The latest A-League Men (ALM) club instalment should be a team managed by Josip Šimunić, assisted by Carl Valeri, and captained by Tom Rogic.
A quiet, overachieving breeding ground for respectable footballing figures, Canberra has once again emerged in headlines as a candidate for expansion.
The names above, Canberrans themselves, represent a community of talent, ambition and sporting pedigree.
A city that has reached the lofty heights in rugby league and union alike, the ACT has long stood among the giants of Australian football. Indeed, the Canberra Cosmos, a former club of the National Soccer League (NSL), dissolved years before the NSL itself was ultimately replaced by the now ALM.
Canberra’s absence from the top-tier of male football spans more than two decades.
Despite the exclusion, Canberra has maintained its footballing growth in other areas. Canberra United of the A-League Women (ALW) has competed in the top tier of women’s football for 15 years, conquering multiple seasons and claiming silverware.
The growth of the game increased by three per cent in 2020 – a COVID season – alone. And frequent featuring of Canberra-bred footballers at national level continues for both male and female teams alike.
The ascendancy of Canberra’s ALW side is most curious. Canberra United’s existence – let alone its deserved success – makes for a unique situation whereby the pathway for female footballers in the ACT is clearer than for males. This is an experience not shared in other states.
Michelle Heyman of United looks on during the round four A-League Womens match between Canberra United and Brisbane Roar at Viking Park (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The ALM’s inevitable expansion invites communities to bid their case. Canberra’s footballing community have a circumstantial advantage that should raise more eyebrows than most: football’s rectangular field cousins in the Canberra Raiders and Brumbies happen to be in the midst of discussing the prospect of a newly built stadium with the ACT government.
The topic has generated an expression of interest by Senator David Pocock, who considers the federal government as the entity responsible for taking the lead. Should such a project eventuate, then any concerns relating to future facilities would be dashed.
Additionally, Canberra offers the ALM a means of tapping into the surrounding region – namely, the Riverina and South Coast NSW, with both neighbouring regions combining for a quarter of a million in population.
With Canberra’s population augmented by its immediate neighbours, you would have communities who could not only identify and support its nearest club, but share the responsibility of hosting matches. In the same way that the city of Wagga Wagga now hosts an annual Canberra Raiders game, so too could ALM matches be played in the Riverina and Shoalhaven on occasion.
Finally, is the Canberra community’s ability to inject refreshed passion into the league.
With the ALM drawing fierce criticism for its dubious governance and poor relationship with fans, Canberrans offer a fanbase that would exude energy and relief in its overdue arrival. A multicultural fanbase whose active support group named ‘Capital Punishment’ travelling the road is what the league needs.
Kancil Kulcherarse
Guest
In short, a resounding "NO!" Reason is, Canberra had teams in the past and very few people showed up. Less than 2k on average to the Canberra Cosmos. Do they even have a 'soccer' culture up in the ACT? It is NRL and a bit of union. Possibly some AFL for the southern transplants.
con
does not imply any generosity will be afforded to soccer :football:
Cavaquinho
Roar Rookie
For the sake of the structure of the A-League it is Tasmania before Canberra for me. Canberra will get going when there is a Second Division.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Liverpool is the halfway point between Leumah and Parramatta. The order of clubs from north to south, is Marconi, Sydney Utd, Bonyrigg. Marconi is level with Fairfield, Sydney Utd with Canley Vale, and Bonyrigg with Cabramatta. Three ethnic clubs next door to each and Serbians and the Croatians will be at each others throats as well. Plus you have Mounties Maltese next door to Bonyrigg. Bossy Liverpool the Bosnian club is south of them all below Liverpool and is the one closest to Leumah but even then they are not that close either.
