Let's talk about the "other" Aloisi – Ross. John's older brother, the player who didn't convert the winning penalty to end 32 years of World Cup heartache, the one whose playing career was good without being glamorous, the one who didn't retire with untold riches in the bank, the one who has had to work outside football to make a living.

Ross didn't get parachuted into an A-League coaching role, either. Instead, he got his hands dirty coaching in the semi-pro state league, where his achievements with born-again West Adelaide suggest he may get to the top, albeit by a more circuitous route than his younger brother, who is now out of work after being dumped by Melbourne Heart mid-season.

Ross Aloisi hasn't had a charmed run in the coaching ranks. Credit:Getty Images

This is not a story about sibling rivalry, far from it. The connection, the love, between the two brothers is stronger than ever. Rather this is a story about the troubling turn the coaching pathway has taken in Australia, where aspiring coaches like Ross Aloisi find themselves hitting a glass ceiling because they haven't been identified among the chosen ones.

Generally, the lucky ones are high-profile former Socceroos, many from the so-called "Golden Generation". They are being fast-tracked into the top end of the accreditation process and are then leveraged into key jobs, either with A-League clubs or within the FFA system – without any expectation they might learn a thing or two lower down the food chain.