Some observers have been quick to point to A-League crowd figures and cry crisis recently but the Sydney FC defender believes nothing could be further from the truth.

Speaking exclusively to au.fourfourtwo.com, the 30-year-old believes  players and administrators are united in wanting to drive the game to new heights - from grass roots to the very top.

Congratulations on the PFA re-election Simon. It's clearly a role that you feel very passionate about?

Absolutely.  I just want to make my contribution to growing this game, whatever I can bring. We've a great bunch of boys, a great bunch of passionate players and passionate administrators. There's that common goal of not only making the game better for today's individuals but making the game better full stop. This is a wonderful game and I'm happy to do what I can.

The PFA executive committee also  includes the likes of Tim Cahill and Vince Grella. Big names with secure futures.  Are these guys able to see the bigger picture?

No question. These players are committed to making a contribution. You send out an email or a text message to the boys on the executive committee and you don't get back a 'whatever you think'. They ask questions, they make suggestions and they will be there on a conference call at five in the morning wherever they are. It's not  'what about me and my issue?' it is 'what can I do, what can we do to maximise the game and help the game'.

Some claim football, particularly the A-League, is in crisis with people pointing to crowd numbers for example. Do they have a point?

Definitely not, definitely not. As we in the PFA have our goals and long term plans, so too does the FFA. Look at where we have come from. I don't think anyone who is involved in the game would be disappointed with where we're at today. 

How can football compete with the other codes that have such a head start in Australia?

It takes time to establish and build. Look at AFL clubs. These clubs have five generations of members. My wife is one. What I'm looking forward to and what will tell me about the growth of our game is when the kid currently going to a game with his mum or dad, has kids and brings them to football and so on and so on.  We will get there but there is a process.

You and your PFA members are the present and the future. How important is it to acknowledge the past?

We have just awarded Craig Johnston the Alex Tobin medal. It's people like Craig who were the pioneers for the game. It was a great decision to recognise him. I was speaking to him at the (PFA) dinner we had and told him that he was the one that started the way our players are viewed by coaches overseas. He led the way for future generations of players to follow. As I've said there are a lot of guys making a difference. As well as Craig we also recognised the contribution of others to the game. Several former players were awarded life membership of the PFA for example.

The World Cup is on everyone's minds at the moment - whether next year's tournament or the Australian bid to host it.

That's the way football's cycle seems to work. It is that four year cycle that features prominently. You recognise that and the World Cup is a huge event but you never lose sight of the overall picture. As I've said earlier, it is about making the game better, full stop. You look at the longevity. That's the PFA's desire.

Which leads us on nicely to the question of your own World Cup ambitions. There are a lot of pundits talking you up as a potential bolter for South Africa next year.

Would I like to be part of a World Cup squad? Absolutely. If I don't make it, will I live with it? Yes I will. The whole process about playing for the Socceroos is this: Are you playing well and when you get the opportunity to go into camp, are you physically and mentally ready and all of that? Since Pim Verbeek has come on board, I haven't been any of those. It's only now that my body is right. I wasn't even playing, never mind playing well.

You say you will live with it but if the call did come, what would it mean?

Whether I go to a World Cup is not my decision. Football is all about opinions. What is in my control is to get out there, play regularly, work hard. But to be part of a World Cup, it is every kid's dream. I have captained the Under 20s at a World Cup, I've taken part at the Olympics when it was here in Sydney, so there's just that last one. The desire is there every morning and before you go to bed at night. But back to the first point. Football is about opinions and that's why we love it.