Former A-League star Adam Kwasnik has given his backing to the Western Premier League and is hopeful it can be the breeding ground for future stars of the game.
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Kwasnik was in Dubbo last week to play a one-off match with the SASS Strikers in the city's summer competition.
He spoke about his love of the game and desire to see players continually develop while here, and said the Western Premier League (WPL) is something that can help make that happen.
Two hugely successful seasons of the WPL have been completed after a seven-year absence, with clubs from Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, Parkes, Lithgow and Mudgee coming together to deliver a high standard of competition each and every week.
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The impact of the competition is already clear to see, with 2021 Player of the Year and Orana Spurs star Duncan Cahill securing a deal with a US college on the back of his outstanding performances last season.
Kwasnik is delighted the WPL is proving a success but has urged each and every club involved to ensure the growth continues.
"Moving forward, they really need to band together," he said of the clubs.
"They need to make that competition strong and I'm not saying do that buying going out and paying for old players but really build it from the grassroots up. Get children playing and enjoying the game.
"The domino effect of that is in five or 10 years' time you'll have a really strong Premier League, where you'll not only have fans but also good players."
A stronger standard of play would then, in turn, mean more opportunities for players from the western area.
"Like I've said, you never know who could be watching and players can go on to bigger and better things like the NSW NPL and the A-League and the dream would be to crack it in Europe," Kwasnik added.
"But I'm glad they've all come together to put together a strong competition and hopefully it gets stronger in the future."
Dubbo sides have starred in the WPL since its return. Dubbo FC won the 2020 title, downing local rivals Macquarie United in the decider, while Orana Spurs were top of the ladder last year when play was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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