THE forgotten generation of late-blooming youngsters and mature-age recruits could get their chance to shine in the A-League next season with Football Federation Australia contemplating scrapping the 23-man squad limit for each club.

In what would end the stipulation that has existed since the competition started in 2005, clubs would be free to sign as many players as they liked, so long as they stayed under the salary cap, which will rise by CPI next season from its existing figure of $2,406,000.

"Clubs have regularly opted not to fill their 23-player quota - like Sydney FC in this season - to give them some room to move in the transfer market." Credit:Getty Images

Rather than being driven by the FFA, it is the clubs that are seeking to enforce the change as they look to gain greater flexibility in how they spend their salary cap.

There are immediate benefits to clubs in how they might be able to reshape their rosters. For example, under existing rules, a club that has $200,000 left in the salary cap but only one spot left has no other way to spend the money. Under the proposed changes, clubs would be able to split that amount and sign as many players as they could afford.