ALeague to gain two new teams

MELBOURNE: The ALeague will expand to 12 teams across the next two seasons after Football Federation Australia (FFA) decided to award licences to Western Melbourne and Macarthur South West Sydney.

Western Melbourne Group will enter the league in October — in time for next season — with the Macarthur South West Sydney bid, based in Campbelltown, scheduled to join in 202021 .

The decision comes after a protracted and heated fight to join the league. Team 11, based in Dandenong and long a favourite to join, was one of four shortlisted bids to miss out.

FFA chairman Chris Nikou said the decision, made in a marathon FFA board meeting on Wednesday, allowed the league to tap into Australia’s biggest growth corridors.

‘‘An expanded Hyundai ALeague will connect new communities in our two biggest markets, create new rivalries, bigger television audiences, more derbies and importantly, further opportunities for Australian footballers to play at the highest level in this country,’’ he said.

The Western Melbourne outfit will play out of Geelong’s Kardinia Park until a purposebuilt privatelyowned stadium is completed, probably in 2022.

Western Sydney Wanderers, an expansion outfit in their own right, will have new rivals from 202021 with the admission of a side from Sydney’s southwest.

Nikou gave heart to those that missed out by vowing to continue growing the league beyond 14 teams. — AAP