The A-Leauge has the task of whittling 15 expansion bids down to just six – no easy task when there are more than six good contenders – and it’s made even harder when just two of those will end up entering the competiton.
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» Click here for the rest of the country’s bids
The two I like the most are Wollongong and Tasmania. The Wolves should have been a foundation club who were there from the start. They have history and a whole raft of ready-made, genuine vitriolic derbies with Sydney FC, Wanderers, Newcastle, Central Coast and an old rivalry with Perth.
As Wolves CEO Chris Papakosmas puts it, “No other sport can put that on the table, no other team can offer the level of romance and marketability that the Wolves can.”
But there is one other possibility who could, and that’s Tasmania.
After two previous attempts at joining the national top flight and after being neglected by the AFL, who put the Gold Coast and Western Sydney before them, Tasmania have plenty of goodwill from many fans.
With a solid bid backed by Harry Stamoulis and Robert Belteky, there’s a genuine chance that Tasmania could finally make it. That’ll be a great story for the A-League.
Tasmania will have traditional rivalries with Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, as well as Western Sydney, who beat them in the last round of expansion.
But their biggest rivalry might be with Wollongong, who will be most people’s second team.
Romance might not sound like a sound basis for a business case, but if romance is what people want to see like when Leicester City won the Premier League or when Wollongong were crowned NSL champions, then romance is a big factor.
It’s hard to find that kind of romance in a closed league made up of ‘plastic franchise teams’ and it’s something the A-League needs more of. You’ll find it if you add Wollongong and Tasmania.
It might be hard to chart on a spreadsheet but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
The next four
In addition to picking an eventual two there are four other places in the shortlist of six. So, who can we eliminate?
Starting with Queensland, Ipswich are the weakest link. First proposed by David Gallop when he was head of the NRL, it was all about supporting the business case for a 30,000-seat stadium in Ipswich for an NRL team and had nothing to do with football.
Brisbane City are also a poor choice due to the risk of creating two small teams, which both end up struggling, with the biggest winner being rugby union who own Ballymore.
Gold Coast are a safer option in Queensland but they are still the Gold Coast.
West Adelaide? Forget it.
Looking to Victoria now, South Melbourne and Belgravia Leisure both get the chop. In the face of such strong bids from both Western and South East Melbourne they simply can’t compete.
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In Sydney there are three bids, two of which have major weaknesses.
Southern Expansion and South West Sydney are too wide-ranging and have problems with identity. In the case of Southern Expansion, the way they treat Wollongong for the sake of making their own ‘metrics’ look better is a disgrace.
Who’s left?
The final shortlist of six starts with Wollongong and Tasmania, who were my final two, followed by Western Melbourne, South East Melbourne, Canberra, Macarthur and Fremantle.
I know that’s actually seven, but why keep Wellington when there are more compelling choices?
Wollongong and Tasmania are needed to add romance and will bring genuine derbies and rivalries all over the place.
South East Melbourne and West Melbourne each have catchments of over a million and will change the sporting landscape of Melbourne with the ‘Battle of the Bay’ as its centrepiece. Dandenong’s stadium plans are already getting more press than the A-League finals series.
Canberra as the nation’s capital and base of 31,000 players is an important nursery for developing future Socceroos.
Macarthur could fill the gap left by the Western Suburbs Magpies in the NRL and has the backing of Lang Walker. As well as a new Western Sydney Derby, it’ll also set up a ‘Surf ‘n’ Turf Derby’ with Sydney FC.
Fremantle is a bit iffy but has the potential of creating a massive derby with Perth Glory. When Wellington get the boot, then Fremantle can take their place.
But why stop at two?
The TV deal only allows money to be increased for two new expansion teams but if four other bids are willing to pay their own way until the next TV deal, then who am I to judge.
Alternatively, if Fox Sports or Telstra can see the potential of the new clubs, then they might be willing to increase their level of support to make the league stronger. You never know.
Adding six new teams in one ‘big bang’ might be just what the A-League needs to get going.
