Brisbane City "has entered the A-League expansion race after revealing a comprehensive bid that has been warmly received" by Football Federation Australia, according to the AAP. The former National Soccer League side has a group of "local investors in place who are backing them to return to Australian football’s top tier after a 39-year absence." If approved, FC Brisbane City -- or the Gladiators -- "would play out of a refurbished Ballymore Stadium and undergo a full rebranding," with a new logo and maroon, gold and blue as their primary colors to "pitch themselves to a wider audience." Bid Chair Robert Cavallucci has met multiple times with FFA execs who were "impressed" by the level of organization, with plans "nine months in the making." Cavallucci said that the initial response from FFA had been "fantastic" while A-League broadcaster Fox Sports was "also fully supportive." Cavallucci: "Our bid is complete. Our funding model is secure. We are ready to join the A-League." A prominent Brisbane businessman and one-time state politician, Cavallucci's consortium "wanted to buy the struggling Brisbane Roar last year from Indonesian conglomerate the Bakrie Group." When the consortium's "rescue package" was knocked back, it "decided to use it as a foundation for an A-League expansion bid." The bid's investors "would also fund a refurbishment of Ballymore to bring it to A-League standard" (AAP, 5/5).