The founder of the newly launched Association of Football Coaches And Trainers (AFCAT) in Victoria said the domestic game is in danger of becoming one dimensional.

Greener spent 20 years in developing players through Football Federation Victoria and the Victorian Institute of Sport where he worked alongside former Melbourne Victory Coach Ernie Merrick.

These days he works as Rowville Sports Academy head coach after being swept aside during Football Federation Australia’s Dutch revolution.

Greener said AFCAT was launched to provide professional development options for coaches who thought the world game had more to offer than 4-3-3.

The not-for-profit association working under the tag-line “for coaches, by coaches” will offer theory and practical sessions, a forum for ideas, and networking opportunities with coaches both here and abroad.

“At the moment the national curriculum is very rigid and there’s one pathway in regards to the information,” he said.

“It’s very much based on the one system whereas I believe that coaches need to be aware of information outside the national curriculum.

“I believe that the current system is developing one dimensional players and also one dimensional coaches.

“The national curriculum doesn’t give coaches the opportunity to have an opinion, whereas this association will allow people to offer their own views.”

Greener said while the former VIS program was based on the Ajax model it provided the flexibility to cherry-pick the best ideas and methods from leagues around the world.

“Now I think a lot of people are a bit concerned that we’re trying to drop in a complete culture from another country into Australia,” he said.

“I just don’t feel it’s the right way and certainly that seems the case in recent years with some of the results of our youth sides.

“We used to work on various systems and developed players to make the right decisions – for example when to play out from the back and when to knock the ball long.

“We had what I thought was a unique system specifically for Australian players. Now we’re working on a Dutch system and I just think at times we need to add some more value.

“There’s a lot of good stuff in the national curriculum but I just feel we need to make coaches aware, and certainly players, that there’s more than one of playing the world game.”

Greener said AFCAT serves coaches from the grassroots up and was already receiving interest from NSW, Queensland and Tasmania although the first priority was to become established in Victoria.

He said the association would complement the current system and there was no intention to step on toes.

But a mission statement on the  AFCAT website insists: “The world game is owned by everyone. And no one person or organisation.

"It is a game of opinions. Therefore we will endeavour to provide the environment to express these opinions free from fear of ridicule, prejudice and/or persecution.”