By Nick Creely
After the exciting announcement last Thursday that the three local councils of Greater Dandenong, Cardinia and Casey will band together to bring an A-League side to the region, soccer’s growth in the south-east is one to marvel at.
With the Football Federation Australia (FFA) considering expanding the national competition, which currently has 10 sides, including one in New Zealand and two based in Melbourne, the south-east could well be the one.
Football in the south-east is booming – crowds are large and the quality is outstanding, all that was left was to bring a professional side to the area that everyone could buy into.
There are some supremely talented footballers in the south-east area plying their trade in the National Premier League (NPL), waiting for their chance.
One of the first names that could be on the list when talking about a new A-League side could be Dandenong Thunder’s very own Brandon Barnes, arguably the finest striker in the state currently not on an A-League roster.
And the 24-year-old is all in for an A-League side in the south-east suburbs.
“If they tick all the criteria and get that licence, I’ll be banging on their door and try and be a part of it,” he said.
“Around this area, football is constantly getting bigger and bigger – that’s why I reckon the A-League licence could sway towards this area, just because of how many clubs are in the area – it would bring a lot of youth and a lot positive things to the area.”
As one of the fastest growing corridors in Australia, soccer has been rising steadily in the south-east, with a total of 71 clubs, which includes the City of Frankston, Mornington Peninsula and Gippsland Regions and 11,568 registered players within those clubs.
And Greater Dandenong Mayor Jim Memeti said the overall strength of football in the area and the increasing quality is reason enough to sway the FFA to accept their bid.
“We respect and recognize the contribution of local football clubs to the overall strength, health and future of the game,” he said.
“As competition organisers and promoters, local clubs are the engine room of football’s expansion and therefore essential to our football vision and plans for the region.
“We want to have strong ties to our local schools and local community groups. We are a football devoted community.
“Talk of A-League expansion is creating great excitement. It’s connecting people, families, clubs, businesses and councils to one objective – bringing the A-League to our community.
“We plan to capture this momentum to create the best possible case for south-east Melbourne.”
As well as a professional A-League side, the south-east bid also includes a W-League side, the women’s national competition, as well as a youth side which is likely to see many youngsters from around the region to finally realise their dreams.
