Tara Murray
Caroline Springs George Cross is hoping to still be part of the National Second Tier competition as it kicks off in 2025.
Following a series of workshops and consultation sessions with the eight NST foundation clubs, Football Australia last week confirmed that it will kick-off the NST in October 2025, showcasing the best of Australian club football in a contemporary and sustainable competition format.
The new competition structure will feature a 16-team format, consisting of group stage matches and culminating in an elimination finals series.
The eight foundation clubs will be granted automatic access and will be joined by eight invitational clubs comprised of the member federation National Premier League state premiers from the respective domestic season in the first season.
APIA Leichhardt, Avondale, Marconi Stallions, Preston Lions, South Melbourne, Sydney Olympic, Sydney United 58 and Wollongong Wolves are the foundation clubs that were previously announced.
The competition will be held annually between October and December, initially across nine matchday rounds, and concluding with a championship final in early December.
During the past 12 months, Football Australia has undertaken two comprehensive request for proposal (RFP) processes to select NST clubs.
The process successfully identified 14 clubs representing six states and territories that have each passed the technical elements of the NST RFP process.
Football Australia said six of the 14 clubs were unable to meet the mandatory financial requirements required to play in a standalone NST home and away league competition prior to the deadline in June.
Caroline Springs George Cross is one of those six clubs.
The Georgies took to social media and said they were fully committed to the journey and remain in the race to be part of the inaugural competition.
Georgies president Mark Sultana told Star Weekly they were still working with Football Australia in regards to the financial component and were confident they would meet the needed requirements.
He said they still have the appetite to be part of the NST.
“Our submission was very highly rated,” he said. “From a venue point of view it was excellent, history point of view excellent, from an engagement in terms of match day… Everything was really good.
“We are heavily engaged in conversations with Football Australia.”
Sultana said they not only wanted to be part of the NST down the track, they wanted to be part of the competition that they have announced.
“We’ve got quite an iconic history and today [Friday] is actually our anniversary of our Australia Cup victory in 1964,” he said.
“Which is quite important for our football club as there’s not many clubs that are still around that have won an Australian Cup.
“There’s a very strong appetite to build representation in the NST from Melbourne’s west.”
Football Australia chief executive James Johnson shared his enthusiasm for the upcoming NST competition.
“The introduction of the National Second Tier is a landmark moment for football in Australia. “Following productive discussions with our eight foundation clubs and consultation with other stakeholders, we are committed to creating a competition that not only elevates our game but also enriches the football community at all levels.
“The National Second Tier will provide a new platform for iconic clubs to showcase their talent and connect with fans nationwide.”
