The scene was last year's Australian Football Awards where Harry Kewell was presenting his PFA Young Footballer of the Year medal to Mitch Langerak.  It was not long after the angst-ridden World Cup post-mortems and the aftermath of "Slatergate" still hung unpleasantly in the air.

Being introduced by host Stephanie Brantz, Harry was asked whether he preferred living overseas or in Australia.  His reply left no doubt that he had some reservations about returning to his home country.  Australia was a great place said Harry and he loved coming back here, but in Turkey he was treated with 'a lot of respect'.

A sudden awkward silence descended upon the assembled crowd of football identities (except for Robbie Slater who could be heard grumbling up the back).  It was supposed to be a night of celebration for all members of the Australian football community, a symbol of our mutual support and togetherness but after a series of critical media articles, Harry was certainly not feeling the love.  

Luckily, Stephanie Brantz handled the moment diplomatically, gently joking with Harry in a way that defused the tension and made the stunned crowd laugh.  But although the moment passed, afterwards I felt genuinely troubled that one of Australia's greatest footballers could feel disrespected in his own country.

In case you're in any doubt, I unreservedly love the man. The confirmation of his A-League contract on the weekend was a cause for major excitement in my house and we are beyond thrilled to know he will be playing in our beloved domestic competition for the next three seasons. 

As a fan I cannot help but feel he's a shining advertisement for Australian football.  On the pitch he's a man with integrity, dedication and the ability to inspire younger players.  Off the pitch, he manages to combine positive family values and a genuine sense of glamour that is rarely seen in Australian sport.  (Unless you count those stylish Lowes ads featuring boofy NRL players in drag.) 

But his greatest asset is that Australians who have never watched an A-League game all know who he is.  There is no doubt he has the potential to elevate the competition's exposure to a level never before seen in domestic football. Even within two hours of the ink drying on his contract, his signing made headline 6pm news on commercial TV.  When did the A-League last manage to do that ?  Last time there were flares on the pitch ?  Last time Muskie made a nasty tackle ? 

And it's not just news or sports media that will take an interest in Harry's every move.  Women's magazines will feature stories with his family, men's magazines will feature his latest clothing collection, Harry's public profile will boldly take the A-League where it has never gone before. 

It is to be hoped the FFA make a huge effort to maximise the "Kewell Effect" in every form of pre-season marketing possible.  I want to see Harry's glamour lighting up billboards and TV screens from one end of Australia to the other, I want every football-playing kid to be hassling their parents to buy tickets.

For despite the Victory chairman's assertion, football is sadly not yet part of Australian mainstream culture in the way AFL and NRL are.  Without this widespread interest, our game will forever be stuck in what sometimes seems to be a rather cosmopolitan ghetto.  Sure, it's a cool place to hang out and some fans may be happy there but I believe we desperately need the opportunity to reach a broader potential audience.  From a purely financial point of view, it's an essential next step and surely it's what all those who strived to create a football culture in Australia for so many years were always hoping for. 

Amongst my random collection of Aussie football memorabilia are some precious copies of Australian soccer magazines from the late 1960s.  In every second article, "old soccer" lovers write poignantly of a bright future when the beautiful game will reach it's true potential in Australia.  A time when "we might even export our own players to the world !"

Well hallelujah, that time has come at last.  It would be a pity if we, the so-called true believers, gave way to cynicism about our returning stars.  I don't want to read comments like "elephants come home to die" and "he'll spend 85% of the time injured".  Right now, this is not about how many goals he'll score or how much time he'll spend on the pitch (and hey, it's not about the price tag). 

Because Harry's coming home !  Spread the excitement amongst your friends and family in the weeks ahead and bring them along when your team plays Victory.  Who knows ? They may just get hooked. 

And dare I suggest, now is also not the time for the usual suspects in the football media to have a go at the tall poppy.  Yeah, I know, you're entitled to your opinion but try and consider whether sharing negative comments about Harry is really "for the good of the game" right now.  Surely there will be enough miserable, jealous stuff written by the soccer-knockers (some have already started : hello Roy Masters) without our own media joining in. 

With Kewell's help, we could be entering a new era in Australian football history. It's up to us to embrace this opportunity whole-heartedly and do everything we can to ensure his homecoming is a success. Generations of Australian football supporters and players have dreamed of such a moment.  We owe it to them to stand united and let Harry work his magic.