Where will the money come from? After World Cup euphoria, Australian football confronts harsh reality

Many local football clubs in Australia say the high fees for juniors can be a barrier to participation. Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Halil Hussein was gobsmacked when, on the day of the Socceroos’ historic round of 16 match against Argentina, a Melbourne newspaper ran an AFL story on the front page.

Hussein, a senior assistant coach at Hume City Football Club – one of the biggest in the Victorian NPL – could hardly believe that the Socceroos were not on front pages across the country.