Moot Point: The Culinas, player agents and FTA

Recently I bumped into Branko Culina, ironically on a day when the Newcastle Jets were playing, however he was physically and mentally a million miles away from the action. He is essentially a good man who has been dealt a cruel blow and now he appears to be out-of-sight and, thus, out-of-mind.

The mainstream media seems to have largely ignored his cause - Branko Culina was initially written and spoken about when he was summarily dismissed by the Newcastle Jets on the eve of the Hyundai A-League season along with his son, Socceroo Jason Culina, but now the story has lost all momentum.

It’s a shame for many reasons - personal and professional - but the plights of Branko and Jason Culina cannot be ignored. A private owner of a club - and here’s part of the problem with private ownership as opposed to members’ ownership - should never be allowed to fire a player and a coach in such a fashion.

Let’s hope that both Branko and Jason Culina get back on their feet sooner rather than later.

Player agent with a difference
Moot Point also caught up with Buddy Farah recently. He was of course the former Olyroo who went on to play international football for Lebanon. In Australia, Farah played NSL football for the Marconi Stallions and then, when he returned from overseas, finished his playing career in the NSW Premier League with the APIA Leichhardt Tigers.

Farah’s playing career ended four years ago - even though he still looked fit enough to ply his trade even in the A-League - so what is he up to now? Farah is a player agent who can boast 21 players on his books, including several who are based overseas. Mustafa Amini of the Central Coast Mariners is one of the young, local players he looks after.

Player agents are often maligned in the world of football, but it’s great to see a recent former player who is truly able to look after modern players and who knows exactly what they are going through.

Free-to-air a must
Even Basketball Australia can manage to secure exposure on free-to-air television for their sport. Three nights a week on One HD, Channel 10’s digital channel, shows a local NBL game on replay. It might not be much but it’s a start. And it can only get better from here.

So where does that leave football? Completely missing in action except on Fox Sports. Of course we all know that Football Federation Australia accepted the lucre in a short-term deal that completely lacked foresight or any long term vision. Now they have a chance to right that wrong.

A new deal will be required by 2013 and, at least in part, the Hyundai A-League must be separated from the Soccceroos and both packages sold separately. The national team must always be on free-to-air television because they belong to us all. And the A-League must have at least some component on free-to-air irrespective of whether or not Fox Sports continues to do a tremendous job.

Seasons’ greetings to all, and very best wishes for the New Year.