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In 2011, when the Melbourne Rebels run on the imaginatively named “Melbourne Rectangular Stadium”, they will represent the fourteenth professional football club to be based in the southern capital.
Fourteen clubs translates into a huge of amount of supporters, corporate dollars and media coverage needed just to cover costs and put a side on the park each week.
Six months before the Rebels make their debut, a far more risky venture will commence when the Heart become the second Melbourne-based side in the A-League and the first intra-city A-League rivalry will be born.
The big question is just who will support this new franchise??
With less than eight months until kick-off, the Heart don’t have an official name or colours, and only have six players on the books. The most exciting announcement thus far is that former Manchester United player Jesper Olsen has signed on as an assistant coach.
A pretty impressive appointment but it won’t drag fans away from the Victory or entice any new supporters to “the world game.”
The Heart has a massive challenge ahead of them to establish a supporter base prior to kick off.
Melbourne Victory is the clear frontrunner in the A-League fans stakes, yet the Victory has seen numbers drop despite two A-League titles and playing some of the more attractive football in the competition. Only twice this season have more than 25,000 fans seen the Victory at Etihad, and both matches featured main rival Sydney FC as the away team.
To reverse this trend, the Heart need to be ambitious and rope in a big name marquee that will get fans off the couch and bring them to the stadium.
There has been talk that Mark Viduka will come out of hibernation to lead the front line. However, apart from sailing off the coast of Croatia and buying property in Williamstown, no one has actually seen or heard from the man himself.
Viduka would have seen the treatment that fellow Socceroo John Aloisi has received in Sydney and may realise that the A-League may not be the best place for an aging Aussie star to collect a final pay-cheque.
So who else is out there?
If Freddie Ljungberg can earn US$5 million a season playing MLS in Seattle, then the A-League will continue to attract even the aging superstars of the game. Christian Vieri has Australian connections and was recently rumoured to be looking to a move to the Brazilain third division.
Patrick Kluivert is currently retired and could light up the local competition. Jay Jay Okocha is 36 but would be an exciting marquee option for any A-League squad.
Of those still plying their trade in Europe’s top leagues, Okocha’s compatriot Kanu could be a target, as his star is rapidly dwindling for Portsmouth. Perhaps the Heart could be a possible post-World Cup destination for the former Arsenal striker.
Whilst the current squad is small, the signing of Matt Thompson and Dean Heffernan have been mini-coups for the new franchise. Neither are household names in Melbourne but both have been superior A-League performers.
Jason Hoffman and Kristian Sarkies will be wearing Heart shirts next season, whilst there is speculation that former Socceroo Josip Skoko will return to Melbourne from his stint in Croatia.
Whatever the case, Heart coach John van ‘t Schip will need to act quickly to establish a squad that is competitive and can capture the attention of Melbourne football supporters.
The NAB Cup is only three weeks away and the Melbourne sporting landscape will again be dominated by another AFL season.
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