Berwick City’s Orlando Mejias and Endeavour United’s Dragen Maejanac battle for the ball during a local soccer match this month. The round ball game continues to gather momentum in the region, and an A-League team at Casey Fields may soon add to the excitement.By Callan Date
CASEY Fields is a major contender to be the training and administration base of a new A-League soccer team.
The Cranbourne sports precinct is a key part of the plans made by a consortium believed to be the front-runner to secure Melbourne’s second A-League franchise.
Casey chief executive Mike Tyler said officials had held positive talks with the group looking to bring professional soccer to the region.
Governing body Football Federation Australia (FFA) is also supportive of a major presence in the Casey area, he said.
“Various consortia bids include the use of Casey Fields as an A-League club training and administration headquarters, or as a satellite training venue,” Mr Tyler said.
It is expected the team will play their matches out of the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, which is under construction in the Melbourne Olympic Park precinct.
The news comes only weeks after Casey approved the Melbourne Football Club’s move to Casey Fields until 2010.
The AFL team will base its football department out of a plush new pavilion at Casey Fields from the middle of next year.
Football Federation Victoria (FFV) has also outlined plans to establish a multi-pitch Centre of Excellence at Casey Fields.
“Soccer’s popularity is rapidly growing – both to play the game and also to follow an A-League team,” Mr Tyler said.
“It is the combination of both that creates the possibility of a Centre of Excellence at Casey Fields, with an A-League team also utilising the facility.
“The possibility of a number of synthetic pitches playing host to community football, coupled with a grass pitch for an elite regional representative team and training for an A-League team, has the potential to create a very strong soccer focus for the Casey community.”
FFA head of corporate affairs Bonita Mersiades said they were still talking to potential franchises for entry into the 2010-11 A-League season.
She said they hoped to make a decision by the end of the year.
