When Ange Postecoglou released Australia’s provisional 30 players in May, he stayed true to his promise of nominating, for the most part, young players as the country looks to build its footballing future.
The Greek manager however, also kept sufficient experience in the squad with Tim Cahill, Mark Bresciano, Josh Kennedy, and Mile Jedinak.
The team remains very young still, with 10 players who are 22 years old or below. The squad has an age average of approximately 25.5. The manager stated:
“We needed to change the direction of our national team ... we needed to regenerate.”
Amongst the young surprises, the most notable names were James Troisi, Adam Taggart, Josh Brillante and the uncapped Ben Halloran.
Ange Postecoglou leads Australia into a new era with a younger and faster squad
Mark Bresciano, Josh Kennedy, Mile Jedinak, and Tim Cahill made Australia's provisional squad
James Troisi will have a chance to shine at the upcoming World Cup
21 year old Josh Brillante will confront himself with the likes of Iniesta and Robben
Given the nature of Australia’s death-group, it is not difficult to understand why they are planning to use the 2014 World Cup as an experience for the future.
Australia to face Spain, Netherlands and Chile this summer
Australia's provisional 30-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Mat Ryan, Mitch Langerak, Eugene Galekovic and Mark Birighitti.
Defenders: Josh Brillante, Jason Davidson, Ivan Franjic, Curtis Good, Ryan McGowan, Matthew Spiranovic, Alex Wilkinson, Luke WIlkshire, Bailey Wright.
Midfielders: Oliver Bozanic, Mark Bresciano, Ben Halloran, James Holland, Mile Jedinak, Massimo Luongo, Matt McKay, Mark Milligan, Tommy Oar, Tom Rogic, Adam Sarota, James Troisi, Dario Vidosic
Forwards: Tim Cahill, Josh Kennedy, Matthew Leckie, Adam Taggart.
On June 3, the manager revealed his final roster, ending hopes for Mark Birighitti, Josh Kennedy, Tom Rogic and Luke Wilkshire.
Australia's 23-man squad as revealed on the FA's official website:
