EDITORIAL: Are you kidding me? What are you waiting for, Archie?
Courtesy of the Townsville Bulletin, North Queensland Fury have their new coaching team locked in.
Both Paul Parker and Milan Jankovic have put their hands up for roles with the Fury, while Frank Farina is ready to return home and take the top coaching job.
That's it. For Archie Fraser, the FFA's front-man at the Fury, there's no need to put together a mickey-mouse 'selection panel' or explore 'all alternatives'. These international three tick all the boxes.
Both Parker and Jankovic have thrown themselves into Australian football.
Parker, a multiple title winner with Manchester United and a World Cup semifinalist with England, is now living in Darwin and working for the Northern Territory football federation. He's keen to join Fury as a development chief across the region.
Jankovic, a star with Real Madrid and Red Star Belgrade, is now heavily involved in junior football in North Queensland. He's put his hand up to take charge of Fury's academy, which is due to launch next year.
Then there's Farina. A North Queensland boy made good.
All three boast international credentials that stack up against anyone inside the Australian game, they all have local ties and have given up riches and profile abroad to commit themselves to the development of the Aussie game.
Farina prowling the touchline at Dairy Farmers stadium, Jankovic polishing local gems for first team action and Parker identifying talent across the north of Australia. It's an exciting prospect.
Throw in the on-field gold dust of Robbie Fowler and the natural man-management of Robbie Middleby as ops manager and the football staff pick themselves.
This is what everyone connected to the Fury deserve.
What they don't deserve is a fly-in as their next coach, simply because he's a former teammate of a couple ex-players in the Sydney media. The way the community rallied to rescue the Fury deserve greater respect from the FFA. And that includes the retention of Fowler.
The FFA must understand that it is simply not good enough for people who have poured so much energy in saving the Fury to see their star player forced to seek an A-League alternative. Even worse that it end up being Sydney FC, when you have the FFA chairman Frank Lowy attending the preliminary final sporting a Sydney cap.
Fraser and the FFA should do everything to keep the Liverpool icon in Townsville.
And as for the coaching staff, it's been laid out for Fraser.
Only days ago, he complained it took too long for decisions to be made at the FFA. Now, thanks to some footballing royalty, he has the chance to make good on his word. No need to delay, Archie, sign them up.
