In recent years, South Australia has become a hub for Pacific Island footballers. Josh Smith, the architect behind the creation of this community, spoke to Front Page Football about why this endeavour is close to his heart.
Oceania Football Confederation President Lambert Maltock having dinner in Adelaide with Josh Smith, and some of the Pacific Island footballers based in South Australia and their families. (Image: Lambert Maltock)
Having grown up in New South Wales, Josh Smith's involvement with Pacific football can be traced back to when he played for Sydney club Dural Warriors. The club featured multiple Futsalroos, including coach Rob Varela, which naturally made it a hub for Pacific Islanders who tried their luck in Australia.
Fast forward to 2024, and Smith has been involved with the Vanuatu Football Federation while also helping their captain, Central Coast Mariners defender Brian Kaltak, launch his professional career.
The relationship began when Smith's father spent time in Vanuatu, contributing to the nation's relief effort in the aftermath of Cyclone Pam. While working with Adelaide Fusion, Smith and Raff Frisina received a phone call from the federation after Smith's father had spoken about his son's background within the futsal landscape.
"They called and asked if we could help them prepare for a World Cup qualifier. So, we went to Vanuatu for about three weeks for the camp there, and then we flew to Fiji for a 10-day tournament," Smith told Front Page Football.
"We had an amazing experience and built some great relationships with the players there and the federation as well. After that, it started to become a regular thing, and they'd call and ask us to come and support them in preparing mainly for futsal competitions."
Since then, Smith has had the opportunity to coach at Erakor Golden Star, even completing an OFC Champions League campaign with them. An invitation to take up a technical advisory role as the Vanuatu national team travelled to Qatar changed everything.
Smith spent time in Vanuatu working with Erakor Golden Star, one of Brian Kaltak's old clubs. (Image supplied)
Smith recommended Vanuatu captain Kaltak to the Mariners, where he was part of the coaching staff. After a brief stint in the South Australian NPL competition with Smith's new club, FK Beograd, Kaltak eventually signed for the Mariners. Since then, the defender has been a revelation and a bedrock in the club's back-to-back A-League Men Championship efforts, putting Pacific Island football in the spotlight as a result.
Kaltak was overjoyed to receive his first opportunity in his late 20s after a long career trawling the Pacific Island leagues and the New Zealand National League. Still, he and Smith wanted to ensure that the blazed path would now be paved.
"We looked at each other and thought there needed to be more opportunities for these guys, and I could see that there was a decent level as well," Smith said.
"We put our heads together, and we started to speak to some clubs here, and with a small group of people, we were able to start bringing some of the Islanders here to play."
Based in Adelaide and operating the Player Performance Project, Smith has worked with Kaltak and his Pacific Island network to give players willing to take a punt on themselves an entry into Australian football.
While Katltak, Jesse Kalopong, Andre Batick, Ali Mekawir, and Lency Phillip have all had their taste of South Australian football, Tasso Jeffrey, Azariah Soromon, Alex Saniel, Micah Lea'alafa, and Solomon Islands prodigy Raphael Lea'i are all currently trying their luck in various clubs across the state.
Smith's agenda includes creating a path to professional football and increasing the quality of national teams. However, he admits that creating a community where footballers with distinct cultural similarities feel accepted is a huge step towards success.
"You can never underestimate the impact of what that community can do for these players. A few weeks ago, it was Solomon Island Independence Day, and some of the boys went to an event at Cumberland Park, and there were easily 50 people there celebrating. It is great for them to be with their own people, speak, eat food, and experience that culture again.
"For us, it is about trying to bring multiple players together and create an environment where they live, work, and play together, where they can also access and utilise our gym and push each other. If we can continue doing that, Adelaide will become pretty successful for Pacific Islanders, where they can step into the next phase of their career."
Raphael Lea'i in action for Adelaide City in the NPL SA Finals Series. (Image: Pagonis Photography)
While also providing the Player Performance Project facilities for players to use, Smith also leans on Northern Demons coach Omar Hassan, who supports the Project's Junior Development Program, along with Jared Clark, a Vanuatu national team player, and his family, who are all based in Adelaide.
Smith's program received another boost in recent months, with Kaltak and his Vanuatu side progressing all the way to the OFC Nations Cup Final on home soil. He hopes that, combined with Kaltak's story, this run can inspire more Ni-Vanuatu footballers to take the plunge.
"I have known for a long time that Vanuatu probably has one of the best squads in Oceania if everybody is selected and fit," Smith said.
"It has been a goal of ours, with Brian (Kaltak), to try and create as many opportunities for these players to be able to perform at the top level as possible, and you saw that in those performances. It is still a very new team coming together, but it will open a lot more opportunities for their players to come to Adelaide next season."
This effort is not without its challenges though. Semi-professional football opportunities are not enough for aspiring footballers to claim a Visa on, so Smith works closely with Football Australia, the Department of Immigration, and the Vanuatu Government to facilitate these opportunities through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
It is not all about football either. Many Pacific Islanders are also keen to make money to provide for their families back home while residing in Australia.
"Football is not a full-time income in the NPL, so how do we create those other supports where the players pay rent, pay their expenses, and also a lot of what we are doing here is helping them create income so when they go home they can build or buy and set their families up, because that's a significant driving factor for any of these boys to continue to play football.
"A lot of the boys have gone home recently and have used money to purchase land or to start building houses."
Smith provided an example of a Ni-Vanuatu footballer who is currently based in Adelaide to paint an image of the sacrifice these players make to set up their families while also chasing their dreams, which also reflected the effort it takes to set up the opportunity in the first place.
"Many of these guys spend a lot of their time away from their young families and kids. I know Alex Saniel just recently had a baby, and the first time he saw his kid was when he was back for the Nations Cup," he explained.
"Their sacrifices are huge compared to what we must make to live in this beautiful country. There are many challenges, such as Visas, accommodation, support from the club, transport, and jobs. They all play a huge part, so finding the right people to package it together is crucial moving forward."
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Moving forward, Smith is keen to expand opportunities for Pacific Islanders to any club that wants to get individuals he describes as "well-liked, super players, but also amazing human beings."
While attracting talent to play football in Australia is a major focus, Smith is working with the Vanuatu Football Federation to host national team camps in South Australia. He hopes they can face some local sides, with a focus on shining a spotlight on the rising quality of the football in Australia's neighbouring countries.
Smith feels that many talented players have been overlooked due to their passports. While Kaltak is a perfect example, he was not the first or the last player to experience this disappointment.
"Players like Bong Kalo, for example, after he scored against Germany and Mexico in the Under 20s World Cup in 2017. He was a star, an unbelievable talent, but there was no opportunity for him after that World Cup," Smith explained.
"He ended up doing regional work in Queensland two or three years later, and it is a real shame because if he had been given the opportunity to come here, he would have been a star for any of the teams and at a different cost as well then maybe some of the other Visa players that clubs are having to invest in from European nations."
While this process can be gruelling, Smith believes that more needs to be done to embrace Pacific football in Australia, which is why he will continue working on developing this ever-growing football diaspora in South Australia.
"People forget how close these countries are to Australia. The Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are only a few hours away from Brisbane by plane. These countries are footballing nations; they are super passionate about football, and I would like to see us embrace that a little more," he said.
"Obviously, there are challenges with bringing players here, but I think at the end of the day, you know it is all worth it once you see what it means to them."
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