A third Sydney team, based in the Sutherland Shire, could be introduced as early as next year with Wellington Phoenix's future in the A-League up in the air.
As Sydney prepares for the first of three derbies this season, no fewer than nine derbies could light up the football calendar in future years with a team based in the Sutherland Shire looming as a likely to take over Wellington Phoenix's A-League licence.
The New Zealand club's licence expires at the end of the season and while no decision on their future has been made yet by the FFA, the groundwork for finding a replacement is well under way.
Several meetings to establish a new A-League club have taken place in recent weeks between the top brass at FFA, Sutherland Shire Council, NRL club Cronulla and the Sutherland Shire Football Association, the largest football association in NSW and potentially Australia.
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The FFA has ruled out expansion to a 12-team competition and confirmed any new team entering the competition would be at the expense of an existing club.
"There are no plans for expansion of the Hyundai A-League in the foreseeable future," head of the A-League Damien de Bohun said. "The strategy is all about sustainability of the national competition and stability of the current 10 clubs. It's a sign of the A-League's growing popularity that several regions around Australia are lobbying for a club in their markets, but that doesn't change our view that 10 is the right number of clubs."
Fairfax Media understands the governing body is looking at cutting all ties with New Zealand football, which offers little for Australian player development, broadcast revenue and A-League attendances. The Phoenix could be dumped as early as the end of this season, though no decision on an extension of their licence or a replacement bid has been made.
The FFA is already in negotiations with Fox Sports and major networks Nine, Ten and Seven over the next TV deal and an additional six derby games in Sydney would be an ideal drawcard for broadcasters in favour of ditching a New Zealand team.
The Sutherland Shire is not the only market the FFA is actively researching for a potential new club with a second team in Brisbane and a third in Melbourne also strongly considered.
An A-League bid from the south of Sydney – potentially also drawing from support in Wollongong – already has the full support of the local council. Sutherland Mayor Carmelo Pesce and councillor Kent Johns held talks with the FFA and would like a team based out of the region to enter "as soon as possible." Remondis Stadium in Woolooware – home of the Cronulla Sharks – is the council's preferred location for a team, rather than Jubilee Oval in Carlton.
"I believe the community of Sutherland Shire would be fully supportive of it and you would have my 100 per cent backing," Mayor Pesce said. "In our local soccer, we have more local players than anywhere in the state and maybe even Australia."
Shark Park is privately owned by the NRL club, which has joined the campaign for the region to be granted an A-League licence in order to accommodate another professional football club at the venue.
The NRL side has not discussed ownership of a potential A-League club with the FFA to establish a cross-code operation.
