AUSTRALIA has enough footballing talent to warrant a second-tier professional competition and the depth of talent in the FFA Cup proves it.

That’s the opinion of one club captain, Rockdale City Suns’ Daniel Petkovski, ahead of his side’s dream showdown with Sydney FC.

The competition’s Round of 32 continues on Wednesday night, with four more highly-anticipated fixtures offering talent across the nation a chance to shine on the national stage.

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Australia’s biggest domestic tournament has featured a record 772 teams in 2018 – only 10 of which are fully professional.

Daniel Petkovski controls the ball during a Sydney FC A-League training session Source: Getty Images

The debate regarding a recognised second tier of Australian football continues in the background as some of the nation’s top lower league sides endeavour to impress on the biggest domestic stage.

Petkovski says occasions such as his side’s huge clash with the Sky Blues provide an excellent chance for non-A-League players to prove the new tier is a must.

“I think it’s more just the chance of getting a crack at an A-League squad, we have plenty of players more than capable of playing in the A-League,” Petkovski told foxsports.com.au.

“You look at the A-League, there’s only 10 teams, they’ve probably only got about 25 full-time contracted players. It says a lot that there are only 250 pro players in the country. I definitely think we need a second tier in place.

“There are plenty in the (National Premier League) who have the quality and plenty have gone overseas and cracked the European market. If they’re good enough for Europe, they’re good enough for the A-League.

“A lot are ambitious and believe they have the quality to play in the A-League and they just need that chance. A second tier would be perfect.”

In four years of FFA Cup action, A-League sides have only ever been beaten by lower league opposition on five occasions.

Rockdale last faced off against A-League opposition in 2015 when they played Melbourne Victory in the Round of 16 Source: Getty Images

Rockdale currently sit fifth in NPL NSW and are hoping to pull off a monumental giant-killing.

“Tomorrow night is a great test. They’re one month into their preseason but they’re naturally fit. We’ll have the edge on them,” Petkovski said.

“We’re just going to keep it simple. Get to the ball first play had, tackle harder than them and put our chances away. We have a set game plan in place.

“Our head coach works for Sydney FC in his day job and works for Rockdale at night. He has some insight into how they’ll shape up. We’re going to go in prepared to win our one on one battles and stay prepared as a team.”

The NPL outfit is helmed by ex-Sydney FC midfielder Paul Reid in a player-coach capacity. Reid also works by day in a community role with the Sky Blues - he is one of a number of Rockdale players with links to the A-League giants.

Petkovski himself spent two years on their books, while teammates Bai Antoniou, Trent McClenahan and Alec Urosevski also plied their trades with the defending FFA Cup champs.

Daniel Petkovski stretches during a Sydney FC A-League training session Source: Getty Images

The 25-year-old skipper says his team is treating this clash – deemed the biggest in the club’s history by Reid — like any other, with banter flying thick and fast around the change rooms.

“There’s definitely been banter. At the end of the day it’s a big game but the more you hype it up the more you look into it the more you fail. The boys have had a good laugh about it, it’s just another game. We’ve been giving Reidy [Paul Reid] a bit of stick wondering who he wants to win. We’re making sure he’s putting in the right tactic to make sure we beat them.”

“A fair few things have been flying over twitter [at Reid] which is pretty good. Someone asked him if he’d be washing the toilets if we win, but he said he probably wouldn’t have a job!”

There’ll be a familiar face between the sticks on Wednesday night for the underdogs, as A-League veteran – and well-known Western Sydney Wanderers alumni – Ante Covic takes his place for Rockdale.

The 43-year-old will be aching to get the win over his former rivals.

“Yeah he’s [Covic] thrown a couple things, ‘you better not let the smurfs beat us’ and what not,” Petkovski said.

“He’s played in a lot of big games, and tomorrow night excites him. He probably didn’t think he’d have another chance to play an A-League team.”

Watch Rockdale City Suns v Sydney FC on Fox Sports 503 from 7pm on Wednesday night.