Southeast Victorian bid chiefs "believe they have the demographic ingredients to form an A-League super club, as expansion returns to the agenda for next season," according to David Davutovic of the HERALD SUN. Meanwhile, South Melbourne said that it will not cannibalize Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City, declaring that its "ready-made stadium" gives it a "head start." Western Melbourne is plotting to become the first A-League club to "own its own matchday venue," insisting it will build a A$200M ($147M)-plus stadium in Tarneit. A-League expansion "looks set to be the first point of business" for the new Football Federation Australia board after Monday’s annual general meeting. While South Melbourne’s "rich" National Soccer League history is its "selling point," Team 11 said that a new professional pathway coupled with southeast Victoria’s "understated wealth and social challenges" -- with Dandenong, Frankston North, Doveton and Morwell among the state’s "most socially disadvantaged" -- are "recipes for sporting success." The Greater Dandenong and City of Casey Councils "have driven the bid," which now has millions of dollars in private backing (HERALD SUN, 11/17).
'HISTORIC CRESCENDO': In Sydney, Vince Rugari reported the race for the four open seats in the FFA boardroom "is essentially down to five," with weeks of politicking, campaigning and horse-trading "set to reach an historic crescendo" at Monday's election. There are 10 contenders left in the running after Craig Foster's withdrawal from the race on Friday night. Various factions "are taking different views of the situation" but the "one thing they all agree on is that five have pulled away from the rest of the pack." They are former Soccer Australia Chair Remo Nogarotto, PricewaterhouseCoopers partner Joseph Carrozzi, women's football pioneer Heather Reid, ex-Labor senator Stephen Conroy and former FFA Dir Chris Nikou (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 11/18).
