Canberra has been shortlisted for A-League expansion
Canberra has been shortlisted for A-League expansion.
It is understood 15 bid teams have been cut to eight and there will be a formal announcement from Football Federation Australia this afternoon.
The Canberra team have been working on their application for more than 12 months and are the only bid which already have sides in the W-League and National Youth League.
Canberra's bid was centred around a "50 plus one" ownership model which is based on the one used in Germany's Bundesliga, where a club can only obtain a licence if its members retain overall control.
Another factor working in Canberra's favour is their existing stadium at Bruce which is used by the Canberra Raiders and ACT Brumbies.
Soccer has the highest participation rates of any sport in Canberra with 30,000 registered players in the city.
This is the second time Canberra has tried to crack into the A-League after ACT businessman Ivan Slavich led an ill-fated bid in 2008.
The Wollongong Wolves have also reportedly been shortlisted.
Two teams will be added to the A-League on October 31 and will enter the competition for the 2019-20 season.
More to come.