Could Western Sydney's success be replicated in Australia's other big city, Melbourne? Could a club modelled on the Parramatta-based Wanderers succeed in uniting a disparate community and local businesses to give their region a sporting focus it has hitherto lacked, and boost its image and standing in Victoria and beyond? That is the hope of a group of local authorities, their mayors and chief executives in Melbourne's sprawling south-eastern suburbs, who believe that their region, one of the fastest growing in the country, would be the perfect site for a new A-League franchise. The beleaguered FFA, reluctant to give the green light to speedy expansion, has put any new entrants on hold for the time being. But there is little doubt that when the two new mooted Australian franchises – or possibly three, if Wellington is not granted an extension at some point in the future – will be in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane.

Those running the bid based in Dandenong – known as Team 11, representing the city of Dandenong and the municipalities of Casey and Cardinia – are optimistic that they already tick many of the boxes when the FFA signs off on successful franchise bids. South Melbourne, with their long lease on a stadium near the city centre at Albert Park, their newly developed social club and long history of success in the NSL, have garnered most of the publicity among the Victorian contenders for the next A-League franchise. They have a strong case based on their assets and history, while the other bid to have broken cover, that based in Geelong, is arguing that its regional base and strong support for the game make it worthy of consideration. But those promoting the Dandenong/Casey/Cardinia bid believe that its demographics give it a strong political and social argument for siting a new club in a depressed area which could be regenerated by being given a spot on the national sporting stage. Councillor Jim Memeti is the Mayor of Dandenong: he is a man who has spent his life in the area, has local business interests in the retail sector and is committed to lifting the profile and image of a region which is, he points out, comparable to the city of Adelaide in terms of size and population.

"The whole catchment area this bid represents – not just Dandenng, but Cardinia and Casey – is a huge growth corridor with lots of young families moving in. "We have more clubs here registered with the Football Federation of Victoria than any other municipality. There is great support and interest in the game which is waiting to be tapped." The Dandenong City Council chief executive, John Bennie, is quick to provide the numbers which support the fledgling bid's case. "This is an area of disadvantage and high unemployment. Yes, there is disengaged youth here, but we feel that if we can attract an elite sporting team here that will lift the profile of the area and assist community cohesion and engagement. "We have got people from 158 different nations living in our city, and most of them are from countries which are crazy about soccer.

"An A-League club would provide a centre piece, but the game is growing, and it's not just about engagement for young men. Women are playing the game in increasing numbers and they would provide part of the support base as well, along with young children and families." Memeti says the Team 11 bid wants to be ready to snap into action in November of this year if the FFA goes ahead and puts out an expression of interest memo then. Finance is obviously a key ingredient, and he says that the three municipalities are looking for state government support and cash from private investors. The local authorities may also create a company which could become the bid vehicle and deal with investors and backers looking to become involved. If they got the go-ahead, the plan, says the Mayor, would be to develop a boutique stadium – initially with a capacity for 10,000 but capable of being extended to double that – in Dandenong at Greaves Reserve.

The City of Casey is seeking finance to develop a soccer hub at Casey Fields, which would provide training grounds and administration facilities. "There is obviously an economic element to all this too, as we believe an A-League franchise could help drive business in this area as it would increase the vitality of the municipalities," Memeti points out. The stadium would also provide Melbourne with a fourth, smaller venue. As such, he suggests, it might prove an option for the Melbourne Storm or Melbourne Rebels to play certain games against poor drawing opponents rather than have a lot of empty seats at AAMI Park. Any venue would also, Bennie adds, be configured as multi purpose so it would generate economic and social benefits 52 weeks of the year, either housing other sports (like basketball) or potentially staging large concerts or even exhibitions. "We think the argument is strong," says Memeti. "The region has similar population to Adelaide, and its in Melbourne's back yard. We have 12,500 businesses in this area and we make a 30 per cent contribution to the gross state product of Victoria as a centre of manufacturing industry. We know many of those businesses would love to be involved in backing a local A-League team."