Football Federation Australia Chair Frank Lowy's bid to "effect an uncontested transfer of power at the head of Australian football faces an 11th-hour challenge from the A-League clubs," according to Tom Smithies of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. The club owners "have attempted to force an election to replace Lowy and two close allies" on the board of FFA, "throwing down the gauntlet" on Tuesday to the state bodies to join them before the deadline of 5pm Wednesday. The 10 A-League clubs, which between them get one of the 10 votes at November's FFA annual general meeting, on Tuesday wrote to the nine state bodies holding the other votes, nominating former Sydney Organizing Committee CEO Mal Hemmerling and "asking for the necessary two further seconders to ensure he is a formal candidate for the board." But it "remains to be seen whether any will be willing to do so," after the Lowy camp made clear a month ago that it wanted its chosen three candidates elected to the board unopposed -- Lowy's son Steven, investment banker Crispin Murray and Commonwealth Bank exec Kelly Bayer Rosmarin. Three FFA directors will stand down in November -- Frank Lowy, Brian Schwartz and Phil Wolanski, with Schwartz "leading the hunt for replacements." It also emerged on Tuesday that Schwartz intends also to nominate Canberra-based lawyer and former Socceroo Daniel Moulis to replace Peter Tredinnick, who "resigned abruptly recently from the FFA board" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 9/29). In Sydney, Ray Gatt reported A-League side Adelaide United Chair & Part-Owner Greg Griffin is "refusing to give up the fight to have a contender backed by the A-League clubs." The news comes as "another potential candidate for the board," Remo Nogarotto, confirmed that he had "knocked back a nomination." He said, "Mate, while flattered to be asked I advised people a while ago I was never going to be a candidate given the time I spend out of the country." Despite "intense lobbying of the state and territories federations, Griffin has so far been unable to secure the two required seconders for Hemmerling." Griffin said, "I am not giving up hope. There's many a slip between cup and lip. I will only write it off at 4:59pm tomorrow" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 9/29).
