By Nick Creely
With so much talk and speculation surrounding a third Victorian based A-League side, the Casey-Dandenong region is reportedly set to push for a licence to compete in the biggest soccer tournament in Australia.
Both the Casey and Greater Dandenong regions could endorse a south-east bid, with Casey Fields and the Dandenong Showgrounds seen as appropriate venues.
The south-east is one of the booming areas in the state and could accommodate a national football club if the push was successful.
With teams such as Springvale White Eagles, Dandenong Thunder, Dandenong City, Berwick City and Casey Comets all semi-professional clubs in the region, it seems that an A-League team is not out of the question.
All these teams are behind the idea and would like to see it go ahead.
Greater Dandenong Mayor Jim Memeti told News Corp that the community is ready to rally for an A-League licence.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of people in the community and there’s a real hunger for soccer. It’s taking off in the south-east and there’s no AFL here,” he said.
“We’ve got the right spot for it – the Showgrounds, which is only 500 metres from Dandenong Station. It’s a big parcel of land, 40 acres, perfect for a boutique stadium.”
The expansion of the A-League is one of the hottest topics of discussion in sporting circles.
The A-League currently has 10 teams, five based in New South Wales, one is South Australia, one in Queensland, two in Victoria and one in New Zealand.
There is speculation that the Gold Coast franchise may be reunited, but there is talk of a Northern Queensland side, another side based in Sydney and a secondary Adelaide side.
But the south-east region at this stage is AFL free, paving the way for a legitimate bid at one of the two spots set to be filled by the A-League in the next few years.
Geelong is also mooted as another possible destination, but it seems likelier that the south-east would be better placed and attract more support.
There is a vast network of talented young footballers in the region and the placement of a side will do wonders in the continuing development of the game in Victoria.
Casey Mayor Sam Aziz is also behind the idea, with Casey Fields seen as the perfect base.
