AT least 15 A-League hopefuls are vying to join the A-League, with leading soccer figures declaring large-scale expansion would inject “billions” into Australian soccer.

Northern Territory is the only state/territory not represented come the first expansion deadline (Expression of Interest) on Thursday.

Multiple bids are coming from Victoria, NSW and Queensland, while Canberra, Tasmania, Fremantle and Adelaide clubs/consortiums are making submissions, as calls grow louder for a professional second division.

Football Federation Australia vowed to announce two new expansion clubs for 2019-20 by October 31, but A-League clubs have urged the governing body to consult with them amid the FIFA governance cloud still hanging over the game.

A-League chief Greg O’Rourke confirmed the mass expansion interest.

“With the EOI deadline looming on the 24th, we can confirm that we have had 15 registrations already which represent every state or territory in Australia except the Northern Territory. We look forward to progressing to our formal RFP stage with the knowledge that the demand for an expansion licence is strong,” O’Rourke said.

BELOW: EVERY TEAM IN A-LEAGUE EXPANSION RACE

The players’ union chief executive John Didulica declared that calculated expansion could transform the game into a “billion-dollar” industry.

“Expanding our professional footprint would create opportunities for footballers, coaches and administrators, whilst creating a platform for communities throughout Australia who aspire to be represented by an elite football club. Without doing so, it’ll become increasingly challenging to be internationally competitive,” Didulica said.

“Building a professional footprint capable of achieving these objectives over the next decade through A-League expansion and a second tier of competition is probably a billion-dollar investment by the industry.”

A-League clubs’ (APFCA) chairman Greg Griffin said they were eager to expand aggressively.

“We support expansion. Ideally, within 4-5 years we want to see the competition run independently with 16 teams,’’ Griffin said.

“The current process we’re not supportive of simply because they haven’t been consulted with us in any meaningful way. With likely changes to the (FFA) Congress, it’s inappropriate to award new licenses when the landscape of the game could be entirely different in November 2018.

“We want expansion but we want to ensure they’re in the right place and right location – good for A-League, works for existing clubs and financial terms are for the benefit of A-League and not FFA revenues.

“The general feeling amongst clubs is that the next two expansion teams will most likely be located somewhere in Sydney and Melbourne.

“The second division is absolutely in play.”

FFA EXPANSION TIMELINES

EOI submission due — 24 May 2018

Confirmation of short-listed bidders — June 2018

Release of Request for Proposal — 11 June 2018

Deadline for submission of proposals — 31 August 2018

Announcement — 31 October 2018

Paywall

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/football/a-league/revealed-the-15-clubs-battling-for-two-aleague-expansion-spots

THE CONTENDERS

VICTORIA

“TEAM 11” (SOUTH-EAST VICTORIA)

Population: 1,500,000

Stadium: New stadium next to Dandenong Station (Casey Fields training base)

Products: Vince Grella, Eugene Galekovic, Jackson Irvine, Bailey Wright, Scott McDonald

Dream signing: Jackson Irvine

Shrewd signing: Scott McDonald

Ideal coach: Harry Kewell/Ante Milicic

Local councils (Greater Dandenong, Casey, Cardinia Shire), local businesses.

A clear geographic divide from Victory and City plus a massive football supporter/player base to work with in a region deprived of a professional club.

SOUTH MELBOURNE

Membership: 9100

Stadium: Lakeside Stadium (12,000)

Products: Ange Postecoglou, Paul Trimboli, Con Boutsianis, George Christopoulos

Dream signing: Andreas Samaris

Shrewd signing: Georgios Samaras

Ideal coach: John Anastasiadis

The four-time NSL champions are eager to return to the national stage and have made some serious noise for the past two years. Lakeside Stadium is a picturesque home.

WESTERN MELBOURNE

Population: 1,000,000

Stadium: Proposed new 15,000-seat stadium in Wyndham

Products: Josip Skoko, Mathew Leckie, Matthew Spiranovic, Steve Horvat

Dream signing: Matthew Spiranovic

Shrewd signing: Adrian Leijer

Ideal coach: Josip Skoko

Repositioned as a western Melbourne club after emanating as a Geelong-based bid. A newly built stadium will be the cornerstone in this fast growing corridor.

