NEWCASTLE Jets coach Arthur Papas has called for the A-League to "turn a negative into a positive" by increasing squad sizes to combat the scourge of COVID-19.
The A-League fixture list has been decimated in recent weeks with both men's and women's matches being postponed en masse because of players and staff contracting the coronavirus.
Newcastle have been hit as hard as any club, after home matches against Western Sydney and Melbourne City (men) and an away game against City (women) were placed on hold indefinitely.
Only one of the six A-League Men's fixtures scheduled for this weekend, between Adelaide and Wellington on Saturday night, looks set to proceed.
Given that case numbers in the community are rapdily increasing, clubs could be facing an ongoing challenge just to field a team in each game.
Papas believes the A-League should consider allowing each club to expand its squad by up to five players.
Each team currently has a 23-player roster, plus academy rookies.
"It's a challenge for all clubs, but it can also provide opportunities," Papas told the Newcastle Herald. "Why don't we look at turning a negative into a positive?
"For the foreseeable future, we could have teams with players out on a weekly basis. But if we were able to open up our rosters and sign maybe three to five more players, it will provide NPL players, or talented academy players, with an opportunity at A-League level.
"And if we could increase the size of our squads, even if we had five or six players out, we could still put a team on the park and keep the competition going, rather than just cancelling games."
Papas had no doubts there were NPL players around Australia who were capable of playing at A-League level if they were given a chance.
He said there were "gaps" in the Australian development system, in particular the lack of a second-division competition underneath the A-League.
"Consistently we're seeing NPL teams challenge A-League teams in the FFA Cup, but for whatever reason those players might not get the opportunity to take that next step," he said.
"Who knows how good they could be if they were able to train in a fully professional environment?
"You might unearth a future Socceroo.
"There are so many examples of players who came up through the NPL and became not just good A-League players, but Socceroos. I genuinely believe there are more out there.
"So maybe this is a time for us to turn an obstacle, or a challenge, into an opportunity, and ultimately it could help grow the game."
Papas said he had already identified a number of NPL players he felt could hold their own in the A-League.
"If every club signed five more players, that's 60 opportunities," he said.
"I'm pretty sure that of those 60 players, if the scouting was done correctly, some of them would be capable of becoming good professionals at A-League level.
"There might even be some future Socceroos amongst them.
"But it's hard for them because opportunities are limited, and nobody has realised they are good enough to play in the A-League."
Papas suggested the players could be signed on short-term scholarships until the end of the season.
"I think it's something where the clubs and APL could work together and maybe create a subsidiary fund, on the proviso that the money is spent specifically on additional players from the NPL or talented players from your academy," he said. "I think there would be benefits for everyone."
Facing a three-week hiatus between games, Papas oversaw an intra-club trial between his players at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday.
AAP reports: Youngster William Wilson scored the winner as Melbourne Victory overcame Gold Coast Knights 2-1 in extra time in their FFA Cup round-of-16 clash on Thursday night. Victory now face Adelaide in the quarter-final on January 5.
