Garang Kuol’s former coach calls for change to ‘broken’ NPL system with ‘expensive’ fees

The grassroots coach of Australia’s most exciting football prospect has labelled the NPL system as “broken” revealing how the Kuol brothers could have been “lost” from the game.

The coach of Garang Kuol’s grassroots club has labelled the NPL system as “broken” revealing the exciting talent could have been “lost” from the game completely due to the “expensive” fees.

Goulburn Valley Suns coach Craig Carley nurtured the Kuol brothers and their love of the round ball game since they arrived in the Shepparton area as refugees in 2010.

The incredible skill of the two brothers Garang and Alou Kuol were snapped up by A-League club Central Coast Mariners in recent years with the pair impressing to the point where they attracted big offers from overseas clubs.

While Garang, 18, is still playing with the Mariners approaching his 14th game, he recently signed with one of the richest football clubs in the world in Newcastle who he will join in the English Premier League next year.

Aussie Garang Kuol has signed for Newcastle

Alou Kuol celebrating his goal for the Mariners against Newcastle Jets in 2020. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)

His older brother Alou, 21, was picked up by German club VfB Stuttgart II in 2021 after 33 games with the Mariners.

Before the brothers began their professional careers, they had to prove their worth playing for the Goulburn Valley Suns in the NPL, Australia’s national second tier competition which underpins the A-League and Westfield W-League playing.

Ahead of Garang’s first ever FIFA World Cup this month, the local coach of the Kuol’s Craig Carley has revealed how the two brothers and their five other siblings could have stopped playing the game due to the expensive NPL fees.

“One of the unique things about where we are at here, the family couldn’t afford the NPL fees and as part of contribution, the family would wash all our junior kits as sort of payment and being a part of our football community at our club,” Carley said.

Goulburn Valley coach Craig Carley. (Supplied)

“And that’s one thing that really gripes me about football in Australia is the fact that it is so expensive to play.

“We could have lost kids like Garang and Alou from the system completely if they were to be at another NPL club and couldn’t afford the fees.

“I don’t think they would be playing this sport that they are now.

“It is one of the unique things that we have in the regional area.

“If we identify talented kids we will do whatever we can to ensure they are playing at the correct level and Garang is a perfect example of that.”

Thousands of football fans may have never been able to see the Kuol’s if it wasn’t for the Goulburn Valley Suns, a diverse and inclusive club based in the Victorian country town of Shepparton, who provided them with an opportunity to simply play the game regardless of their financial situation.

Socceroo Garang Kuol poses for photos with fans following the International Friendly match against New Zealand at Eden Park. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Carley recalls the first conversation he had with the club to ensure Alou, the eldest of the Kuol’s, could continue playing the game at the club where his younger brothers would later join.

“Shepparton is a very diverse area, we would never exclude any player that deserves to be playing at the correct level regardless of any financial disadvantage that they may have,” he said.

“Garang is one of seven kids so it can be quite costly for all of them.

“All of them are very very talented young players.

“I remember vividly the conversation certainly around Alou as well, is Alou good enough to play at professional level and I said ‘yeah, you got to let him pursue this’ and Garang is no different.”

Garang Kuol playing for Goulburn Valley. (Picture: Supplied)

Carley has called for officials and the wider football community to lower the fees being charged for juniors to play the game.

“The model here is broken,” he said.

“It seems to be that the money is filtered from the bottom upwards when it needs to come from the top down in my opinion a bit like the European model and what they do in the UK.

“We have lost so many players simply because they have chosen other sports because of the fees.

“And we are quite lucky as a club where we will get sponsors which give us the money to afford the cost of anyone who can’t play because of cost.

“It is certainly something that needs to be looked at in the country.”

Carley also suggested a more thorough system to ensure clubs were compensated for developing players who went on to play at higher levels.

“And also clubs being compensated for when players do go on and sign at other clubs,” he said.

“There needs to be better transparency there.

“We are a club that is really proud to let players go and play at a higher level if the opportunities arise.

“I do believe that clubs should be compensated for that development and recognising that.”

Football Australia were contacted for comment.