A-League The A-League Expansion Thread

A-League

Do you support expansion

  • Yes, for the good of the league

    Votes: 65 82.3%
  • No, the league is fine the way it is

    Votes: 14 17.7%

  • Total voters
    79

Bobby P

All Australian
Jul 6, 2011
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272
Canberra
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Wow Western United.... soooooooooooooo bad. Haha. Plus take Canberra's green colours. Kicking goals already "Western United".
 
Jul 5, 2011
14,859
23,788
Melbourne
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Other Teams
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Western United: New Melbourne A-League side to confirm name, colours

The A-League's 11th club is set to confirm its name and colours, with the Western Melbourne Group's winning bid likely to enter next season's competition as Western United Football Club, wearing a green and black playing strip.
The first components of the team's new identity were shaped by the public – the Western United name and the colour combination emerging as the most popular from online polls run on the club's website and on another by News Corporation. The new club will call Geelong's Kardinia Park home for at least its first two seasons before relocating to a purpose-built football stadium in Tarneit, in Melbourne's west.
New identity: West Melbourne representatives Steve Horvat and Kate Roffey.Credit:Eddie Jim
Due to its catchment area, the club specifically chose to omit the word "Melbourne" in its name to disassociate itself from the city's CBD, soon to be rivals Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City, as well aligning the club closer with the vast region between Geelong and Westgate bridge.
Among the other options put forward to fans were online were the names: Western Melbourne Athletic, Westside Pride and Western Melbourne Warriors. The other colours to choose from were a mainly black shirt with teal trimming, a yellow and red jersey, as well as a green shirt with white sleeves. There was also a green and red shirt as well as an all-white strip with a green stripe.
Striking: Celtic used a green and black strip during their Champions League campaign in 2006.Credit:Twitter
Green was overwhelmingly the most popular option by fans. FFA sources suggest their preference was not for the team to use a plain green kit due to a potential clash with digital sponsorship on broadcasts, and preferred either a predominantly white or black kit.
The final jersey design is yet to be finalised but it's likely Western United will wear a green and black striped jersey in their inaugural year and a white away strip.
Mark Rudan is favoured to be appointed the team's first head coach of a club that has already announced its first two players, Socceroo Josh Risdon and Greek international Panagiotis Kone.
The 26-year-old Risdon signed a two-year deal following last week's announcement that Greek international Kone would be the club's first marquee player.
"I'm absolutely stoked to be the first Australian player to join Western Melbourne. With the signing of Panagiotis as the marquee, I can see the club has big ambitions both on the park and off it," Risdon said via a statement on Tuesday.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer...-to-confirm-name-colours-20190212-p50xcb.html
 

tryitout

All Australian
Jan 11, 2019
635
1,181
AFL Club
Adelaide
0d062965b0134b8bdb65af46aaf587d7.jpg



4198B48D00000578-4624370-image-a-5_1498031648683.jpg

I really hope they go for something a bit more like this than the Schalke (top) kit.
 

Bobby P

All Australian
Jul 6, 2011
837
272
Canberra
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
WHU Dallas Swansea Raiders Brumbies
The top kit looks good. Hopefully it leaves to door for Canberra to go all white with perhaps blue and gold trim.
 
Apr 19, 2008
2,572
371
Melbourne
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Western Bulldogs
Other Teams
Celtics/Bills/Tottenham/Red Sox
I want to get into the A-League this upcoming season. I'm originally from Altona but now I don't know which club to align myself with. Altona is only 13km from the CBD, it seems like a Tarneit based team called Western United is a far cry from representing the inner west right? Think I should just stick with Victory.
 
Jul 5, 2011
14,859
23,788
Melbourne
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Geelong
Other Teams
Victory,Napoli,Liverpool,Penguins
I want to get into the A-League this upcoming season. I'm originally from Altona but now I don't know which club to align myself with. Altona is only 13km from the CBD, it seems like a Tarneit based team called Western United is a far cry from representing the inner west right? Think I should just stick with Victory.

Well that depends, are you willing to travel to Geelong and Ballarat to watch a team representing the West of Melbourne? or travel only to the inner City to watch a team represent all of Melbourne?
 
Jun 24, 2011
26,141
16,337
Adelaide
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Carlton
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ΠΓΣΣ LFC Sturt Steelers Nix
I want to get into the A-League this upcoming season. I'm originally from Altona but now I don't know which club to align myself with. Altona is only 13km from the CBD, it seems like a Tarneit based team called Western United is a far cry from representing the inner west right? Think I should just stick with Victory.
Do what I did and give up any geographical allegiances.

