Those that ran the NSL and Soccer Australia didn't care about the game in the end. They sent it broke! Where were these "thousands" when crowds were pitiful. Sure South Melbourne were decent in size but most of the rest were park clubs in terms of their following. I'm sure Hellas supporters if South were in the A-League wouldn't care about other ethnic-based clubs like Marconi, Syd. Olympic, Melb. Knights and Preston Makedonia not being in it
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S.A. actually tried to create an "A-league" under the NSL banner to arrest the decline by bringing in non-ethnic clubs like Perth Glory, Adelaide Utd and Northern Spirit but to no avail as the original clubs would've change with the times. Self-interest and bickering amongst individuals back then and the existing NSL clubs killed off the comp. We also repeatedly failed to qualify for the World Cup even when playing against the likes of NZ, Israel, Scotland and Iran. The sport was on its knees. There needed to be change at the time. Hence the Crawford report.
One golden generation that didn't qualify under the NSL banner and only got one step past the group stage just once does not make a quality youth program. Players who are now 30 y.o. would've been up to 14 y.o. developing their fundamental skills in the final decade of the old NSL. They didn't follow that golden generation in terms of quality and quantity despite being under the same umbrella. We have a youth league now connected to the A-League clubs. That's not the issue. The youth issue is more complicated now days. Kids have far more choice. Whereas those from past generations would risk it all going to Europe to try and make their name in the best competitions (see Kewell & Cahill), nowdays young players can take the soft route and head off to the Middle East, China or even India and make plenty of money playing in lower standard leagues which hinder their overall development. Ethnics these days are also Asian, middle eastern and African. The heritage pull of Europe isn't there for them as it once was for sons of Euro migrants in the 70s/80s. Times have changed.
The problem with the game at the moment is within the FFA hierarchy. It's too Sydney-centric and so they based the sport's success or failure purely on the Wanderers successful entry in the A-League as well as the recent form of Sydney FC. They took it for granted and dropped the ball elsewhere in Australia and stopped promoting the HAL just as the BBL and a resurrected NBL has taken off in summer in recent years. The sniping and treatment of Ange because he was Melburnian was a disgrace; followed by stuffing up the Matildas' world cup chances by removing the coach just prior to it.
As the old saying goes, there's no need to look for (anti-ethnic) conspiracy theories when the incompetence is for all to see at the top of the admin of the sport. Thankfully the admin of the A-League is being separated from the FFA but that doesn't mean there doesn't still need to be change at the top of the FFA.
