There are now three head coaching positions up for grabs in the A-League. Two of them belonged to Australians, which means that John Aloisi and Kevin Muscat could be the only Australian coaches in the competition next season.

It's not without concern that both Muscat - who was recently booed by his own fans at Victory matches - and Aloisi were both under threat this season, with Aloisi's coaching future at Brisbane still uncertain.

Graham Arnold's departure is unique, in that it's an Australian coach rewarded for his success, but it's not without relevance. There was much debate over the lack of Australian coaches to rival Arnold for the Socceroos role, which was always going to leave a bitter taste after Arnold's appointment.

The stark reality was Arnold was the best of a less-than-exciting lot. Muscat was under pressure, while Tony Popovic had just been sacked after a dismal spell in Turkey.

Perhaps the one bright spot for new Australian coaches this season is Harry Kewell, the former Socceroo-turned Crawley Town coach who has led the League Two relegation-favourites to a respectable 12th place this season.

Kewell says his top-flight experience is key to his coaching ability, but if there were more opportunities for Australian coaches, who knows which other Socceroos could lead Australian coaching forward?

All that's obvious is the domestic situation for Australian coaches is dire.

Hayden Foxe, Mark Jones, Michael Valkanis, Tony Walmsley and Scott Miller have all been given their marching orders over the past three seasons, with few professional coaching roles on offer.

Meanwhile, Kenny Lowe, Ernie Merrick and Chris Greenacre either survive or are recycled, while imports like Marco Kurz and Warren Joyce are given some of the league's most stable positions.

This is only part of the reason why the likes of Arthur Papas and Mirko Jelicic have had to venture overseas to seek opportunities. Given Kewell's rise and the dearth of home-options, you can't blame them.

NSL coaches have been particularly hard-hit by the lack of A-League expansion or a professional second-tier. Mark Crittenden, Chris Taylor, George Katsakis - the list of those who, despite their success, have been denied a shot is endless.

The cost of coaching courses in Australia has also come under heavy criticism from the likes of Craig Foster and Mark Rudan. Ultimately, the demise of Australian coaches is a problem with multiple clear causes but few clear-cut answers.