That only 73 professional footballers eligible for the Australian national team started in the A-League last weekend is a major concern for the game. It's a conversion rate that worries footballing powerbrokers and is the biggest argument in favour of A-League expansion.

At a time when there is unprecedented investment in the development of young, talented footballers, there are few opportunities for the rising stars to fulfil their dreams. With only nine professional Australian football clubs, the growth of our national teams will be stunted. Socceroos' coach Ange Postecoglou describes the current narrow pyramid as a "bottleneck" of football development.

"We've got more talented players looking for opportunities than any other code, yet we have less teams," Postecoglou said. "If the doors don't open for them here in Australia then it ends up that we lose talent along the way."

From a business perspective, it's needed to attract more fans, members, attendances and most importantly, TV viewers. The introduction of two new teams will occur within the next four-year broadcast window beginning in 2017, adding an extra game each week and potentially six more rounds. 

"It is possible that it will come in the next couple of seasons," said head of the A-League, Greg O'Rourke.

Pending the success of the expansion from 10 to 12 teams, the FFA will then look at further A-League expansion to either a 14 or 16 team competition. If they were being dragged to the table over expansion in the past, the governing body will be the first to sit down, driving the case for the growth of the game.

In doing so however, it raises the question over the purpose of the new entrants. Are they there to get the game out of the red and into the black? Or to provide more pathways from the grassroots to elite levels? One thing is for certain, wrestling with both functions has prompted the FFA to move away from surgical expansion of the past and towards one influenced by the market.

"We need any new team to be successful in its own right but also be providing a benefit to the whole competition. That will mean that broadcast and commercial sponsorships will be enhanced by the additional team or teams. Applicants will need to provide a solid mix of both commercial and football business plans," O'Rourke said.  "In the short to medium term we should expect the league to expand via selection of 'fit for purpose' licences against a commercial and football criteria  that sees growth for the whole of game."

Once the framework is set, bids will be invited so long as they meet the criteria that satisfies the financial, commercial and football objectives rather than simple geographic wishes. With such a checklist, it's no secret why the nation's biggest junior player base of southern Sydney is the organisation's preferred destination, but Fairfax Media understands that Geelong is another strong candidate. Canberra is an outside option, so too Wollongong and North Queensland . A bid for a second team in Brisbane is set to land at the FFA offices though venue issues and the off-field turmoil of the Brisbane Roar casts doubt over the city's capability of housing two teams.

Existing National Premier League clubs will be allowed to apply for an A-League licence, many of which have already signalled their intent to the FFA and outlined plans for rebranding. South Melbourne are ready to market themselves in the growing south-east corridor of Melbourne and are supported by a recently renovated $70 million stadium and ready built pathways from juniors to a seniors but have criticised a lack of incentive from the FFA to invest further. 

"We are ready for direct entry into the A-League," South Melbourne president Leo Athanasakis said. 

Sources suggest a second New Zealand team will not be considered for immediate expansion but remains an option for the latter stages.

The current A-League licence agreements of all nine Australian clubs make it difficult for promotion and relegation to take place before 2034. The harsh reality is a fluidity involving the top tier of domestic football won't take place until even later. While entertaining as an idea, the FFA have other priorities, namely expansion. Broadcasters want security of markets, most NPL clubs want a nationalised second division first while A-League club owners aren't enthusiastic about their investments plunged into risk. 

"The FFA are not against a long-term vision of promotion and relegation but its priorities are around sustainability of the current 10 and expansion to 12 in the near future. Further expansion above 12 when the time is right and dependant on the all that is a conversation around next steps including promotion and relegation," O'Rourke said.  

Central Coast Mariners would be playing in a second division had promotion and relegation existed last year and their chairman says such a system would be a major detriment to the current financial structure of the competition. 

"It will stifle investment which is critical right now so promotion/relegation is just too early unfortunately. It has to be a long goal," Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth said. 

While some clubs are eager to make the jump back into the top flight, others have more realistic ambitions. The current second tier of Australian football is national in name only with a yearly knock-out competition a botox injection to ageing faces of the state leagues and many are calling for a true second tier to be established, even without the prospect of promotion to the A-League. 

The FFA have earmarked establishing an "A-League 2" to coincide with the second stage of A-League expansion beyond 12 teams. Sydney United are at the forefront of this push and are one of the many historic clubs who have financial backers waiting to support their elevation to a national competition once more, even if it's below the A-League. A league akin to the NASL in the US for a second division or a conference system remains most likely to be accepted by the governing body and if so, Sydney United president Sam Krslovic says travel costs would be easily accounted for.

"Travel costs will be a moot point. If you have a bigger stage, more coverage, you can attract more sponsors, more people to games so revenue goes up exponentially greater than costs," Krslovic said. 

However, the slightest sniff of incentive has lead to unbridled ambition for places in expanded domestic game. The potential of that ambition will likely be determined by the next broadcast deal though perhaps the true value of the game won't come just from TV, but from those waiting with cheque-in-hand, ready to be part of it.