For months, the owners have talked about putting up a candidate to better represent their interests, but Tuesday's meeting will be the key. If the states aren't inclined to upset the status quo, then the clubs will be flogging a dead horse when it comes to the vote. It seems they're resigned to their fate.

The 10th and final vote in the forthcoming election belongs to the A-League clubs, who both privately and publicly have long been at odds with the FFA in general and, at times, Lowy senior. Recently, Steven Lowy met with Melbourne City vice-chairman Simon Pearce to gauge where the fault lines lie. If you believe the huffing and puffing coming from within the A-League, those fault lines remain deep and wide.

It's been 20 months since Lowy announced he was appointing recruitment firm Egon Zehnder to manage the process of finding a successor. Since then, Steven Lowy is the only name which has surfaced. While Lowy junior has largely maintained a careful silence, he has been meeting with the state presidents to clear the way for his coronation.

Lowy senior – who is recovering from recent brain surgery – has always wanted a seamless transition.

That means an election which will see the three anointed candidates installed unopposed. Lowy junior is one of them, one of the others is rumoured to be former Westpac boss Gail Kelly. Whatever the case, unless the state presidents find a voice, then this will be an election in name only. Only the stakeholders can change that.

There's no question Lowy senior leaves the game in far better shape than the one he inherited. His legacy is not in question. There is also a widespread acknowledgement that Lowy junior could become an outstanding leader in his own right, although nobody really knows what he stands for. His unwillingness to publicise his football doctrine remains a disappointment.

Certainly there is a strong argument that the game is ready for a better, higher, and tougher level of debate, and scrutiny. The workings of the FFA board have been shrouded in secrecy for a decade, and while directors have come and gone, there has not been a contested election since Lowy took charge.

For a time – given the instability of previous administrations – this was a positive. But now? A bit more accountability wouldn't be a bad thing. And here's the rub. If the states aren't interested in exercising their rights, then what are they there for? The FFA's long-term strategy is to federalise the running of the game. If the states don't eventually find a voice, they may ultimately be voting themselves out of existence.