HAL expansion and local derbys

[Atomic]

Greeting All,
This is my first post, having been converted to the beautiful game with the inception of the HAL. This topic may have been done to death in the past, so excuse me if that is the case, but it seems to me that as far as expansion in the HAL is concerned, local derbys are the way to go. That would mean that the Galaxy are an absolute certainty (esp with their financial house in order), but as for the Townsville team... well, I'm not so sure (form a derby point of view).

I'd like to see a Western Sydney team or another Melbourne team join with the Galaxy. My personal preference is another Melbourne team. I think that local derby would ROCK! Another Syd team would be great for us... 3 teams providing derbys for us to watch but do you think that would make the competition to NSW centric?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

 

[krusty]

The local derbys are great it would be great to see a  another melbourne team it's always good kicking melbournes arse it would be great to have another arse to kick it would also be good for the game. GO YOU YELLOW!!!

 

[Jimmy]

Two melbourne teams would throw the A-league back to the NSL days. I'd hate to read some of the headlines after those derbies.
It was bad enough when victory played knights earlier this year.

 

[marinersman]

My brother's a Roar supporter (he lives up there) and he is dead against the Gold Coast team coming in. Roar have a huge number of fans travel up from the Gold Coast and Northern NSW.

He's worried about Roar losing thousands of supporters but I've been trying to educate him about a local derby and just how good it is.

I was born and raised in the Byron Bay area and I can tell you that the Lismore area is one of the true Football hotbeds in Australia. The participation base and popularity of the game there is incredible. It is easily the number one sport. They've had Terry Greedy and Paul and Craig Foster come out of there. The crime is there is so much young talent that is never fulfilled due to inadequate coaching. If they had youth academies and coaches the equal of Newcastle, CC or Sydney, they would be one of the great football factories.

The reason I mention all of this is because they will go and support a Gold Coast team in their thousands. The Gold Coast is an easy one hour drive from Lismore and the Roar have ignored this area.

Gold Coat and Roar would be a great local derby to rival the F3 derby and the sooner GC are admitted the better. Also, to have three more rounds would be huge despite a bye.

 

[Omni]

I've got a mate who is a nominal FC supporter, waiting for Westies United, it'd definitely get a crowd, as long as it's called Western Sydney or something of that effect if they name it after the town (Parramatta or Penrith) it won't work.

They'd get a good crowd at Penrith, and Parramatta did alright for the FC V Persik game, bloody cold though (not that that would matter in the A-League).

 

[Dr Nick]

No wollongong team then??

I see the points made about a second melbourne team, but how about a second victorian team instead. geelong? is that far away enough? is anywhere else down there big enough?

then in future years - darwin, canberra, hobart/tassie, a nz south island team (for their own north/south rivalry

 

[Dr Nick]

ah balls. i'll go post that where it belongs. excuse the slipup