DESPITE missing out on an A-League license late last year, the push for a professional football side based in Victoria’s south-east has gone into extra time. Members of the “Team 11” bid confirmed last week that they would continue fighting for a future spot in the A-League despite Football Federation Australia’s decision in December 2018 to deny them a license.
A statement from Team 11 said that it “wishes to confirm its intention to keep alive its ambition of delivering a professional men’s and women’s football club to the south-east of Victoria.”
“All involved with the Team 11 bid were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and disappointment from members of the south-east Victorian community in the wake of Football Federation Australia’s decision to award A-League licences elsewhere in December,” the statement said.
“This support, coupled with the bid’s unwavering belief that this booming, multicultural population of more than 1.7 million is capable of growing what could become Australia’s biggest football club, was crucial in convincing all involved to keep the bid going.”
The bid centred around the construction of a rectangular stadium on council-owned land in Dandenong. The construction of that facility depended on a state government investment of over $100 million.
The statement put out by Team 11 outlined that their shareholders would continue to support of the venture, that Dandenong Council would continue advocating for the construction of a stadium in the municipality, and that Casey Council would continue planning for football facilities at Casey Fields. Construction of football facilities at the Casey Fields sports precinct in Cranbourne are already underway.
In late 2018, the FFA made the decision to overlook Team 11 in their A-League expansion process, instead choosing a team to be based out of Tarneit.