Dandenong Rangers.. I like the name

Isn't that the WNBL teams name?

They can already get fucked

Except there is already a major basketball club in Dandenong with that name.

For me of all the bids (in Victoria at least), this is the real sleeping giant.

If done properly, this could be massive. i really see alot of parallels with the Wanderers

Of all the sporting codes, all have been too timid to tap into the South Eastern market, you are talking about a catchment area of over 1 million people.

It would be great if they could start small, like a 10k stadium, establish a base, and grow it organically and develop an identity for the area.

I have no doubts in my mind, if done properly it would work.

Don't see the parrelels with the Wanderers, west Sydney was the traditional hot bed of the sport, home to many NSL clubs and an existing base, melbournes south east has never had a top tier club, not even in the NSL, they had basketball in the 90s with the south east Melbourne magic and that was it, but even they played at rod laver arena before folding, Still maintain this is where the heart license should have gone, at least as a base, but they screwed it up. It would be a 3rd plastic club and anyone who has any interest that way would already follow one of the other two that exist, could have been a different story if they tried it a decade ago, I still maintain top tier football codes will always be based out of the cbd in this city..that's the direction the vic government started taking us when they knocked over Waverley park. We don't do suburbs here anymore, it will look bush league.

As far as victorian expansion options go, its a no brainer..

1.First, and obviously smfc. All their ducks in a row. A real club that exists in the here and now, with a championship history.

2. Geelong. In the next round of expansion once they invent a club.

3. Casey. Is really the only other "ffa westfield expansion franchise metrics catchment area TM" that vic has without going completely bush. Theyre also 3rd because theyre the shittest potential away trip known to mankind.

From what I have read this is the best bid by light years... stadium is the only issue but could they use the old AFL one at least for a couple of seasons... BTW I am from the Central Coast and have no idea of how things work in little Mexico ...

Precicelsy midfielder. Youre out of your depth again. Try understanding what youre talking about before making such lofty statements like "best bid in years".

"stadium is the only issue "

Ok. Just the superfluous little irrelevant stadium thingy... And other than the fact that the proposal is for a not yet invented club, the ffa must be barking not jumping on this with both feet.

Ps. I mean who doesn't want hal teams to play out of AFL stadiums.. Thanks but no thanks.

you forgot to add the phrase 'in your opinion'.

The herald sun poll results as of now:

South Melbourne - 50%

Geelong - 19%

Casey/Dandenong - 31%

All three options have pros and cons

Surely the idea of a South - Eastern Melbourne team would have to be a very attractive option to the FFA as it meets the where the fish are mantra and the area has no local competition all, the lack of infrastructure is a not insurmountable but very real problem. 
Geelong has the stadium which is its advantage over the Eastern Melbourne option but it also has other barriers to contend with such as local AFL competition.
South Melbourne has to contend with two other Melbourne CBD teams which may work for or against it, and its supposed ethnic ties which may or may not be relevant.

Hopefully the FFA considers each bid carefully and who is to say we can't have more than one extra team in Victoria/Melbourne.

There is no chance SMFC will get granted an expansion license. The FFA would not care how by viable or successful it will be. Their only hope is through the establishment of promotion and relegation.

OK.. In my opinion Dandy is the shittest potential away trip known to mankind (besides nix).

So two out of the three options aren't even existent as clubs and SM (whose fans would've voted in the poll) only manage 50%?

Most of the votes for the other 2 would be from people that don't want south in for obvious reasons as opposed to supporting the other 2, half the vote is a pretty significant win overall, we obviously outnumber the haters. Would have thought the fastest growing region in Victoria would run us a bit closer.

True. An overwhelming landslide doesnt quite cut it.

Go out and get some fresh air draupy. 

The other option for a stadium could be Sandown as there are apparently plans to sell the land by the racing club.

There is a station there also and could be worked into a mixed use development by a generous developer :)

Overall though, how can a stadium of 10k+ be built that makes financial sense out there?There are very limited opportunities to use the stadium effectively across the year which makes this a difficult one to see happening.

In my view though, a club playing out there and not just based there would be a big strategic advantage. It's a big market that has not been tapped into effectively yet.

If a stadium solution can be reached, this would be my priority list of the 3 potential bids:

1/ South-East Melbourne
2/ South Melbourne FC
3/ Geelong

Well SW andP - no less, so-called commercial partnerships that are not fully disclosed, investing in digital platforms for grass roots, to connect them to A League-hot air..which means what?  Incentives for stakeholders at all levels, I can go on and on, I'm bored! Just expansion!!!!!!!!!!!! More strakeholders will come in with more products and services-on the field! We should be able to say yeah, we can currently sustain at least 14 teams. All I care about.

I'm sorry but I really, genuinely, don't understand what you're getting at.

Commercial partnerships can't be useless projects by definition.  The game gets something from them.  Often they can't be "fully disclosed" because the commercial partner wants it that way.  Westfield's investment in the W League would be an example perhaps?

If you mean the registration system in reference of the "digital platforms for grass roots" then I differ strongly.  It's simply the best admin tool that's ever been gifted to the local game.  Saves an absolute fucktonne of problems for small clubs and larger clubs alike.

Incentives for stakeholders at all levels?  How is that broad heading a useless project in any form?  The FFA Cup is a useless project? Or what?

If you want expansion of the professional game then you and I and a million others agree.  It's not a useless project and there are no projects useless or useful that I am aware of that contradict or conflict with the aim of increasing the size of the professional game in this country.  I only differ from many on the subject in how it should be done.  I want to see ambitious Clubs take their desire and make it happen by cooperation amongst themselves, rather than sit round whining about how it isn't being gifted to them.  If that had been the attitude of decades past then the game wouldn't even be played here today.  It would seem the loudest complainants have the least desire to do the heavy lifting. 

"We should be able to say yeah, we can currently sustain at least 14 teams. All I care about."
Laudable but nothing to do with "useless projects".  AFAIK the FFA is negotiating to have 12 teams guaranteed and possibly 14 teams in the next 4 years.  (Wouldn't surprise me if they just added 4 straight up). They have said they actually want 16 but they will only add more teams in a manner that keeps the the League stable rather than risk losing them quickly as has happened in the past.  I can live with that.
Plenty can't. 

Casey-Dandenong are ambitious.  I like that. More power to them.  If they truly believe then they will make it happen.  If they just say "we have a great idea and now we want someone else to run with it" then they will fail absolutely.

Dandenong-Casey (DC) Athletic.

Anything associated with South East Melbourne just is too long to roll off the tongue imo.

if it was 6 clubs coming together then DC United would make sense too (I think there is an MLS team called that though)

DC United is where Fred landed after Victory. You'd think there would be copyright issues with that, wouldn't there?

yeah, they'd probably have a worldwide patent the name, but I'm unsure of legalities regarding football club names. You'd imagine with traditional clubs clashes are fine, but with franchises it's more of a grey area

since Dandenong Rangers is taken, how about Melbourne Rangers FC.

Die Die Rangers Fucking Die

Mornington Magic

Really piss the AFL off and take Casey Scorpions? Or go Casey Football Group, or CFG?

East Melbourne United
or EMUs
lol