Melbourne Heart FC Chief Executive Officer Scott Munn believes Victoria is ready to welcome a new football team as the countdown to the club’s Hyundai A-League debut draws closer.
Melbourne Heart FC Chief Executive Officer Scott Munn believes Victoria is ready to welcome a new football team as the countdown to the club-s Hyundai A-League debut draws closer.
Munn said Melbourne presented Football Federation Australia with the most compelling cause for expansion, with the city regularly drawing among the largest domestic and international football crowds in the country.
“I think if we were going to put another team into the competition, Melbourne was the obvious choice for a whole host of reasons. We-ve been really buoyed by the amount of both corporate support and public support,” he said.
“In our discussions with potential partners, there are those who see an association with the Heart and the A-League as a summer activation, complimenting their winter sponsorship of AFL.”
“We also believe there-s a large group of fans who we-ll be able to attract and certainly some of those early signings have highlighted our commitment to play an attacking game.”
However, Munn is mindful of luring across existing followers from the Victory franchise, stating Melbourne Heart FC hopes to build its own fan base and increase the overall level of football support in the State.
And after completing extensive research, Munn is confident Heart can attract a new wave of enthusiasm for the Hyundai A-League.
“We know there are a significant number of hardcore football fans in Victoria and our task is to engage and appeal to them to ensure they join us on this unique journey. We bear a distinct responsibility to advance the cause of football and don-t want to cannibalise the Victory-s support,” he said.
“I think we will be different from the Victory in a number of ways. One of the big things is we are not going to be as successful as them to start with, they have two premierships and two championships, so the underdog theory is always going to be one that will resonate.
“But also from our perspective, we are going to push for authenticity, respecting Australia-s football past but also looking forward to the future and playing a really exciting brand of football. That-s what John van ‘t Schip said he is going to do, and that-s what we-ll do.”
The Heart-s arrival in the Hyundai A-League will mark the beginning of the competition-s first true inner city rivalry, with the club-s regular clash against Victory set to be a highlight of the Australian football calendar.
Munn hopes the Melbourne derby will grow to blockbuster status, with tickets to become the hottest item around during the Victorian summer.
“The derby with Victory will be fantastic,” he said. “If you-ve ever been to Man United v Man City or the Boca v Plate games, that is what we aim, over time to recreate. Hopefully it will become a must have ticket in town.”
