What’s more, big-name coaches added cachet to the latest edition. Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson coached the Philippines, and A-League marquee Keisuke Honda was is in charge of Cambodia.

Significantly, given Australia’s commercial realities, the Suzuki Cup 2018 picked up their first-ever Chinese partner sponsorship with a leading smartphone brand. And Air Asia - which has opened its own international terminal in Western Melbourne at Avalon Airport - was also an official tournament supporter.

FFA CEO David Gallup told the SMH recently that the rapidly increasing strength of football in the SEA region and the commercial possibilities meant it was an option “certainly worth exploring”.

Maloney in his playing days with Perth against South star Zeljko Susa

Maloney agrees: “It’s great for Australia to have a chance to play in the Suzuki Cup. I believe it’s possible and I believe the wheels are in motion to make it happen.

“Obviously the traveling might be an issue, we’re not sure how the tournament will be structured because there have been different scenarios, sometimes there’s a host nation. Or two hosts.

“Last year it was across South East Asia with two home games and two away. Whether they’d do that with Australia I’m not sure. The traveling might be an issue.

“There was over 88,00 against Vietnam here in the first leg final. That’s the thing, you see a game like that with tickets sold out in hours. We hosted the SEA Games in 2017 and we had 70-80,000.

“So if Australia can be involved in that type of tournament it’s tournament football in really tough conditions against nations with big support.

“Australia has a good reputation in Asia. Obviously, we’re one of the highest ranking nations so it’d be great for the tournament and nations too. But the best thing for me is for Australia to test themselves against these South East Asian nations," said Maloney. 

The next Suzuki Cup will be held in 2020.