The expansion of the A-League is on FFA CEO David Gallop's mind, as two new teams could join the competition in the next few seasons.
Not only is expansion on the agenda, but a two-tier promotion/relegation system could also follow, as Gallop said during the A-League season launch.
โWe're obviously focused on big population bases, the ability to have relatively quick success,ย to be in areas where our commercial partners and broadcast partners are going to see a benefit,โ Gallop said.
โIt's the most eagerly anticipated A-League season and that fills everyone with confidence.
โThe ultimate prize โ promotion/relegation โ will happen in Australian football but there's a lot more that needs to happen before we can sensibly move to promotion/relegation.
โWith the introduction of the NPL, the FFA Cup you can see deliberate attempts are being made to close the gap between the A-League and the rest of the game.โ
Areas such as south Sydney, Wollongong, Canberra, Townsville and Ipswich are all among possible suitors for a new A-League side, while former NSL club Adelaide City could join the South Australian market as the state's second team.
Given that Gallop has previously stated that expansion wasn't on his mind until at least 2020, Tuesday's A-League launch has given football fans hope that an expanded competition is right around the corner.
