Sydney AFL/League crowds give Canberra A-League a boost

Sydney and Melbourne. The FFA research show that two teams in the A-League from these cities would be great.

But after the weekend's Sydney sporting crowds Canberra hopes must have risen a further notch

Everyone knows the AFL has the most money and least international expenses of any sport in Australia.

We also know that Rugby League is the number one sport in Sydney.

So when the A-League looks to expand to 12 teams in season 2010, how will Canberra compete against a second Melbourne and Sydney bid?

Well the good news is despite three so-called Sydney bids in June nobody not FourFourTwo, not Simon Hill from FoxSport nobody has heard a dicky bird from these bids.

And of course the weekend Sydney AFL and NRL crowds will have sent a message to the FFA and Sydney FC.

Top of the table, season ending dramatic games dragged just 7,000 to watch Manly, 6,000 to watch Cronulla and a mere 13,000 to watch the Storm in Melbourne. Rugby League has been here for 100 years and these games dragged out that many patrons.

The AFL semi between Sydney Swans and North Melbourne in Sydney. Just 19,000. A good crowd by Rugby League and A-League standards. But dire for the AFL.

And the AFL wants to put another team into Sydney's West.

And they will even though it will cost $100 million over time. Because the AFL can. They have the money.

Now the FFA don't have that sort of money and they do have Sydney FC already up and running with variable crowds.

A second Sydney team is too big a risk at this stage. Sydney FC will be lobbying hard against it, the FFA maybe too scared to take it on. If indeed there is a bid. Has anybody heard anything?

In Melbourne the Southern Cross bid is shrouded in ethnic controversy. If you watched SBS on Sunday it would appear that way even with SBS Les Murray leading the bid!!! Again the FFA will turn away from such a bid.

So Canberra, our Nation's Capital has the chance, a huge chance, to get in in 2010.

No-one should discount the economic value and player size of the Sydney and Melbourne market but the AFL and League experiences may just have given Canberra an increased opportunity.