NPL win raises pressure on FFA
HEIDELBERG United believes its imposing FFA Cup win over Perth Glory is a perfect example of why Australian football needs a national second tier.
Its coach George Katsakis just hopes his players aren’t poached by A-League clubs in the meantime.
Tuesday night’s roundof-32 dismantling of a belowpar Glory wasn’t the first time a state-level side has knocked A-League opposition out of the tournament. But the manner of the Victorian NPL leaders’ 1-0 triumph stood apart from the previous three occasions on which teams have achieved the feat.
Among the semi-professional stars was scorer Kenny Athiu, the Sudaneseborn warehouse technician whose powerful finish past Liam Reddy lifted his season tally to 25 in all competitions.
Equally eye-catching was Athiu’s provider Sean Ellis, a Scottish painter with a sweet touch, along with rock-solid defenders Luke Byles and Steven Pace. “We’re finding the gap between the A-League and the NPL is narrowing, there’s been a lot of talk about that,” Katsakis said.
“We talk about a second tier, and I think some of these boys are fairly appropriate for forming part of those teams.
“Out there tonight it was, ‘who was the A-League team?’ ... we looked equally on par.” The newly formed Association of Australian Football Clubs, a lobby group of more than 100 NPL outfits, is pressuring Football Federation Australia to establish a second tier.
FFA sees it as implausible given the game’s financial state, while the players’ union believes the plan has merits, but warns it would need to be fully professional to work.
Heidelberg midfielder Adrian Zahra, who got one over his former club Glory, said there was plenty of NPL talent waiting to be given a chance.
“There’s not much of a gap there so as long as the NPL keeps going, and FFA come to terms with the fact that they need to make a second division,” Zahra said.
Defending champions Melbourne City, Western Sydney and APIA Leichhardt also progressed to the round of 16 on Tuesday. Adelaide City 1-0 Western Sydney Wanderers (2014) Green Gully 2-1 Central Coast Mariners (2016) Redlands United 2-1 Adelaide United (2016) Heidelberg United 1-0 Perth Glory (2017)