Canberra United captain Michelle Heyman knows a thing or two about what it takes to make it in the A-League.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Her 15 years in the nation's top domestic competition and record as the all-time leading goal-scorer prove as much.
So while she doesn't claim to be a soccer administration extraordinaire on top of her prowess on the field, Heyman does have some ideas on how she'd fix up Canberra United's recently dumped academy.
"It was a bit of a shock when that news came through, and I think there's a lot of change that could happen," she told The Canberra Times.
It's been nearly two months since Canberra United Academy was axed by Capital Football with plans moving forward to replace it with a talented sports program.
The move ended the CUA's participation in the NPLW since 2016, and prompted "disappointment" and concern from United's academy graduates that a clear pathway to the A-League had been removed.
It also led to the resignation of Capital Football chief executive Ivan Slavich, who disagreed with the board's decision.
Heyman and many of her teammates that came through the academy have seen the potential of what it can produce, believing it is essential to keep the talent pipeline strong.
"If I was in charge of a program like that, I would see the Canberra United Academy as my reserve grade team for the Canberra United A-League team," Heyman said.
"The first thing that I think should happen is for the best players in Canberra - no matter what age or what club you're playing for - if you've been scouted in the top 30 players in Canberra, you should be playing for Canberra United in a professional academy system. That's if those players want to, of course.
"We have great talent here in Canberra, and there's players who don't get seen because they're not in the academy."
Though Heyman wants an academy to be in place, she does see some value in the current pool returning to other NPLW clubs, too, because she said it allows youngsters to play alongside - not just against - more experienced players.
READ MORE CANBERRA UNITED NEWS:
"It is great they now get to play with a lot of older players within the individual clubs, because in the academy it is a young squad, they don't get that leadership of older players and a different sort of drive," Heyman said.
"I learned a lot as a 16-year-old player in the open women's division. I had to grow really fast, and that helped me become who I am today.
"So I think there's a potential opportunity to change the academy in a different way. But they definitely need to have some sort of academy for those of a young age who are the key players that we can see one day becoming a Canberra United player, or playing for the Matildas. That's the purpose of an academy.
"You have to earn your stripes and be a talent. I hope I don't hurt anyone's feelings, but I just think the academy means best players and best up-and-coming players, and they're the talent pool that should be picked for Canberra United."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram