THE installation of Steven Lowy to take over from his father at the head of Australian Football appears to be complete, after he was confirmed in writing as the preferred candidate to become chairman of Football Federation Australia in November.

In a remarkable letter sent to the state bodies who will vote for the new board next month, an investment banker and an executive at Commonwealth Bank were also named as the other candidates to replace Frank Lowy and his two closest allies on the board when all three have to step down later this year.

In the letter, Steven Lowy’s credentials as a football lover are listed at length, but no mention is made of the other two having any connection with football.

The letter also claims that no other candidates have been put forward because to do so would be to risk a return “to the ‘old days’ of football if politics was allowed to intrude on an independent, professional process of selection of the best available people for the job”.

The letter’s author, FFA deputy chairman Brian Schwartz, makes no mention of the fact that Steven is Frank Lowy’s son, but says that 70 potential candidates for the FFA board were identified and 50 contacted. From those eight names were considered, two of whom have already joined the board as appointed members.

The letter makes clear that, though nominations for candidates do not close until the end of the month, Steven Lowy, Crispin Murray and Kelly Bayer Rosmarin will be the names put forward.

Murray is head of equities strategies for BIT Investment Management, the company heavily involved in last year’s restructure of the Lowy’s Westfield shopping malls empire, while Rosmarin is group executive for institutional banking and markets at the Commonwealth Bank.

Her Twitter profile says she “loves reading, movies, travel, dining out and big ideas”.

News Corp asked CommBank to confirm whether she has attended any football matches in Australia but no response had been received at the time of going to press.

FFA will see a changing of the guard at November’s AGM, with founding directors Lowy, Schwartz and Philip Wolanski all required to step down under the game’s constitution.

Eight of the votes go to the various states and territories and a ninth to the A-League clubs together. Discussions have ensued in the past fortnight between the state bodies about mounting a candidate in the wake of mounting anger at the lack of alternative candidates, especially those with a history in football.

But nominations are due to close on September 30, with little sign that anyone will be put forward with the stomach to challenge the existing process.

At least one possible candidate, who it’s believed had been canvassed to stand, has privately ruled themselves out.

The letter also details “a particular focus (for the new directors) will be our growing integration with world football bodies, especially FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation, which require even greater attention and strategic engagement than ever if we are to realise our ambitions on the international stage.”

An FFA spokesman declined to comment on the letter or the process for choosing directors.