MARQUEE stars are back on the A-League’s agenda.

Football Federation Australia announced on Tuesday that the roof body will now collaborate with clubs in a concerted approach to luring major foreign names to the competition with a long term aim to have marquees at every club.

With China and America’s Major League Soccer hogging the recruitment of potential headline marquee options at the moment, football’s head office has recognised the need to assist clubs in the drive to lure billboard names to Australia and provide star power to the domestic competition.

The shift in strategy was unveiled in Sydney as part of the FFA’s four-year plan on Tuesday, which recognised that the A-League is need of a re-brand as it enters its 12th season.

While clubs like Sydney FC, with Alessandro Del Piero, have previously had to shoulder the burden of targeting and recruiting mega stars to our shores, FFA chairman Steven Lowy and CEO David Gallop revealed a determination to have a more “centralised” approach to recruiting marquees.

WHAT’S THE PLAN? FFA unveils its strategy

DAVUTOVIC: Let’s re-build the marquee idea

DG: We are going to refresh the @ALeague brand. We're producing footballers and we will have a new look for @ALeague by Season 13. — Football Australia (@FFA) March 8, 2016

Gallop said the competition is “indebted” to those clubs who embraced the marquee idea in the past, but there is the desire to support clubs now with a “joint approach” when negotiating with these iconic type players.

The roof body will invest a “seven figure” sum to assist clubs, and while they cannot aim for all clubs to have marquees in the short term, Gallop hopes a new broadcast deal will create a bigger pot in the vicinity of $10m, to drive a more aggressive marquee recruitment strategy heading into the 2017-2018 campaign.

It’s all part of the FFA’s strategy to ensure the A-League is flourishing as the centrepiece of the game.

“It’s the A-League where we’re going to get commercial growth, where we can start to convert the sport into a top-down funded sport,” Gallop said.

DG: Ultimately we want marquee players at each club. — Football Australia (@FFA) March 8, 2016

He added: “We want players great for a playing roster but (also) for the personality of the competition.

“Next season look for seven figure investment in marquee players.”

He added: “(It will be) welcomed by fans across the A-League.

Steven Lowy and David Gallop. Source: News Corp Australia

“When a player comes in he also contributes to box office success when his team goes on the road.”

While the likes of Del Piero, Dwight Yorke, Harry Kewell, Shinji Ono, Robbie Fowler and Emile Heskey have previously brought mainstream headlines to the competition, this season’s marquee stars have failed to add to wow factor and some have been hit and miss in terms of value for money.

While the likes of Thomas Broich, Marcelo Carrusca and Besart Berisha have enhanced their reputations through performance to become bona fide A-League stars, others like Filip Holosko, Federico Piovaccari and Roberto Koren have not fitted the bill.

Meanwhile, the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, David Villa, Kaka and Steven Gerrard are in America, while China has even moved ahead of the MLS with its ability to sign players still being targetted by top European clubs, like Alex Teixeira and Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Andrea Pirlo in the MLS. Source: AFP

One name that immediately springs to mind as a local target is Socceroos striker Tim Cahill. The country’s greatest international goal scorer’s current deal in China expires before next the A-League season starts.

“Obviously we’d love Tim Cahill to play in the A-League at some stage,” Gallop said.

“We’re keen to see what his plans for his future are.”

The FFA also confirmed that promotion/relegation and expansion plans are on hold for the time being as they look to consolidate the current stable, while also refreshing the way the competition is branded and promoted in the sporting market.

“The four-year strategic plan represents a significant shift in emphasis towards our showcase competition, the A-League,” Lowy said.

“This is primarily about broadcast rights and commercial partnerships, which are the economic foundation of football around the world.

“The upcoming renegotiation of our broadcast arrangements will be critical to funding our four-year strategy, but some projects can’t wait until we wrap up that new deal.”

STEVEN LOWY’S OPEN LETTER TO FOOTBALL FANS

The initiatives outlined at Tuesday’s launch include;

• A refresh of the A-League brand to connect more fans to the competition as viewers, members, ticket buyers and consumers of digital content.

• New investment in digital platforms to improve the experience of the 2 million grassroots participants and connect more of them to the Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League.

• A new centralised approach to Marquee Player Recruitment to assist Hyundai A-League clubs in attracting top class international players, including Socceroos returning home.

• Incentives for football stakeholders at all levels to collaborate and align their programs to the game’s overall national objectives.

FFA Strategic Plan 2016-19 has four pillars with key targets;

• Connect more fans with the A-League and W-League

• Improve the experience for all participants

• Build generations of successful National Teams

• Lead towards a unity of purpose