Melbourne Victory coach Ange Postecoglou is a short-priced favourite to get the nod as sacked Socceroo boss Holger Osieck's replacement. But the big question is, will Melbourne Victory give its blessing - or become a roadblock, preventing Postecoglou from fulfilling a lifetime's ambition?

The signs are that the biggest club in Australia could play hardball with the FFA over its prized asset, who has two years left on his contract and no get-out clause.

Kevin Muscat (right) is likely to coach Melbourne Victory if Ange Postecoglou (left) gets the Socceroos job. Credit:Getty Images

Fairfax Media has been told there is some feeling within the Victory board that the club, having spent so much time and effort luring Postecoglou from Brisbane (which he led to two championships), should not let him go, even if it is the national team that has come calling. Victory officials are playing a straight bat to inquiries about their position, even though FFA boss Frank Lowy confirmed on Tuesday that this time Australia would go local after dismissing the German Osieck after two horror 6-0 losses, to Brazil and France.

Victory chief executive Ian Robson on Tuesday said: ''We have had no formal approach from the FFA and we will not be drawn on hypotheticals. We will have a dialogue with the FFA. They want to secure the consent of all those concerned, recognising that there are contractual issues at stake here.''