Or promotion-relegation…
gcaldro
Guest
COME ON YOU WOLVES
Dart
Guest
It is precisely because there are no teams in those areas that the A-league should look to expand there. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane all have teams already and the crowds hardly suggest that there is sufficient demand for more teams. Melbourne City averaged about 10,000 last season in a city of nearly five million. The Wolves averaged about 6,000 back in 2000, though the city had a population of just over a quarter of a million at the time. I believe the A-league will draw bigger crowds than the NSL. I am not opposed to more teams in the major cities, but the A-league need to expand into new markets as well.
Raj
Guest
You mention the potential for deribies if Wollongong and Tassie entered?! ummm there are no existing teams in those regions! also little rivarly between Newcastle v Sydney etc... Sometimes it seems like people look at a map of Australia and want a nice spread to make it look pretty when Australia really has only 2 dominant cities Place the teams where there are huge growing populations.... It has to be an extra team from Melbourne and one from Sydney. Then we start to see more genuine rivalries like the AFL and NRL
Christian
Guest
What happened to the Geelong bid which seemed to disappear quietly at the last min?
Leonard
Guest
But don't the Fuehrers of FIFA want Wellington out because of its being in Oceania?
Leonard
Guest
About "an A-league team cost much less to run than an AFL team" - when will everybody stop using 'team/s' and start using 'club/s', which is what the reality is. With that broader focus, face the reality that a 'club' is an annual 35 to 55 million dollar commitment year after year after year after .. .. .. .. .. Hence the key question: are there enough local sources big enough to fund a 'club', whether in the AFL or the -League. Still, don't fret yourselves: the Hobart daily, the Mercury (often called "a southern newspaper" in northern media) still hasn't got it in its 'One State / One Team' AFL campaign, which often seems to assume that the president, board and CEO of a Melbourne-based AFL club will one night front a club AGM with "Oh, BTW, next season we'll be playing eight of our eleven Home games down there in li'l ol' Tazzee". Exeunt stage left right and centre, pursued by several thousand members as mad as bears! As for an A-League Tasmanian club, by Rd 20, with seven still to go, any initial 5000 would likely be heading down to the 1500 / 2000 / 2500 total. And cricket doesn't count for evidence: the BBL is squeezed into a few summer weeks, and Tasmania's Shield team (which, ipso facto, is not a 'club') is in a state-based competition. As for a SAAAAAAAANOPQRZAJXYZR club or an NRL club - tell yourself you're dreamin'!
Nick Symonds
Guest
CORRECTION - ‘The total number of registered players in Northern NSW alone has grown by 42% in the last decade to a record figure of 64,186 players for 2016.’ http://northernnswfootball.com.au/football-named-australias-biggest-club-based-participation-sport/
Nick Symonds
Guest
"According to the Socceroos historian , more Socceroos from Newcastle then Melbourne." There are 55,000 registered players in Victoria compared to almost 50,000 in NNSW.
Jarijari
Guest
Good summary of the contenders Nick. No Fremantle fans here but if they're backed by Juventus they might be half a chance.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Absolutely, but the same argument also applies that the once a year for a couple of years attendances of the A-League aren't a reliable indicator of what a regular long term presence may be like.
Kangajets
Guest
According to the Socceroos historian , more Socceroos from Newcastle then Melbourne. Wowzerz And if Ipswich are viable , bring them in with the gong Canberra and 3 Melbourne teams
Kangajets
Guest
According to the Socceroos historian , more Socceroos from Newcastle then Melbourne. Wowzerz
B
Guest
You want to dump Wellington, a team that has never needed an FFA bailout (unlike Brisbane, Newcastle, etc), and bring in 6 new teams? That makes no sense; there is no way all of these teams will be financially solvent or attract a crowd.
Nick Symonds
Guest
Agreed. Just a surprising crowd for Romania v Namibia. I never even knew they played rugby. Then again it was the Rugby Union WC, if it was the League WC it would of drawn a much smaller crowd.