BELGRAVIA LEISURE

Population: 4,000,000 (Melbourne)

Stadium: TBC

Former Melbourne Victory chairman Geoff Lord, who was linked to Wollongong Wolves, is believed to be launching an 11th hour bid from Melbourne.

TASMANIA

Population: 520,000

Stadium: North Hobart Oval (18,000)

Dream signing: Tim Cahill

Shrewd signing: Nathaniel Atkinson

Ideal coach: Harry Kewell

Bankrolled by former Victory shareholders Robert Belteky and Harry Stamoulis, the Tasmania bid has government support amid the AFL’s reluctance to enter.

NSW

SOUTH-WEST SYDNEY (LIVERPOOL)

Population: 550,000

Stadium: TBC

Dream signing: Mario Balotelli

Shrewd signing: Mile Jedinak

Ideal coach: Ante Milicic/Mark Rudan

An exclusively local-based consortium, which is negotiating to buy a share in Wellington Phoenix, with financial backing and headed by Gino Marra.

MACARTHUR BID (CAMPBELLTOWN)

Population: 550,000

Stadium: Campbelltown Sports Ground (20,000)

Dream signing: Fernando Torres

Shrewd signing: Tomi Juric

Ideal coach: Ante Milicic/Mark Rudan

Although a slight geographic divide from the above bid, a merger appears logical. Backed by billionaire property developer Lang Walker, with Socceroos great Brett Emerton joining as ambassador.

SOUTHERN EXPANSION (SUTHERLAND-ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA)

Population: 750,000

Stadium: Shark Park (22,000), Jubilee Oval Kogarah (20,000), WIN Stadium Wollongong (23,000)

Dream signing: Andres Iniesta

Shrewd signing: Daniel Arzani

Ideal coach: Harry Kewell

Former Socceroo Craig Foster and ex-NSW premier Morris Iemma headline the group backed by Hong Kong-listed investors, Jiayuan property group, who want to build their own stadium.

WOLLONGONG WOLVES

Population: 320,000

Stadium: WIN Stadium (23,000)

Dream signing: Adam Federici

Shrewd signing: Luke Wilkshire

Ideal coach: Nick Theodorakopoulos

The former NSL champions are in the midst of a turf war with Southern Expansion over the Illawarra region. But the crowds have showed up for FFA Cup games.

ACT

CANBERRA

Population: 400,000

Stadium: Canberra Stadium (25,000)

Dream signing: Tom Rogic

Shrewd signing: Keisuke Honda

Ideal coach: Josip Simunic

Launching a late bid, and believed to have private Canberra-based backers. Many hold the view that Australia’s capital should have A-League representation.

QUEENSLAND

BRISBANE CITY

Membership: 2000

Stadium: Ballymore Stadium (19,000 — needs to be redeveloped)

Dream signing: Gianluigi Buffon

Shrewd signing: Kenny Dougall

Ideal coach: Thomas Broich

Led by well-connected former politician Robert Cavallucci, Brisbane City has claims to being the strongest bid from Queensland, although much hinges on a Ballymore redevelopment.

GOLD COAST UNITED

Membership: 1200

Stadium: Robina Stadium (27,000 capacity)

Dream signing: Tommy Oar

Shrewd signing: Michael Thwaite

Ideal coach: Paul Okon

Remnants of the defunct Gold Coast United, although it has nothing to do with Clive Palmer. Same colours, similar logo and a core of fans who want to return to the A-League.

WESTERN PRIDE/IPSWICH

Membership: 1400

Stadium: Revamped North Ipswich Reserve (currently 5000 capacity)

Dream signing: Neil Kilkenny

Shrewd signing: Dylan Wenzel-Halls

Ideal coach: Mike Mulvey

Queensland’s reigning NPL champions, who went quiet amid a local political scandal, but they made be launching an 11th hour bid backed by foreign investors.

WA

FREMANTLE

Population: 40,000 / Members: 1100

Stadium: nib Stadium (20,500)

Dream signing: Gianluigi Buffon

Shrewd signing: Brad Jones

Ideal coach: Fabio Capello

Fremantle would create a geographic divide and the new Perth Stadium (to be completed in 2018) will be ideal for derbies. Long-term they would look at redeveloping Fremantle Oval.

