The Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) have created a partner group involving 30 NPL clubs across Australia, with the aim of beginning a national second division by 2022.
The list of clubs includes former NSL powerhouses such as South Melbourne, Melbourne Knights, Adelaide City and Sydney Olympic.
AAFC Chairman Nick Galatas believes the partner group is an important step in the process towards a connected football pyramid.
“The Championship is about creating stronger clubs and expanding the football footprint throughout our country for the benefit of our entire sport,” he said.
“The oldest club in the partner group was established in the 19th century and another two early in the 20th century, while the youngest club was established in this century. That says so much about the longevity and popularity of our sport in this country.
“Of surprise to many, perhaps, are that the three oldest clubs are from Newcastle, Hobart and Brisbane.”
The AAFC will now sort through the issues of the proposed competition, with a final report needing approval from those at FFA HQ.
Galatas claims promotion and relegation is necessary throughout the tiers of football in Australia, however A-League clubs may not be relegated immediately, once the second tier begins.
“AAFC’s view is that we cannot be properly considered as a ‘football nation’ without it and having it in place is our ultimate objective,” he said.
“While promotion and relegation with the A-League will hopefully occur (a) little later, we aim for it to start immediately with the NPL below.
“We also recognise a need to get the code back on track and financially viable and that is what we believe the Championship will help in achieving. Connecting clubs from bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom will help unite the game which will help it achieve its potential.”
The 30 clubs involved in the partner group can be viewed here.
