A TASMANIAN team joining the A-League could help change the football landscape in Australia, according to Perth Glory chief executive Peter Filopoulos.

The consortium behind a bid to establish an A-League club in the state is to meet with Football Federation Australia this week to formally present its case.

Filopoulos, who has been chief executive at Perth for 14 months, said if the consortium was bold and aspirational with its plans, like the Glory was two decades ago when it joined the old National Soccer League, it would have no problems establishing a strong and thriving A-League club in Tasmania.

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Perth’s entry into the then NSL helped reinvigorate the round ball game in Western Australia.

media_camera Perth Glory chief executive Peter Filopoulos.

“I think it’s a great initiative and if football can get that one up and running, it’s one over the AFL really,” Mr Filopoulos said.

“Tasmania has been such a vital part of producing sports talent for such a long time, including the round ball game, so it would be great for the state to get its own team.

“The only thing I would say is that Perth Glory was born 20 years ago in the old National Soccer League and they were strong, they were bold and they were aspirational.

“This made them a very successful new club which took the state of WA and football by storm and changed the football landscape in this country for a very long time.

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“So if they look at the way Perth Glory went about it 20 years ago, I think if Tasmania goes about its bid in a very strong and bold manner and are very aspirational, they can’t go wrong.

“Going back to the old National Soccer League before Perth Glory emerged it was very much just an eastern state competition and Perth sort of gave it that extra perspective from a national point of view and I think Tasmania would do the same for the A-League.”

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With the wealth of former Melbourne Victory directors Harry Stamoulis and Robert Belteky behind the bid, and an initial home base — North Hobart Oval — already identified, Filopoulos said Tasmania had a jump on potential rivals.

“If they have their ducks lined up in a row and have the finances and capital to get it up and running, they get the State Government to work with them on a boutique rectangular stadium and set up a club from the grassroots right up, I think they will be very successful,” he said.

“I know you have 14,000 participants but, hopefully, FFA look at it as an exercise to double and triple that number just by having an A-League presence in Tasmania.”