Studs Up: Where should the A-League’s next team come from?

EXPANSION chat is red-hot in Australian football at the moment. Where should the FFA expand and when? Re-live the heated discussion in our STUDS UP chat.

FFA CEO David Gallop.

EXPANSION chat is red-hot in Australian football at the moment.

Where should FFA expand and when?

David Davutovic and Matt Windley assess the interested parties, with more on their way.

What are your thoughts?

Read through the 11 options, vote for your choice and then join David Davutovic and Matt Windley from 12pm AEDT for our weekly Studs Up football chat.

The contenders: TASMANIA, SOUTH-WEST SYDNEY (CAMPBELLTOWN-LIVERPOOL), SOUTHERN, SYDNEY, WOLLONGONG, GEELONG, SOUTH MELBOURNE, SOUTH-EAST MELBOURNE (DANDENONG-CASEY), BRISBANE STRIKERS, WEST ADELAIDE, CANBERRA, PERTH II

TASMANIA: Read more here

Population: 550,000

Stadium: North Hobart Oval (18,000) and Aurora Stadium (21,000)

Products: David Clarkson, Dominic Longo, Alex Cisak

Ideal signing: Steven Gerrard

Ideal coach: Harry Kewell

Bankrolled by business heavyweights Harry Stamoulis and Rob Belteky, the Tasmania bid has strong government support and ripper stadium deals.

SOUTH-WEST SYDNEY (CAMPBELLTOWN-LIVERPOOL)

Population: 400,000

Stadium: Campbelltown Sports Ground (20,000)

Products: Brett Emerton, David Carney, Matt Thompson

Ideal signing: Mile Jedinak

Ideal coach: Mark Rudan

The south-west corridor is NSW’s fastest growing region with a love of soccer, an ideal stadium and 50km away from Wanderland.

SOUTHERN SYDNEY

Population: 360,000

Stadium: Shark Park (22,000)

Products: Alex Gersbach, Chris Ikonomidis, Joel Griffiths

Ideal signing: Wayne Rooney

Ideal coach: Harry Kewell

Lined up to replace Wellington before FFA backflipped. The Sutherland Shire has Australia’s most registered players and a perfect stadium.

WOLLONGONG

Population: 290,000

Stadium: WIN Stadium (23,000)

Products: Scott Chipperfield, Mile Sterjovski, Luke Wilkshire

Ideal signing: Luke Wilkshire

Ideal coach: Jacob Timpano

Has the history, has the fervant supporter base and every time an A-League or FFA Cup game is played there the crowds turn out in droves.

GEELONG

Population: 300,000

Stadium: Simonds Stadium (36,000 once complete)

Products: Josip Skoko, Matthew Spiranovic, Steve Horvat, Adrian Leijer.

Ideal signing: Adrian Leijer

Ideal coach: Josip Skoko

A rich soccer history and geographic divide from the Melbourne duo,

Geelong could represent the western region and Bellarine Peninsula.

SOUTH MELBOURNE

Membership: 2500

Stadium: Lakeside Stadium (12,000)

Products: Ange Postecoglou, Paul Trimboli, Con Boutsianis

Ideal signing: Giorgios Samaris

Ideal coach: Chris Taylor

An existing, passionate and engaged fan base plus an entire junior and women’s setup, which no A-League club has.

SOUTH-EAST MELBOURNE (DANDENONG-CASEY)

Population: 1,200,000

Stadium: New stadium at Dandenong Showgrounds/Casey Fields

Products: Vince Grella, Eugene Galekovic, Jackson Irvine, Scott McDonald

Ideal signing: Scott McDonald

Ideal coach: Mark Bresciano

A burgeoning and multicultural population base, with strong participation numbers. It’s down the same corridor as former VFL/AFL showpiece Waverley Park.

BRISBANE STRIKERS

Membership: 1000

Stadium: Perry Park (5000 – needs to be redeveloped)

Products: Matt McKay, Kasey Wehrman, Rod Brown

Ideal signing: Robbie Kruse

Ideal coach: Frank Farina/Miron Bleiberg

Former A-League coach Miron Bleiberg associated with a serious bid by the

former National Soccer League champion.

IDEA: Northern Fury chief’s expansion proposal

RUDAN: Brisbane needs a second team

WEST ADELAIDE

Membership: 800

Stadium: Coopers Stadium (15,000)

Products: John Kosmina, Paul Agostino, Stan Lazaridis

Ideal signing: Nathan Burns

Ideal coach: John Kosmina/Paul Pezos

The only serious hand up thus far to become Adelaide’s second team and they’ve sounded out Robbie Fowler to become coach.

CANBERRA

Population: 380,000

Stadium: GIO Stadium (25,000)

Products: Josip Simunic, Carl Valeri, Tom Rogic, Jason Geria

Ideal signing: Nikolai Topor-Stanley

Ideal coach: Josip Simunic

Canberra has long been touted as an A-League hopeful. A pristine stadium, one wonders whether there is enough local backing.

PERTH II

Population: 2,000,000

Stadium: nib Stadium (20,500)

Products: Trent Sainsbury, Mark Birighitti, Nikita Rukavystsya

Ideal signing: Brandon O’Neill

Ideal coach: Robbie Fowler

Fremantle would create a geographic divide and the new Perth Stadium (to be completed in 2018) will be ideal for derbies, seating 65,000.