Gold Coast Knights CEO Adem Poric says NPL is failing because of too many teams

GOLD Coast Knights chief executive Adem Poric says the looming review of Australia’s National Premier Leagues competition is “well overdue” but believes nothing will be fixed in the failing Queensland system until one important change is made.

GOLD Coast Knights chief executive Adem Poric says the looming review of Australia’s National Premier Leagues competition is “well overdue” but believes a reduction in clubs is the only cure for a failing Queensland system.

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Almost seven years on from the formation of the NPL, Football Federation Australia this week announced a comprehensive analysis of the national second-tier competition would likely be completed by February 20.

A statement released by the FFA said the main aims of the review were to reflect on the outcomes achieved since the NPL’s launch in 2013, identify ways to improve the competition and clarify the role of the NPL within the national competition structure and player pathway.

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It will also consider the NPL Finals Series, the cost of NPL youth football, the structure of the NPL in each state and the Player Points System.

However, Poric is adamant the biggest issue in Queensland is the growing number of elite clubs and the drain it has put on grassroots football.

Next season’s men’s NPL Queensland will feature 14 teams – 13 of those are from the southeast corner – while 11 sides will contest the underpinning Queensland Premier League.

Gold Coast Knights chief executive Adem Poric. Picture: Jerad Williams

Poric said the quality of the NPL was suffering as a result.

“Look in Queensland, we have 25 NPL and QPL sides and we don’t even have 25 good clubs. You’ve got teams that have got SAP (Skills Acquisition Program) licenses that seven years ago no-one would even have heard of,” the 46-year-old, a former professional player in England and Australia, said.

“I don’t think (the NPL) is working. You look at the players we’re producing and is it working?

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“What do we call elite? Even what we’re producing at the Knights, is that elite when we’ve got Gold Coast United down the road, we’ve got Logan Lightning nearby in the QPL.

“We should have a top (echelon). All we’ve done is weaken the community clubs to create the NPL.

“Realistically, it should look like the old NSL. You’ve got the A-League, which is starting to come along, and I think the perfect number would be 16 (teams).

“The NPL then should be 12 teams with promotion and relegation so you can’t just sit there to collect fees.”

Poric said another flaw was the importance placed on identifying talent as early as possible.

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“There’s a lot of things that equate to why we’ve got a problem but I just find the whole trialling of nine and 10-year-olds ridiculous. And then telling him ‘no, you’re not good enough’ when he’s nine years of age, we’re destined for failure because the kids may not continue after that.

“Or if a kid doesn’t make the elite side on the Gold Coast, their parents will drive them all the way to Brisbane. It defeats the purpose.”