For the so-called "Starting XI' to affect real change across the game, it must be more than just a think-tank or advisory committee. 

Within FFA’s governance structure, if the panel is an ad-hoc committee it risks becoming a toothless tiger. 

Why? Because it will lack real authority. The panel needs decision-making influence. 

It needs to be a legitimate sub-committee for it to be most effective. 

A standing committee, for example, will have specific terms of reference and regular, scheduled meetings with the FFA board, as well as a clear remit. 

Furthermore, and equally important, is the FFA’s over-arching strategic plan. 

This plan prioritises decisions based on the strategic importance of various areas of the game, such as national teams, the A-League, and grassroots. 

Inevitably, any such decisions will be based on the strategic plan, as well as the limited resources available to the national governing body. 

And coupled with this strategic plan, there needs to be a new Technical Director at FFA to help implement ideas and initiatives. 

What if the new TD disagrees with the panel’s recommendations? Will the Starting XI panel have a say in the new TD? 

There's no doubt potential for this group of former players and coaches to make great changes to the game, but the question remains, will they be able to? 

“The Starting XI will provide a great platform for eleven of our best football brains to share their insights and ideas with FFA on key matters from grassroots to international football, national teams, player pathways, and the overall wellbeing of the game,” FFA CEO James Johnson said this week. 

It features big names and big personalities, such as Mark Viduka, Josip Skoko, Clare Polkinghorne, Ron Smith, Mark Bosnich, Paul Okon, Frank Farina, Heather Garriock, Vicki Linton, and Connie Selby.

It will be the first time that Viduka has held a formal role in Australian football since he retired from the game over a decade ago. 

And coming after his candid interview with ESPN recently, and a lively group chat on Optus Sport with other former Golden Generation Socceroos, his inclusion has many fans upbeat about the possibilities of the panel. 

The makeup of the panel, judging by the public reaction, has largely been well received, too - but not unanimously.

However, this idea isn’t new at FFA. It was rolled out four years ago. 

In 2016, FFA launched a Football Development Committee (FDC) to little fanfare...certainly much less fanfare than this week’s announcement. 

Respected figures included former Socceroo Stan Lazaridis, former Matilda Kim Schaefer and former Australian Institute of Sport Head Coach Ron Smith were all appointed to the FDC. 

The FDC was a board sub-committee with a mandate to provide advice to the FFA Board.
 
The FDC was chaired by FFA director Joseph Healy, with fellow directors Moya Dodd and Danny Moulis as members.FFA Chairman Steven Lowy AM said at the time the appointment of independent members to sub-committees delivers on the Board’s strategy of embracing the broader football community.
 
But with former FFA CEO David Gallop struggling to rouse football’s heartland as his tenure went on, the idea went largely unheralded. 
 
One insider tells FTBL: “Speaking about ideas is easy.
 
"Actually implementing them and understanding all the different complexities needed to implement and putting decisions in place, that’s the harder part. It’s a great initiative though.”