Football Federation Australia is "coming under increasing pressure to establish a national second division after FIFA threw its support behind a bid from National Premier League clubs to remodel the lower tiers of the game, with some clubs not ruling out a breakaway league," according to Dominic Bossi of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. More than two-thirds of the country's 129 NPL clubs "joined forces to establish the Association of Australian Football Clubs, which wants at least one seat at the expanded FFA Congress, as well as a national second division below the A-League." A meeting of representatives of more than 80 clubs will take place in Melbourne on Monday "with the backing of FIFA, which is supporting their push for greater inclusion and influence in the game in Australia." The clubs' "united push" is for a sanctioned national competition that "would not involve promotion and relegation in the immediate future to the A-League, but could serve as the basis in the future." Several clubs are "increasingly determined to be part of the national framework and, in a sign of their frustration, have not ruled out forming a rebel national league should FFA reject their proposal" (SMH, 3/15).