But in all seriousness you can't go wrong with the Victory. They're ambitious, have a fanbase and are always competitive. Western *cringe* isn't based in Tarneit just yet, they're playing home games in 4 stadiums including Tassie so they're all over the place until their stadium gets built.
 

craigos

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 2, 2014
16,668
32,003
AFL Club
Hawthorn
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Liverpool


If the TV rights end up changing a little over the coming months, I can see this being more and more likely. From what I understand, Foxtel were staunchly against a Tasmanian team. Also be interesting to know what the team owners would prefer. Guaranteed now they have more of a say that Sydney and Melbourne teams wont want any more competition.

Adelaide - Another Adelaide team (possible)
Brisbane - Another Brisbane team (possible)
Central Coast - No new team from NSW
Newscastle - No new team from NSW
Sydney FC - No new team from NSW
WSW - No new team from NSW
Macarthur - No new team from NSW
Perth - Closest location possible?
Victory - No new Vic team
Mel City - No new Vic team
Western U - No new Vic team
Phoenix - Another NZ team (no chance)


So for me, the owners would be preferring these:

Brisbane City FC
Wollongong Wolves
Canberra
Tasmania
Gold Coast
Ipshwich
South East Melbourne (Team 11)
South Melbourne

West Adelaide

Did this off the top of my head so apologies if I missed some expansion teams. What weight the present A League will give to the TV rights and what weight they'll give to generating their own revenues outside of TV will be interesting.

For example, a hell of a lot of Tasmanians travel (and move) to Melbourne so they may weigh a Tassie team higher due to visitor numbers (away fans). They may also feel that they can generate travel packages for Victory/City/United to do away trips to Tassie. Then again you can do this for every destination but a road trip to Tasmania is one a lot of fans really want to do.
 
Jul 5, 2011
14,859
23,788
Melbourne
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Victory,Napoli,Liverpool,Penguins


If the TV rights end up changing a little over the coming months, I can see this being more and more likely. From what I understand, Foxtel were staunchly against a Tasmanian team. Also be interesting to know what the team owners would prefer. Guaranteed now they have more of a say that Sydney and Melbourne teams wont want any more competition.

Adelaide - Another Adelaide team (possible)
Brisbane - Another Brisbane team (possible)
Central Coast - No new team from NSW
Newscastle - No new team from NSW
Sydney FC - No new team from NSW
WSW - No new team from NSW
Macarthur - No new team from NSW
Perth - Closest location possible?
Victory - No new Vic team
Mel City - No new Vic team
Western U - No new Vic team
Phoenix - Another NZ team (no chance)


So for me, the owners would be preferring these:

Brisbane City FC
Wollongong Wolves
Canberra
Tasmania
Gold Coast
Ipshwich
South East Melbourne (Team 11)
South Melbourne

West Adelaide


Did this off the top of my head so apologies if I missed some expansion teams. What weight the present A League will give to the TV rights and what weight they'll give to generating their own revenues outside of TV will be interesting.

For example, a hell of a lot of Tasmanians travel (and move) to Melbourne so they may weigh a Tassie team higher due to visitor numbers (away fans). They may also feel that they can generate travel packages for Victory/City/United to do away trips to Tassie. Then again you can do this for every destination but a road trip to Tasmania is one a lot of fans really want to do.


Second Brisbane team thats a Nah nah for me, I would prefer to go back to North Queensland, Canberra is a no brain will happen (eventually) Tassie 50/50 depends really are the locals desperate enough for an A-League team like they are desperate to have an AFL team?
 

craigos

Brownlow Medallist
Sep 2, 2014
16,668
32,003
AFL Club
Hawthorn
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Liverpool
Our first division is in tatters, the discussion about a second division is way too soon imo. Give this independent league a good 5 years to hopefully re-establish itself and see where we are at. If teams in a "locked" league can't survive financially, then teams in a fluid league are going to be even less financially secure.

A proper youth academy league is what I want to see first. If I was to structure it, it would look something like the TAC Cup in AFL. You'd have academy teams that could be linked to either A League clubs (if they have the facilities) or state bodies. Have a 16 week league (or so) culminating in "championships" with the different areas.

All states represented, can have a Division 1 (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide etc) and then a Division 2 (Tas, ACT, NT, WA). I really think we need a big spectacle for the youth players and not just 8 teams for players to make a squad in. If there is one thing I have learnt in my years it's that the best 16 year old is rarely the best 17/18/19 year old. An average 16 year old kid can really come along in three years but opportunities don't exist for that any more
 
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