Once upon a time, long before we got the internet on our iPhones, there was a game that had a massive following in this country. The time was the late ‘80s-early ‘90s, the game was basketball and the NBL was played in front of packed crowds. Aussie basketball legend Andrew Gaze was sinking three-pointers like they were going out of fashion but the real star factor was the American imports. Cocksure and full of swagger, they came in, entertained the crowds and charmed the pants off more than a few ladies. And played some mean hoops.

Of course, club officials didn’t always get it right. In those, pre-internet days, the 6’9” centre boarding the LAX-SYD flight emerged at Kingsford Smith a 6’6” power forward. Blame it on the pressurised cabins or the inflight food service if you will. But somehow, they shrank mid-flight.

What we see today in Australian football is the reverse.

Somehow, the A-League player who was never even remotely in the frame for national selection suddenly becomes hot property the moment he moves overseas. Did he grow an extra leg? Improve so overwhelmingly in his two months away from home that he is now a hop, skip and a jump away from a ticket to Rio?

Distinctly ordinary players are now being touted as potential Socceroos – Bozanic, Wilkinson and Dylan McGowan take a bow. Heck, Cornthwaite is already there. Can’t wait for Billy Celeski to win a cap.

It appears the Great Cultural Cringe is alive and well.

I am all in favour of selecting A-League players for the Green and Gold – our competition is of good enough standard to allow the local boys to shine. Class acts Mitch Nichols, Mark Milligan, Ivan Franjic, Michael Thwaite and Nicky Carle ply their trade at home and keep their standards high. It helps when they face quality imports in Del Piero, Berisha, Broich, Ono, Heskey and Miller week in, week out.

And the A-League is due more than a bit of credit for giving starts to Oar, Kruse, Jedinak, Ryan, Ognenovski, Rogic, Holland and Carney, amongst others.

By all means bring quality players into the Socceroo setup, irrespective of the country they are playing in. But I wish people wouldn’t clamour for rank dross to be called up for the Socceroos simply because they are impressed by a stamp in their passport.

And speaking of national selection, every four years leagues around the world receive a shot in the arm known as World Cup fever. Players believe they are in with a tilt at the Greatest Show On Earth and that drives them on to greater heights.

Thanks in no small part to Pim Verbeek, there were no such A-League jolts in four years ago. With our league apparently inferior to a German training session, players knew they had to get out of Oz to stand a World Cup chance.

This time round things are vastly different and we have Holger Osieck to thank for that. There are a dozen or so locally based Socceroos going into the upcoming season firmly believing that a good eight months will see them on the plane to Rio, while another few will consider themselves an outside chance of a spot. How healthy for the league is that?

Together with a pre-World Cup spring in its step, it is fair to say that every squad has strengthened in the off-season.  I am happy with my own club’s recruitment but I am most impressed with the business done by Perth Glory and Melbourne Heart in the offseason. Glory now look to have one of the best defensive units in the competition while Heart are strong all over the park and in Harry Kewell will have an on-field leader who will not let up in demanding the very best from his teammates.

Fans are writing off the Jets at their peril – the young kids are a year older and I am expecting big seasons from James Brown, Craig Goodwin, Josh Brillante and Connor Chapman. Not to mention the big English unit up front. They may end up capturing everyone’s imagination.

Adelaide may take a while to get going with a new coach and playing style but once they hit their stride they’ll be hard to stop. The loss of Dario Vidosic will hurt them but I am expecting a return to form from Bruce Djite.

Victory deserve the mantle of favourites, their recruitment has been first class and if they hold on to Mark Milligan they should have a stellar season. Having said that, their backline is still the soft underbelly and opposition teams will look to exploit that weakness. And the pressure is on - after a year and a half back in Melbourne nothing less than a title will be considered a success for Ange Postecoglou.

Mike Mulvey has much to prove up north but has the squad to succeed. Both Broich and Miller are double-edged swords but if he gets them back to their best form they will be a threat. Roar have lost players but McKay is back and they still have Berisha. And a mean defence of their own.

Across the ditch and Ernie Merrick has been quietly overseeing a revolution. In Carlos Hernandez he has brought in a player who can once again set the league alight and give Phoenix a dimension they have never had before. With Durante at the back and attackers Ifill, Fenton and Brockie revelling in the freedom that the presence of Hernandez provides Phoenix will fear nobody. And signing Matty Thompson was a shrewd piece of business.

So on to the grand finalists. It is tempting to write off the Mariners’ chances after seeing them lose so much talent in the offseason. But  you NEVER write off the Mariners. Ever. Besides which, Matt Simon is back from his horror spell in Korea, Marcos Flores will be charming the locals in his new surrounds and in Josh Rose they still have the best leftback in the competition, whatever anyone says. Oh and Arnie has a point to prove.

As for our crosstown rivals, their squad is much the same is last year. Which, too, is a double-edged sword. Familiarity may bring contempt and the journeymen who found a home last year – Bridge, Topor-Stanley, Cole and D’Appuzzo may end up living down to their potential. If they maintain their momentum however, Ono, Mooy, Hersi and the impressive Tomi Juric, should take it from there and the Wanderers could be in for another bumper season.

Finally, back home in Moore Park and the Sky Blues have strengthened well. There are still a few question marks but there is no doubt that we will be going into the season with the best squad we’ve had in years. If Bosschaart and Ryall form a successful partnership at the back and we keep possession in midfield (our two failings last season) we should have enough ball to trouble every opponent.

I will do an in-depth analysis of Sydney FC next time round, focusing on our signings, the Italy tour, the playing style that we are working on and our apparent strengths and weaknesses.

In summary – no weak teams for the upcoming season, on paper at least. Given the shortness of the season it will, as always, come down to whoever hits the ground running in October. Those in the Top four by Christmas will almost certainly make the playoffs come April while the rest will be pushing the proverbial uphill, as we have done the past three seasons. But it’ll be even and it’ll be tight and the fans will love it.

Can’t wait for it all to start again. I believe it will be the best A-League season ever.