South Melbourne FC have some competition - SE Melbourne have released a sexy bid (that's the Dandenong region) - it's largely about an hour from the city...well, 40m to an hour and a half, more or less. So there's separation from the existing teams, separation enough to have their own regional pride in the team.
https://www.fourfourtwo.com.au/news/se-melbourne-a-league-bid-launched-463894
Team11, the South-east Melbourne A-League bid, held an official launch in Dandenong on Thursday night as it ramps up its endeavour to be included in the competition.
Former National Soccer League club South Melbourne have been grabbing headlines about their possible A-League inclusion with the appointment of Brazilian great Roberto Carlos as their top flight coach this week.
The race to become Melbourne’s third A-League club is on, with the South-east Melbourne bid unveiling the bid title of Team11 at the launch.
Both Irvine (Endeavour United) and Wright (Langwarrin, Mornington and Dandenong Thunder) were raised and played in Melbourne’s south-east and spoke passionately about their desire to see an A-League Club established in their backyard.
There were attendees from more than local 35 clubs in the room last night, whose collective playing base represents more than 65 per cent of the region’s registered players.
This Club, one to be built by the community for its community, is committed to establishing partnerships with all local clubs in its midst.
The mayors of Greater Dandenong City Council, City of Casey and Cardinia Shire Council last month signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing to work together to bring an A-League/W-League Club to the region.
Greater Dandenong City Mayor Jim Memeti said the initial proposals for Dandenong Stadium are for there to be between 10,000 and 20,000 seats.
City of Casey Mayor Sam Aziz said the training base at Casey Fields would contain a main stadium pitch with a capacity of 4000 – capable of hosting W-League matches and A-League pre-season games – as well as four additional training pitches which will be of use to the local community.
The Club’s name and colours are yet to be established, with fan forums involving the Club’s future supporters to be held to establish community consensus on its identity.
Media and members of the community can learn more about the bid by visiting
www.weareteam11.com.
Bid ambassador Vince Grella said he is confident that Team11’s bid contains all the right ingredients.
“This bid ticks all the boxes that Football Federation Australia would want from an expansion club,” Grella said.
“In Melbourne’s south-east we represent more than 1.2 million people, a number that is growing rapidly. We are one of the most multicultural regions in the country and we boast almost 100 local clubs and more than 12,000 registered players.
“Anyone I’ve spoken to at our local clubs are intensely passionate about uniting behind this bid. The training base at Casey promises to be exceptional and I know there are many people behind the scenes working to ensure the Dandenong Stadium plans come to fruition.”
Ms Williams also gave a rousing speech expressing her support for the bid and promised to do what she could in the halls of Victorian Parliament to turn the Club’s dreams into reality.
The main feature of the night was a keynote speech delivered on behalf of the bid by Casey Comets president Dawn Stone and Berwick City president Joe Di Iorio. The speech detailed a week in the life of the Club in its debut season.
The bid team as well revealed plans for a boutique stadium in Dandenong, a state of the art training and administration base at Casey Fields, youth teams that will be almost the exclusive domain of players who have risen through the ranks at our local clubs and mutually beneficial partnerships with our local clubs.
Among those at the launch were local club representatives, members of local councils, local business leaders, State Member for Dandenong Gabrielle Williams MP and Victorian Premier Hon Daniel Andrews MP.
Current day Socceroos Jackson Irvine and Bailey Wright featured in a video promoting the bid’s cause.
