Expansion of the A-League to a 12-team competition remains the ultimate goal of the Football Federation of Australia but that will largely hinge on the off-field success of the new season and the crucial support from broadcast partners.

Season 10 of the A-League could prove to be the most critical yet as its ability to maintain the viewer, spectator and membership growth of recent years will prove influential for the future in the toughest sporting market.

The head of the A-League, Damien De Bohun, says the groundwork for expansion will begin early this season when the FFA opens talks with broadcast partners over funding of a 12-team competition involving six televised games a week.
"We're expecting continued growth, we're pushing forward into the mainstream, which is very important": Damien de Bohun.

"We're expecting continued growth, we're pushing forward into the mainstream, which is very important": Damien de Bohun. Photo: James Boddington

While there will be no new team entering the league until the expiration of the TV-deal following the 2016-17 season, official talks will begin before the end of the year with broadcast partners Fox Sports and SBS, as well as other interested parties.

The FFA has a strong desire to expand the competition, though their ability to do so strongly relies on broadcast partners to fund a competition that could last 33 rounds with six games a week. As such, the importance of further improving TV ratings, attendances and memberships within the league will become the governing body's priority this season.

"This is a critical year," De Bohun said at Fox Sports A-League launch. "We're expecting continued growth, we're pushing forward into the mainstream, which is very important."

On the eve of a season many hope signals the arrival of the A-League into adulthood, the FFA insist the game has not completed its formative years as the task of building the its framework continues to be the main focus of the FFA.

Improving audiences, memberships, attendances and sponsorships remain the key targets for the FFA in a season that could prove to be one of the most definitive. Increasing those four key areas could serve as the platform for expansion and a 12-team competition that could coincide with the arrival of the next TV-deal at the earliest point in time.

"We've got a very clear commitment until 2017 with our current broadcast rights," De Bohun said. "It is really important to have that stability and the continuity but at the same time, in the coming months we will have discussions about future broadcasts. Fox Sports have been incredible partners of the Hyundai A-League and obviously SBS 1 broadcasting this year, too. As we'll sit down with broadcasters like them and potentially others, we'll start to assess whether an additional two teams and one more game per week will be valuable in a commercial sense and if it is, we'll look at it seriously."

Already the A-League is expecting a landmark season in terms of interest as memberships are on target to increase by up to 15 per cent across the competition, matching the FFA's expectations of more than 2 million supporters through the turnstiles. A move of the A-League from SBS 2 to SBS 1 for live Friday night games will likely provide some improvement in free-to-air audience figures.

Already there are positive signs for the game in what is poised to be a pivotal year in the plan to expand. The momentum of fan interest has never been higher after the bounce-on effect of last year's World Cup, maintained by the FFA Cup, Asian Champions League and now to the A-League. If it can be sustained and attract more than the rusted-on viewers, it may open the door for two new teams.

"There's no doubt as the league continues to grow, it's something we need to contemplate," De Bohun said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/aleague-expansion-depends-on-success-of-new-season-20141003-10q01m.html#ixzz3F59SbUoU

Wollongong, Canberra. Done.

Prepare for Brisbane Team 2 & Regional Victoria/3rd Melbourne for 13/14, then hit Tasmania and a second Adelaide team for 15 & 16, Penrith & Campbelltown for 17 & 18. Let Gold Coast, North Queensland, a 2nd NZ and a 4th Victorian side fight out the rest of the spots.

the only possible options they could be considering:
- Wollongong Wolves
- Canberra United
- South Sydney (Sydney Athletic etc...)
- Brisbane/Ipswich (Brisbane Strikers/ Ipswich Rovers)
- South-eastern Melbourne (Dandenong ......, Frankston......., Melbourne......)
- Auckland City

not ready yet:
- hobart
- south-west sydney
- geelong
- townsville
- gold coast
- cairns

the only possible options they could be considering:
- Wollongong Wolves
- Canberra United
- South Sydney (Sydney Athletic etc...)
- Brisbane/Ipswich (Brisbane Strikers/ Ipswich Rovers)
- South-eastern Melbourne (Dandenong ......, Frankston......., Melbourne......)
- Auckland City

not ready yet:
- hobart
- south-west sydney
- geelong
- townsville
- gold coast
- cairns

Oh boy! This thread again!!

What exactly does NZ provide but more travel cost. Fucking amazing you people.

Wollongong and South West Sydney in 2017

Springfield (Brisbane 2), Canberra, 3rd Melbourne (Casey?) Adelaide 2 2021

Wollongong, Canberra. Done.

Prepare for Brisbane Team 2 & Regional Victoria/3rd Melbourne for 2013/14, then hit Tasmania and a second Adelaide team for 15 & 16, Penrith & Campbelltown for 17 & 18. Let Gold Coast, North Queensland, a 2nd NZ and a 4th Victorian side fight out the rest of the spots.

I think Mack meant seasons? Unless we're living in the past :)

While there will be no new team entering the league until the expiration of the TV-deal following the 2016-17 season, official talks will begin before the end of the year with broadcast partners Fox Sports and SBS, as well as other interested parties.

Oh boy! This thread again!!

What exactly does NZ provide but more travel cost. Fucking amazing you people.

People making lists again... We can't select where the teams come from, we have to go where the money is.

FFA should provide a clear list of requirements to prospective bidders, then look at the bids to see which are the most viable... And if that ends up being a South Sydney side and a Wollongong side, so be it - we shouldn't cry about NSW bias...

http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/330522179764/Gallop-answers-the-questions?__federated=1

You should watch this. Straight from the horses mouth.

Everybody on here says Wollongong is not part of Sydney. Thus not "millions"

Northern Spirit when it entered the NSL had good crowds.So why wouldn't a new Northern Spirit be successful?

I think that is true to some extent - but Gallop also talks about long term vision. Simply put the increase in population in the next 20 years will see an extra 5-6 million people in the coastal area between Brisbane and Melbourne. I see Gallop trying to follow the expanding area.

And while Wollongong is not Sydney it is very accessible to a large portion of the Sydney millions, especially the football loving millions, rather than the rugby union north shore and rugby league northern beaches that the Mariners are close to.

South West Sydney is close to WSW but is also a projected major growth area especially when you consider Badgerys Creek development. The Liverpool - Campbelltown - Badgerys Creek triangle in particular is a large area with a good population that will only become more dense.

I would have picked Springfield( Ipswich - Logan - Toowoomba) as the 2nd of the 2017 teams but I think they need a different stadium that Suncorp to differentiate themselves. A new stadium at Springfield is mooted by 2020 as is the Civic stadium in Canberra, The other big area of growth is expected to be Perth so the possibility of a Perth 2 is also there.

My prediction:
Third Sydney team.
Second Brisbane team.
Both representing a particular geographical area.