Ten teams in the A-League is not enough for the amount of National Premier League (NPL) talent we have.
That’s why Football Federation Australia need to announce expansion for the highest level.
New teams in the A-League have been sought after for many years, as players from the NPL state leagues have shown they can compete with A-League clubs on their day.
Despite being semi-professional some clubs have already taken scalps in the FFA Cup, such as Redlands United defeating Adelaide United, Green Gully winning against Central Coast Mariners thanks to a stunning Liam Boland chip and Heidelberg United taking advantage of a Perth Glory side who just started their pre-season.
Televised FFA Cup games have been important for NPL exposure and adding more A-League clubs will do wonders for not only making it to the top flight level, but having a higher chance of staying there.
Look at Kenny Athiu who joined Melbourne Victory recently on loan from Heidelberg United as an example.
He had a stellar season this year in NPL Victoria taking out the league’s golden boot with 21 goals and was a real factor behind the season that the Warriors had in all competitions.
He took his good form into the FFA Cup against Perth and scored with a true striker’s finish, using finesse to put his shot into the top right corner.
That game certainly put him on the map and was rumoured to join Perth before landing at Victory.
It’s that talent which can be found within NPL clubs, so finding room for extra A-League teams is a must to allow more players like Athiu the opportunity to step into a professional club.
The FFA have good options to consider as South Melbourne have already put themselves out there as a third team in Melbourne, who have Lakeside Stadium as a ready-made venue.
Canberra United are in the W-League so they could easily cater for an A-League team as another New South Wales based club. GIO Stadium is a good stadium for an A-League side in the ACT.
With the current squad size for A-League clubs coupled with just five players on the bench, making it to the A-League is a tough proposition.
Expansion of the league is paramount to give more opportunity to new talent and help these players reach their full potential.
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