HISTORICAL powerhouse clubs believe their return to the national stage via a new second-tier competition can help deliver an Australian football renaissance.<\/p>\n
Football Australia announced on Monday eight semi-professional clubs from NSW and Victoria will be included in the national second-tier competition, starting in 2025.<\/p>\n
FA has not ruled out additional teams from other states, with two or four further clubs to be selected early next year to build a league of at least 10 teams.<\/p>\n
“The first priority was getting the best clubs together as we could. Those eight are here today,” FA chief James Johnson said.<\/p>\n
“There are some very strong bids from outside NSW and Victoria, and we’re very excited to see who those two to four clubs will be.”<\/p>\n
Promotion and relegation from the elite A-League Men’s competition and the semi-professional National Premier Leagues will not be implemented for the 2025 season but it has been flagged for the future.<\/p>\n
Johnson said Football Australia has assembled the best teams for a second division league.<\/p>\n
South Melbourne president Nick Maikousis said he believes the second-tier division has brought the club out of footballing exile.<\/p>\n
Crowned as the Oceania Club of the 20th Century by FIFA, the Victorian team has struggled to return Australia’s top-tier competition since the demise of the National Soccer League in 2004.<\/p>\n
South were overlooked for an ALM licence in bidding processes in 2008 and 2018 in favour of Melbourne Heart – now Melbourne City and Western United respectively.<\/p>\n
“For the last 20 years, we’ve been in the dark ages and this is a real renaissance for us,” Maikousis said.<\/p>\n
“We were arguably Australia’s most successful club, not dissimilar to Real Madrid as European club of the century.<\/p>\n
“We just want to be a powerhouse once again. We just want to see Lakeside Stadium rocking again, playing in front of thousands of people.<\/p>\n
“This platform is the vehicle for us to achieve that.”<\/p>\n
Sydney United 58 is included despite controversy from its appearance in the 2022 Australia Cup final.<\/p>\n
The club was fined $15,000 and banned from competing in the Australia Cup after some United fans chanted songs with fascist links, booed during the welcome to country, and performed Nazi salutes during the 2-0 loss to ALM side Macarthur FC.<\/p>\n
FA played down concerns surrounding United’s inclusion, saying clubs that fulfil the Club Participation Agreement and club licensing requirements are “ready and able to join” the second-tier division.<\/p>\n
United president Mark Ivancic said he shares the same sentiments as Maikousis, feeling his once-great club is now out of the woods.<\/p>\n
“We always knew there would be an opportunity and we couldn’t just survive in this country with one professional league,” Ivancic said.<\/p>\n
“There had to be some way for us to get back in there.<\/p>\n
“It was a long time coming but expected by us that we’d be there.”<\/p>\n
The competition is slated to commence in March\/April 2025, with a regular home-and-away season followed by a finals series.<\/p>\n
The eight-foundation national second-tier competition teams will be Apia Leichhardt FC, Avondale FC, Marconi Stallions FC, Preston Lions FC, South Melbourne FC, Sydney Olympic FC, Sydney United 58 FC and Wollongong Wolves FC.<\/p>\n