SPEECH BY TE PRIME MINI ) IIR
ANNUAL SOCCER NATIONAL ILAYEIR 1-TE il YEAR AWARDS
MELBOURNE 14 NOVEMBER 1983
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
I AM PLEASED TO BE HERE TONIGHT FOR THE NATIONAL SOCCER
LEAGUE AWARDS AND TO PRESENT THE TROPHY TO THE PLAYER OF
THE YEAR IN THE TOP SOCCER COMPETITION IN AUSTRALIA,
THE PRESENTATION OF TROPHIES IN SOCCER AS IN OTHER SPORTS
IN RECOGNITION OF ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE SHOULD HELP TO
MOTIVATE AND 1O ENCOURAGE OITHERS r'O I: OLLOW EXAIMPLE AND
ASPIRE TO THE STANDARDS SET,
THE OCCASION OF SUCH PRESENTATIONS ALSO PROVIDES AN
OPPORTUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE REST OF THE TEAM ' BEHIND THE
SCENES', THEY MAKE MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SUCCESS OF
THE TEAM ON THE FIELD TIE SUPPORTERS, TllE A) DMINIISTRA. rORS
AND THE VOLUNTARY WORERS WHOSE SERVICFS ARE IN: VALUABLE 10 ALL
CLUBS AND SPORTING P'" DIES.
SOCCER IS A TRULY INTERNATIONAL SPORT, WITH INTERNATIONAL
APPEAL, AND IN AUSTRALIA HAS MANIFESTED A TRULY MULTICULTURAL
CHARACTER, SOCCER'S INITIAL GROWTH IN THE POST ' IORLD AR II PERIOD WAS
AS A SOCIAL GAME WITHIN OUR MIGRANT COMMUNITIES,
i
WITH THE URGE TO PLAY THE GAME AT A HIGHER LEVEL, THESE
COMMUNITIES BANDED TOGETHER TO PLAY EACH OTHER IN REGULAR
COMPETITION, SOCCER HAS NOW SF'RI-A.) WIIDEiLY THIRWIJSIIHIIT IIL . OMMUH I TY Al
LARGE.
BECAUSE OF ITS INTERNATIONALISM, SOCCER PROVIDED A UNIQUE
' MULTICULTURAL BRIDGE' WHICH FOR MANY NEWCOMERS HELPED MAKE
A LITTLE EASIER THE CROSSING FROM THEIR HOMELANDS TO THIS
UNFAMILIAR ISLAND CONTNI. Il
IN THIS PROCESS SOCCER FUNCTIONED AS AN IMPORTANT SOCIALISING
MEDIUM HELPING MANY NEWCOMERS SETTFL IN AND ESTABLISH
THEMSELVES IN THE AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY,
THE IMPACT ON SOCCER BY THE MIGRANT COMMUNITY WAS MOST
CLEARLY FELT IN THE IMPROVED STANDARDS OF THE GAML
WHICH LED TO OUR ENTRY INTO THE WORLD CUP FINALS
NINE YEARS AGO.
IN RECENT YEARS THE EMPHASIS HAS BEEN ON ESTABLISHING
SOCCER WITH ITS OWN IDENTITY AS A NAIIONAL GAME IN AUSTRALIA,
THE IMAGINATIVE AND CRUCIAL STEP TAKEN IN 1977 TO FORM A
NATIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE, BRINGING IOGETHER IN COMPETITION
CLUBS FROM MAJOR CITIES, PROVIDED MAJOR MOMENTUM TO THIS
TREND.
THE NSL's PLANS FOR TWO NATIONAL DIVISIONS IN ]. 9L,
INCREASING THE NUMBER OF TEAMS PARTICIPATING IN THE
COMPETITION TO 2, WILL FURTHER REINFORCE THIS DEVELOPMENT.
Till' IS II L. L P ING TlE GAMF GRADUAL. Y in WI.) I TH 1 BA., I F
APPEAL AND BECOME MORE CLOSELY A PART OF THE AUSTRALIAN
ENVIRONMENT,
WITH FURTHER UPGRADING OF SKILLS AND IMPROVED COACHING
METHODS AND ADMINISTRATIONj STILL WIDER SUPPORT FOR THE SPORT
CAN BE EXPECTED,
THE GAME NEEDS TO BUILD ON ITS POPULARITY AT BOTH THE
GRASS ROOTS LEVEL AND TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE THE PURSUIT
OF EXCELLENCE BY ITS STARS:
THESE OBJECTIVES ARE IMPORTANT AND ARE MUTUALLY
REINFORCING THEY ALSO REFLECT THE BASIS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S SUPPOPT
FOR SPORT IN GENERAL AND SOCCER IN PARTICULAR.
IN 1983/ 84, UNDER THE SPORTS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THE GOVERNMENT
PROVIDED THE AUSTRALIAN SOCCER FEDERATION WITH $ 100,000 FOR
ADMINISTRATION, INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AND FOR DEVELOPMENT
PROJECTS, THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE ASSISTANCE TO SOCCER PROVIDED
THROUGH THE COMMONWEALTH FUNDED AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF
SPORt WHERE SOCCER WAS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL EIGHT SPORTS
1 NTPOPII'. hD
PART OF THE $ 10.2 MILLION PROVIDEI-D Ti-IIS YEAR FOR
CAPITAL WORKS A1 THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SPORT
WILL BE USED TO COMPLETE AN INDOOR SOCCER HALL
THIS FACILITY WILL ENABLE YEAR-ROIJHF COACHING AND
COMPETITION FOR THE INSTITUTE'S SOCCER PROGRAM,
INCLUDING THE YOUTH TEAM,
THE NEED TO INVOLVE THESE YOUNG PLAYERS IN THE FUTURE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPORT IS OF CRUCIAL IMPORTANCE,
IN CONTRAST TO OTIIER CODES AND NAIIONAL SPORT.; SOCCER
HAS PROBLEMS IN PROVIDING CONTINUITY OF PROGRESSION OF
YOUNGER PLAYERS THROUGH VARIOUS LEVELS OF SKILL THROUGH
THE CLUBS AND COMPETITION NETWORKS AVAILABLE.
ACCORDINGLY, I AM PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO NOTE AMONG THE
AWARDS TONIGHT THOSE FOR THE YOUNG I.. EAGUE PLAYER OF T1IF YEAR
AND THE UNDER 21 PLAYER OF THE YEAR; THE FEDERATION ALSO
PLANS TO INTRODUCE YOUTH PROGRAMS INCLUDING THE YOUTH
CHAMPIONSHIPS,
THIS WILL HELP BUILD ON AUSTRALIA'S ACHIEVEMENT IN REACHING
THE FINAL ROUNDS OF THE 1982 W'ORLD YOUTH CUP AND STAND US IN
GOOD STEAD FOR OUR BID TO ENTER rH. l-198C) I'WORLD CUP FINALS, 6
LOOKING AHEAD, I BELIEVE WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO BE CONFIDENT
UF SOCCER'S PROSPECTS IN THE FUTURE.
A DISTINCTIVE AUSTRALIAN STYLE IS BEING DEVELOPED,
IT SHOULD CARRY US A LONG WAY,
IN LINE WITH THIS, IT GIVES ME PARTICUULAR PLEASURE TO PRESENT
THE NATIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD TO
AND ON YOUR BEHALF OFFER HIM OUR
CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES FOR THE FUTURE,