Australian Football Abroad Thread

Dylan McGowan signs for Danish Superliga outfit Vendsyssel

Former Socceroos defender Dylan McGowan has signed for Danish Superliga outfit Vendsyssel.

The 27-year-old ex-Adelaide United centre back will join fellow Australian’s Awer Mabil and Mustafa Amini in Denmark after signing a two and a half year deal with the newly-promoted side.

Good on him. Clearly it’s a decent spot for players to develop.

At 27 I’d say the development is done?

Degenek has completed the move to Al Hillal

What a waste. I’d hope that this would end his national team career to make a point but I’m just not sure who replaces him, particularly with Jurman in the same boat.

Awful, awful move. Finally gets career momentum at Red Star and does this.

Arnie should throw any players in Saudi (or the Middle East) in the bin.

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I bet he is getting a massive pay increase though so it’s hard to knock him for that

Fair play to him, but any decision made purely for financial reasons harms the national team and as such there should be consequences RE: selection.

It was only a few years ago Ange weeded out the entitled ones bludging in the Middle East, I don’t know how we got back there so soon.

Problem is, as someone stated, red star would want the cash so I’m not sure how much choice he had.

Is the middle east so bad ?

Can you name a single player who got better after going there?

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Alex Brosque, but then again, he’s just a fine wine.

Alex got a lot better playing deeper for Shimizu.

Another depressing move, if understandable.
Unfortunately the alternative to him, Jurman is at a shit club in the very same league.
Saw snarky comments at him on his insta so hopefully he can get the fuck outta and back in the sky blue.

Great point, because hes only 24! Thats whats disappointing to me.

Cant fault Jurman for the move, only a few seasons ago he was barely making our match day squad. Was given oppurtunies and continued to step up. Also showed himself in a very solid K-League

If Ange weeded out all of the entitled ones, Mark Milligan would’ve been taken out of the squad, too. Ditto Trent Sainsbury for his money-grabbing move to China at an age and point of time he was doing quite well for himself in Europe and could’ve moved to a bigger league. Only now is he kind of getting back to where it should be. Yes, they are currently critical players for the Socceroos but there really should be no exceptions.

A player’s lack of ambition and an excess of greed is going to show through wherever they go, including the Socceroos.

When Ange took over, Brazil and AC 2015, Milligan was at Victory & Sainsbury at PEC.

Ange himself allowed it to happen thereafter, but his initial stance was a harsh one on those playing in leagues below them. Iirc Bresciano was the only exception for quite a while.

Is it going to become more of the norm though, players taking the cash on offer in China & ME early in their career (22/23) then moving back to Europe @ 27/28 and having 5 years in their prime? You have almost guaranteed playing time instead of being in & out of the team which is the most important part of a players development at that stage. You’re also set up financially for the rest of your life taking some of the pressure off when you do go back to Europe and, due to injury or a poor playing career, may not be offered at the end of your career.
Axel Witsel is a good example, one which Yannick Carrasco looks set to follow. Paulinho also slotted seamlessly back into the Barca side. Oscar may be another to move back.

On Degenek, would his development be that hindered going from Serbia to Saudi Arabia? All of the good Serbian players have left to play in other leagues by his age (if he was 2 or 3 years younger then I would say he should stay) to continue progressing. With their European journey done and 9 points clear in the league (15 ahead of Partizan) I don’t see much wrong with the move. With Bailey Wright & Matt Spiranovic coming back to fitness as well as the option of playing Milligan at CB, his place in the NT is covered if he regresses.

Not that he’s an Aussie, but I see Arnautovic is agitating for West Ham to accept an offer for him to move to China as well.

In more positive news apparently Breda are after Gersbach. Might be an Arnie hook up.