The main issue to come out of the Socceroos' 2-1 loss to Uruguay in Saturday night's international friendly in Sydney was just how over-reliant the national team has become on number one goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
Now that would be fine if the Middlesbrough keeper was in his mid or even late 20's but the fact is Australia's long-time number one goalie turns 35 in October.
Schwarzer, the hero of Australia's memorable qualification for the 2006 World Cup when he saved two penalties against Uruguay in the deciding play-off game in Sydney, has already declared he wants to stay on until the 2010 World Cup.
By then he will be nearly 38 but right now Aussie football fans better hope Schwarzer's body and his skills hold up until then because he remains the only obvious choice to play in goal.
This was never more evident on Saturday night when Brad Jones' error allowed the South Americans to pinch a victory in a game that appeared destined for a draw.
Luckily the result did not matter considering it was a friendly but you would hate to see that kind of error cost the Socceroos victory in a match where points were at stake such as the upcoming Asian Cup finals or the World Cup qualifiers for the next tournament in South Africa in three years time.
Jones' error again highlighted the huge gap between international and club football - a problem further highlighted by the fact that Jones - like several other possible contenders for the Australian goalkeeping position post-Schwarzer - does not play regularly for his club.
In Jones' case that is also because he is the number two keeper to Schwarzer at Middlesbrough and as a result has spent much of his career out at loan at clubs such as Blackpool, Stockport and Sheffield Wednesday - hardly the sort of stage to prepare for international level.
In fact Jones started just two English Premier League games and two FA Cup games this season, the rest of the time he was either on the bench or out on loan at Sheffield Wednesday - where he played 15 matches.
The danger of playing goalkeepers without a regular grounding at the top levels of club football almost cost Australia a place in the knockout stages of last year's World Cup when Zeljko Kalac was surprisingly bought in ahead of Schwarzer for the deciding group game against Croatia and almost cost the Socceroos' victory when he let in a soft goal in the second half.
At the time, as is still the case now, Kalac was the number two keeper at AC Milan and was not playing regularly at the top level.
While Kalac has since retired from international level, those younger keepers that are hoping to eventually usurp Schwarzer as Australia's number one custodian are facing the same problem.
Promising youngster Adam Federici, who was part of Saturday night's squad, has seemingly burst from nowhere to be in contention to become the country's number one keeper post-Schwarzer, but he is far from established at club level.
Federici played just a handful of matches for Reading in the EPL this season but at least at just 22 has time on his side to establish himself at club level before stepping up to international level.
But that takes time for goalkeepers in particular and the next World Cup is just three years away, with the qualifiers to start next year.
Australia's third choice keeper at the last World Cup - behind Schwarzer and Kalac - was Ante Covic but he is about to turn 32 and is now playing for Newcastle in the local A-League.
If any keeper is to emerge from the A-League to eventually replace Schwarzer it could be Sydney FC's Clint Bolton but he also turns 32 this year and it is a big step-up from the A-League to standing between the posts in an Asian Cup Final or a World Cup qualifier.
Then there is Western Australian Michael Petkovic, the former South Melbourne keeper now making a name for himself in the Turkish league with Sivasspor.
While at least Petkovic, who played in goal for the Socceroos against Denmark in February in London, has the advantage of playing regularly in Europe - he too is already in his early 30's and again does not look a long-term number one Australian keeper.
So while the focus surrounding the Socceroos nearly always seems to be on the availability and fitness of the team's most recognised world-class player in Harry Kewell - all Australian football fans better hope that nothing happens to Schwarzer between now and the 2010 World Cup finals to ensure there is time for his eventual successor to fully emerge.