Christo the Daddyo
Roar Rookie
Well done on missing the point…
AR
Guest
“Canberra will have 7-8000 members and have regular crowds of 6000+.” - the mighty WSW (population 2 million) can muster 9.5k per game to their brand new stadium. MacArthur gets 4k…if anyone believes that number. “…it all becomes a mute point unless we get some incredible circuit breaker (Ronaldo playing in the A League for example).“ - don’t hold your breath. Ronaldo just accepted $310M per year to play in the Saudi league.
Foot and ball
Guest
Endensor Park, Sydney utd and Narconi are all S/W. That's Macarthur mire than Parramatta. Double storey new homes out in the Macarthur area.
Angelo Tyro
Guest
You don't know Macarthur and no, Sydney Utd and Marconi are borderline to Macarthur. Auburn and Westmead are close to Parramatta.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
If Expansion happens it will be 2 teams added not 1 as Football doesn't like byes and If Ray Gatt is to be believed the preferred expansion sites are Canberra and Auckland through there might be a conflict over who owns Canberra if approved as there are Rumoured to be Bidders willing to buy a licence for Canberra but it also is Rumoured that the APL wants to own the team then sell it off for a profit down the road
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Bossley Park and Edensor Park are both closer to Parramatta. A stadium in Liverpool and you would have well over 1 million within 20km of the stadium versus 250k at Leumah. Wealthy people aren't going to be living in a flat in Macarthur they will have a large house, you have Holsworthy on one side, no population to the south, and sparse to the west. The main thing for Macarthur is the region will double in population over the next 20-30 years. Till then the owners should have been running a frugal ship with cheap tickets.
Foot and Ball
Roar Rookie
Auckland have a filthy rich backer as well. APL must hate expansion. Do they realise how much they can make through expansion? Doesn’t look like it.
Foot and Ball
Roar Rookie
The MacArthur region has a plethora of brand new, large housing estates with wealthy families moving in and leasing out to tenants as well. Junior sports is huge. Plenty of money to watch Macarthur. Just need to convince them to also follow them, as well as following Marconi and Sydney Utd, see easy.
Foot and Ball
Roar Rookie
Canberra will be bankrolled by a Saudi entity. 'Whats you talk'n bout Willis?'
Foot and Ball
Roar Rookie
Its laughable that you are this ignorant of any true facts. If Victory struggle to stay afloat, 777 Partners will increase they’re shares, up to 70%. Jets to announce new owners late January.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
There is no interest in Canberra from overseas, people dont look at Australia and say they want a team in Canberra or want to live or holday there. I dont agree on the financial viability the stadium deal and subsidy on offer from ACT government makes it easily the most likely location to break even. Canberra like most of the W-league teams were run by the local association, up until recently, even then I am sceptical as to whether they are still funding the teams.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Rather see Auckland in 1st then Canberra.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Canberra crowds will be double but not big enough to pay the bills. Their government however is know for being incredibly generous particularly to the AFL paying them 2m a year for only 3 games as well as multi million subsidies to NRL and Super Rugby teams.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Foxtel wanted it they made the TV deal to require it then they ran off , the investors in the new clubs had massive cash as well enabling, personally I thought it was an incredibly stupid idea, and they already knew the drop off from Victory to City was massive, so they had an easy indication it was going to be the failure that it has been.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Macarthur have been huge reckless overspenders from day one and the same with Western United. If the owners cant pump the money in all thats left will be a rotted carcass. If they think they can move it to one of Sydney poorest, least populated areas and then make that money out of the Aleague they are totally deluded. They will be struggling to get a fraction of that money. The CCM model is the way to go, youth players, lean operating costs, transfer fees etc. Thats the only way you can get close to breaking even in the A-league. Even City would be broke if they were relying on revenue.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
First you mention Simunic, you realise he did the same salute that got those two fans banned for life on field as a player in Croatia. Whether or not you think its the Nazi salute, the Roman salute or the special Croatian version, it seems quite incongrous, that 2 fans do it the stadium get banned versus Simunic who then did his own talking tour of the US based on doing the salute.