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Having accepted an invitation to assist Brisbane Roar's pre-season, former Socceroo Jason Culina says more ex-internationals would be keen to help ALM clubs.
Former Socceroo Jason Culina admits he's surprised so many members of Australia's "golden generation" haven't been invited to help grow the game domestically.
Culina, a member of Australia's 2006 and 2010 World Cup squads, has spent the past six weeks working with players during Brisbane Roar's pre-season after an approach from coach Warren Moon.
The experience was the 41-year-old's first in a professional environment since his playing days and he applauded Moon for having the initiative to invite him into the Roar's system.
Some of Culina's teammates from Australia's 2006 World Cup campaign in Germany have remained active in Australian domestic football such as A-League Men's head coaches Tony Popovic and John Aloisi, while Harry Kewell and Tim Cahill are working in coaching and development roles in Scotland and Qatar respectively.
Expressing frustration with the direction of Australian football, former Socceroos captain Craig Moore formed an advocacy group including ex-teammates such as Lucas Neill and Mark Viduka in 2020, while other names such as Mark Bresciano, Brett Emerton and Vince Grella have not coached professionally since hanging up their boots.
Culina doesn't however think the absence of so many of the nation's most successful players from coaching roles is because of a lack of desire to help.
"It bemuses me to think ... that generation where we went to the 2006 World Cup, not too many are involved in coaching," Culina told AAP.
"You've got a few and the few that are involved have done really well but rest assured there's a hell of a lot more that I believe we would love to get involved but aren't.
"That's where I'm a little bit shocked, because it was a generation of players that excelled and did really, really well in Europe and have so many great stories and experiences and so much knowledge to share, that they're not involved now."
Culina said he believed insecurity played a role in why such a resource wasn't necessarily being tapped to its full potential, urging other ALM coaches to follow Moon's lead.
"I know Australian football is very small compared to world football, European football and so on where there are many, many opportunities for players and coaches alike to get jobs," he said.
"Here in Australia it's a little bit different, you have your top competitions in each state - the NPL, the NPL1 - and then on top of that all you've really got is the A-League.
"So I can see where the insecurity is with a lot of people involved.
"Ex-players, if they can, I think they should get involved if that's what interests them but I find that a little bit shocking that not more have been engaged and asked to do similar."
