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Blockbuster A-League marquees no longer a focus, says FFA

A-League clubs are moving their focus away from signing superstar players and instead looking to bring through young Australian players, according to FFA head of leagues Greg O'Rourke.

The shift comes ahead of the new season, which begins on October 12, with a notable lack of big-name signings like Melbourne Victory's capture of Keisuke Honda prior to last campaign.

In the past, the A-League has seen the likes of Alessandro Del Piero, Dwight Yorke and Shinji Ono star in the competition, but O'Rourke sees clubs prioritising youth development and looking to make smart foreign signings.

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"It's a different strategy from the clubs to actually move away from paying a reasonable, substantial amount of money to one player but actually to have a support of new heroes and younger players and homegrown heroes inside all the teams," O'Rourke told AAP.