Season six of the A-League shapes as a critical one for many reasons, but from a national team perspective it offers the chance for generation-next to put their hand up for selection.

Now, more than ever before, we need our next wave of talent to announce themselves as we prepare ourselves for what promises to be a trying qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Craig Moore has already retired from Socceroos duty, Scott Chipperfield has all-but followed suit. Then there's the likes of Vince Grella, Mark Bresciano, Harry Kewell, Brett Emerton and Mark Schwarzer over whom there must be doubts about their capacity to continue on for another four years.

Prior to the World Cup our future stocks appeared bleak. After the performances of Brett Holman, Carl Valeri and Luke Wilkshire in South Africa there is a renewed sense of optimism, but these three alone cannot carry the team forward.

We need depth in numbers, we need competition for spots and the players that will provide that competition are currently preparing for A-League season six.

So who is out there that can conceivably make that step up over the course of the next four years?

Let's take a trip around Oz.

Out west there is a potential heir to the Schwarzer throne in Tando Velaphi while striker Andrija Jukic has shown some promise in his 20-odd game career.

In Adelaide there is the likes of defender Daniel Mullen while Mathew Leckie has shown _ particularly in the Asian Champions League - how effective his pace and skill on the ball can be up front.

Heart fans will be looking forward to seeing the talents of Kristian Sarkies and Jason Hoffman in midfield, but Socceroo fans will be hoping the pair can blossom also.

Their crosstown rivals Victory also possess the slightly older, but no less exciting, pair of Adrian Leijer and Billy Celeski - both who have had to overcome significant bumps in the road, but two players who could still become national team mainstays in the years to come.

Further up the coast in Sydney we have defensive wingmen in Scott Jamieson and Shannon Cole who could quite conceivably be lining up on the left side of defence in four years time, while new Mariners recruit Oliver Bozanic comes to the Central Coast with big wraps on him.

Newcastle trio Adam D'Apuzzo, Ruben Zadkovich and Sean Rooney all have the potential to be stars of the future, as does Brisbane's Mitch Nichols and North Queensland's Chris Payne and David Williams _ who has already been capped for the Socceroos.

Of course there is also the little matter of the Asian Cup in less than six months time.

While clubs are obliged to let our best players play in the continental showpiece, doubt still lingers as to whether players such as Tim Cahill, Schwarzer, Emerton, Grella and Kewell will be released.

This only increases the need for our A-League stars of today to perform given the possibility that half our squad could eminate from these shores.

Players currently in the prime of their careers would by eyeing off a spot on the plane to Qatar.

The likes of Travis Dodd, Simon Colosimo, Matt Thompson, Dean Heffernan, Rody Vargas, Alex Brosque, Mark Bridge, Daniel McBreen, Matt Simon, Ljubo Milicevic, Michael Thwaite, Shane Stefanutto and Matt McKay all come to mind as players who could fill the breach if required to do so.

It is a given that Gold Coast's Jason Culina and Heart's Michael Beauchamp will be there in January.

Let's hope that the competition for other places in the squad only raises the standard of the A-League this year to a whole new level.

Bring it on!