SA

ADELAIDE II

Population: 1.3 million

Stadium: Coopers Stadium (15,000)

Dream signing: Andres Iniesta

Shrewd signing: Franck Ribery

Ideal coach: Aurelio Vidmar

West Adelaide has submitted a bid, with fellow former NSL club Adelaide City keen to pursue a spot in the second division.

WHO are the favourites? 

I really want tassie or Canberra to get in  

my favourite

Thanks 2018 - the bold above made do a double take though...don't think he's allowed back in the country :D

Well, his commitment to the cause showed on no greater stage than the World Cup! He did go the extra mile and get 3 yellows against us. Surely that deserves a medal or something better!

No they wouldn't be redeveloping Fremantle Oval for a Football Team, Is still used by South Fremantle and soon East Fremantle in a few years, It is getting turned into a Community Oval with grass banks etc.

This is news to me.

So just take two of these and let the rest of the bids die forever, or stump up for a 14 team A2-League?

some this stuff is fanciful

capello coaching in Australia ?
second team from Adelaide ?
iniesta and buffon coming to play here ?

Should just make it open slather up to a max of 20 teams lol, whoever wants to enter needs to have a bid based on #metrics and stump up 10-12mil each in fees.

EZ.

-PB

We know the FFA will select the two worst bids for expansion in 2019/20, then alienate the rest and set back any future expansion for another 5-10 years.

There are two ways this can be done without alienating any expansion bidders.

Option 1: Select the best two bids for entry ASAP, and add the most ready bids in intervals announced years in advance (like what the MLS has been doing) until the A-League is 16 or 18 teams. Any bids that missed out get entry into the second tier when it is established and expanded. So something like this:
2018-19: South Melbourne, Wollongong Wolves.
2019-20: Southern Expansion, Brisbane City.
2020-21: Canberra, Geelong.
2021-22: Tasmania, Team 11 (giving both enough times to sort out their stadiums first).
Even if its every two seasons instead of one, this at least gives the bids certainty they will enter, even if not immediate.

Option 2: Put all of these willing bids into a 16 team second division, running on the model of the AAFCs Australian Championship. Each season, the top two teams from the second division get promoted to the A-League, until there are 16 teams in the A-League. The best from the NPL get promoted to the Australian Championship to keep the number of teams in the second division at 16, and to provide initial security and stability there is no relegation from either the A-League or Australian Championship. Once both leagues are at 16 teams each and have consolidated, promotion and relegation can be brought into the discussion. The timeline would look like this:
2019-20: Australian Championship is launched with 16 teams, using a balanced round robin system running 30 rounds. First past the post are automatically promoted at the end of the season, while positions 2nd-5th compete in promotion playoffs to determine the other team to be promoted to the A-League. The top two from the NPL (or next best teams that accept promotion) are promoted to the Australian Championship.
2020-21: A-League has 12 teams, Australian Championship has 16. Same as last season, two teams are promoted from the Australian Championship at the end of the season. Two teams are promoted from the NPL to enter the Australian Championship.
2021-22: A-League has 14 teams, Australian Championship has 16. Same as last season, two teams are promoted from the Australian Championship at the end of the season. Two teams are promoted from the NPL to enter the Australian Championship.
2022-23: A-League has 16 teams, Australian Championship has 16. In this season both leagues are consolidated (lessened regulations, alligning the format that becomes the new norm for both leagues, etc.) and remain the same.
2023-24: A-League has 16 teams, Australian Championship has 16. At the end of this season, the bottom two teams from the A-League are replaced with two teams from the Australian Championship (first instance of top flight relegation in the A-League occurs in 2024, as per the view that P&R will occur no earlier than 2024). No relegation from the Championship to the NPL as of yet.
2024-25: The new norm - the 16 team A-League is connected to the 16 team Championship by promotion and relegation. Both leagues run for 30 rounds on a balanced schedule. When the time is right, relegation to the NPL from the Championship can occur.       

Not only were the marquee suggestions laughable, they were completely irrelevant and added nothing to the article.

So many interested groups but would the FFA budge is another thing, its there toy after all.

Everyone has so many alternatives, its great.

I created one in another thread on in 'An Alternative Model-Discussion' check it out if you can.

Imagine how passion its on here could be replicated at the FFA board for the future of the a-league.