Fadida
Guest
A once off crowd for a once in a lifetime experience. Irrelevant to the discussion
Mark
Guest
That approach has been tried before. Sydney Rovers was the outcome. Google them if you’re not familiar with them.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Not so far as I know at York Park, and the AFL probably wouldn't allow it after Christmas. At North Hobart it is much more feasible, it is a far smaller oval to begin with (too small for AFL level now) and temporary seating could possibly be used on just the southern side and eastern end allowing decent (not good, but good enough) viewing until an 8-10k rectangle could be built - maybe in Glenorchy. But if based full time at Hobart it has to be sustainable by Hobart alone - and even a full state side is very, very doubtful financially. The only advantage a Tasmanian team has is the ability to schedule day games, which won't crossover with other broadcast matches. Once every couple of years Hobart has a "too hot to play" day, but most of the time it would be uncomfortably warm at worst without being dangerously hot.
Nick Symonds
Guest
DAILY FOOTBALL SHOW - The pros and cons of all 15 A-League expansion hopefuls - This article covers almost all the same points I did, but a few things stood out: BRISBANE CITY The Roar’s struggles in recent times, however, call into question the case for a second Brisbane team, with concerns abounding that adding a second team would serve to simply divide the Brisbane pie instead of growing it. As with all the former NSL clubs launching bids, there are also concerns about the potential widespread appeal of the club. WOLLONGONG While there are rumours of significant financial backing behind the scenes, nothing has been revealed publicly, potentially raising concerns for the FFA about investment and the ongoing financial security of the club. SOUTHWEST SYDNEY The bid is headed by Club Director Gino Marra, who is also a director of the Australian Association of Football Clubs (AAFC), which is seeking to establish a second tier in Australia with the eventual implementation of promotion and relegation. + With strong ties to former NSL clubs, much like South Melbourne, it also faces perception challenges from those who see the pre-A-League era as ‘the bad old days’. CANBERRA There are also questions over the bid’s home ground, with Canberra Stadium nominally earmarked as a potential home with a new stadium also potentially discussed. There are also concerns about the interest that a team from Canberra could command on the national stage, with any Canberra side lacking a true local rival to drive national interest. WEST ADELAIDE the nature of the bid’s ownership might turn off an FFA that has had its clashes with the City Football Group in the past. There are also doubts about Adelaide’s capacity for supporting a second A-League side, with concerns that Adelaide is too much of a Reds town for another bid to prosper. SOUTH MELBOURNE There are, however, concerns outside the club about upgrades required to Lakeside Stadium, as well as the levels of private and public support for the bid beyond the rusted-on South fanbase. SOUTH EAST MELBOURNE Going against the bid is its lack of private investment. Team 11 at this stage seems almost entirely reliant on local, state and federal funding for its proposed stadium and training base at Casey Fields. WEST MELBOURNE Melbourne’s west is Victory and traditionally Melbourne Knights territory, and the lack of a centre of commerce in Melbourne’s west means the bid could struggle for private investment in the medium to long-term. SOUTHERN EXPANSION Giving FFA pause, however, would be that the bid is set to be housed in a region that is experiencing one of the lowest rates of growth in the country, an area that is also in the heart of Sydney FC’s biggest membership base. With intentions of bringing three culturally distinct regions (St George, Sutherland and Wollongong) under their banner, the bid has also been met with incredulity, and even outright hostility, by both locals and the Australian football public, which will be difficult to overcome. IPSWICH While it may serve as a point of difference to the existing Roar, the bid plans to play out of a redeveloped North Ipswich reserve, which may prove too small. MACARTHUR While billionaire Lang Walker has thrown his support behind the bid as an ambassador, his commitment to the financial backing of the club is unclear and it may find itself playing catchup with the local community given Southwest Sydney FC’s efforts. https://dailyfootballshow.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-all-15-a-league-expansion-hopefuls/
Onside
Guest
Politics came into it somewhere. Apparently ( I haven't been there)Queensland rail built a 'huge' railway station at Springfield to handle the then proposed AFL crowds. Maybe change of government ? But hey, the large railway station has been built.
Onside
Guest
What have the FFA got planned for The Northern Territory Sure heat is an issue, especially as the HAL is a summer comp,but the NT is the mother lode of talented aboriginal athletes who are naturally gifted, instinctive ball players.