recreation level.

Hence, we’ll look at this discussion – more or less – purely from a male footballers’ perspective.

Think about the 15 or 16-year-old Australian Croatian boy who has spent years playing at one of the Croatian NPL/VPL clubs. Be it the Knights, Dinamo, Dandy City or North Geelong…

He loves the game, his parents are an active part of the club, the family knows – and is part of – the Croatian community. But then comes the dreaded assessment, at some stage in the Boys’ NPL Youth pathway level.

He isn’t quite good enough for the club’s NPL junior pathway.

For some of the ‘rejects’, they find another club. For others, they simply stop playing.

In many cases, either way, they may become lost to the (Croatian) football community.

Additionally, sometimes, the way a young player and his family are made to feel – or are treated – when they are no longer considered “good enough” can leave a lasting impression on the kid.

The family moves on, sometimes reluctantly and sometimes on bad terms.

And when they leave, we may not just lose a footballer. We can lose an entire Croatian family from that (Croatian) community club.

The same applies at the other end of the age spectrum.

There are plenty of Australian-Croatian male footballers in their late 20s and 30s who still love competitive football. However, they no longer have the time, fitness or desire to play NPL, VPL or even the higher State League competitions.

They haven’t stopped loving football.

They’ve simply outgrown the demands of the higher levels. Hence, they might end up playing with another State 6 or State 7 club instead.

As was clear at the weekend’s Australian Croatian Soccer Tournament, the Melbourne Croatian football community already has an abundant network of social/recreational footballing opportunities.

From St Albans Vukovar, Gospić Bears, NK Bunker, Torcida Melbourne, Wednesday Knights to the various veterans’ teams at Melbourne Knights and Gospić, there are plenty of (social) options.

At the top end, we now have three clubs at the elite state (NPL Victoria) level: St Albans Dinamo, Dandenong City and the newly promoted Melbourne Knights.

Beneath that, we have North Geelong Warriors in the VPL1 division immediately below the NPL competition.

A further two rungs below in State League1, as of next year we’ll have the newly promoted FC Strathmore Split.

But what about at that intermediate – neither elite, nor social/recreational – level?

Once upon a time, we had precisely that type of club.

HNK Melbourne Tornado Zadar Soccer Club was a lower ranked State League club which only consisted of a seniors’ and reserves’ team. It was formed in 2000 and withdrew from the State League 5 competition in 2014.

During its short lifespan, it developed a cult following and achieved numerous on field successes.

HNK Zadar withdrew from the State Leagues because it wasn’t able to attract enough younger players to cover the retirement of its older custodians.

More than a decade later, Victoria needs another Croatian community backed club.

A new one, that will once more fill that gap between the higher competitive level and the lower recreational level.

COMING UP IN PART 2 TOMORROW: THE SOLUTION MIGHT NOT LIE IN THE OBVIOUS LOCATION…

See related article: Melbourne Knights seal VPL Championship and NPL Promotion