Frustrated Melbourne Heart coach John Aloisi called for the A-League to be put on hold when its players are required for Socceroos duty after his understrength side drew with Sydney FC on Sunday.
Aloisi took aim at officials after Sunday's bottom-of-the-table clash at Allianz Stadium, which left both sides occupying the last two spots on the ladder.
On a weekend where most teams lost players to an A-League-heavy Australia squad for the East Asian Cup qualifiers in Hong Kong, Heart were among the worst hit with Richard Garcia, Aziz Behich and Michael Marrone absent.
And rookie coach Aloisi felt it was unfair his ninth-placed side had to try and turn its season around without its best players.
Aloisi says he doesn't understand how it's in the middle of the season and that nothing is done about it, and the competition should be placed on hold for such occasions.
He says having three players away for three weeks isn't ideal, and he doesn't know what condition they are going to come back in, with four games in eight days.
Sydney were missing Brett Emerton and Terry Antonis for the clash, but incoming coach Frank Farina welcomed the result as the Sky Blues snapped a four-game losing streak.
