Southeast business leaders back Team 11’s Melbourne A-League bid

TEAM 11 has taken a huge step in its push to become the next A-League club, securing a multimillion-dollar local investment coup to help it develop a home in Melbourne’s southeast.

Coach of the Dandenong Thunder FC Veton Korcari (centre) and players LEFT Brandon Barnes and RIGHT Josh Bragg in their clubrooms. They'll wear green and black for their last home match of the season in support of Team 11.. the bid to get an A-League and W-League football team in Melbourne's South East. PICTURE : PENNY STEPHENS. 21ST AUGUST 2018

TEAM 11 has taken a huge step in its push to become the next A-League club, securing a multimillion-dollar local investment coup to help it develop a home in Melbourne’s southeast.

And Dandenong was better placed to capitalise on a new boutique stadium than Docklands was prior to Marvel Stadium’s development, according to property developer and Team 11 co-owner Renato Pellicano.

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The Team 11 board: Tony Selak, Colin Madden, Max Shifman, Ghadir Razuki and Renato Pellicano.

Fellow southeast businessmen Colin Madden (RMBL Investments), Max Shifman (Intrapac Property) and a consortium of locals connected with grassroots clubs were also announced as investors.

They join major shareholder Gerry Ryan, whose Jayco empire is based in Dandenong, and ex-Melbourne City owner and interim Team 11 chairman, publishing prince Ghadir Razuki.

Representing the 1.7 million southeast Victorian population, the Dandenong-anchored bid has huge potential according to property giants Pellicano Group, who’ve done most of their $3 billion-plus developments in the region.

“It’s got limitless potential. We’ve done business in Dandenong for over 50 years and it’s always had a fair degree of business activity as Melbourne’s second city,’’ Pellicano said.

Coach of the Dandenong Thunder FC Veton Korcari (centre) and players LEFT Brandon Barnes and RIGHT Josh Bragg in their clubrooms. They'll wear green and black for their last home match of the season in support of Team 11.. the bid to get an A-League and W-League football team in Melbourne's South East. PICTURE : PENNY STEPHENS. 21ST AUGUST 2018

“It’s hard to predict (how big it can be), but the population is already in and around that infrastructure. It just needs a heartbeat.

“It’s no different to the ideology around Docklands. (Build) the stadium, some retail and corporate businesses so there’s jobs and activity at the street level and it brings life to a region.

“Docklands was a slow burn because they had to build the apartments and get people there. Where Dandenong CBD and the surrounding regions, there are hundreds of longstanding businesses. It just needs a centrepiece to go with it.”

The private investment is a vital step for Team 11, which has been driven by the Greater Dandenong, City of Casey and Cardinia Shire Councils.

An artist’s impression of the proposed new Dandenong Stadium for Team 11’s southeast Melbourne A-League bid.

“No-one is going into this to make money, everyone just want to invest together to create something together that can give a lot of people a lot of joy,’’ Pellicano said.

“I’m a football fan and it’s our backyard. Dandenong has been good for business so this is an avenue to try and give something back to the community and try create something that we’ll be proud of.

“The multiculturalism of the region is a big part of it. The passion is to unite the community behind one team.”

Razuki, Madden, Shifman, Pellicano and Tony Selak (local consortium) were unveiled as Team 11 board members.

At least two new expansion clubs will be announced after the November 18 FFA AGM, with South Melbourne and Western Melbourne also bidding from Victoria. NSW has two bids (Macarthur South-West Sydney and Southern Expansion) and the last is from Canberra.