Balance of experimentation and experience

The announcement of today's Socceroos squad for the game against Ecuador in London is significant on two fronts.

The announcement of today's Socceroos squad for the game against Ecuador in London is significant on two fronts.

Firstly, it gives this group of players the opportunity to stake a claim for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil but for me it also represents our first steps in what I believe could be the next golden era for Australian football.

My recent trip overseas and close observation of our players both here and abroad has convinced me that with a disciplined and more importantly brave approach, we can build a side that will have the capability to emulate the great deeds of teams past.

While it is true that we have less players playing in the top leagues that in the past, it is also relevant to know that we have a number who are beginning to lay a good foundation in launching their own assault on the highest levels of the game. There is a number of young Australians who are establishing themselves at different levels of European football while in Australia the Hyundai A-League is improving all the time and giving others a great launching pad to build a career.