Premier League clubs are reportedly resistant to proposals outlined in a FFV discussion paper released last week, but the federation insists it is only seeking to “stimulate discussion.”
 
Changes include expanding the number of teams in the state’s top division but splitting them between two divisions. Promotion and relegation with the lower leagues could also be abolished.
 
Another proposal will see A-League clubs Melbourne Victory and Melbourne Heart invited to field National Youth League teams in the expanded competition.
 
FFV also intends to extend the reach of top level football outside the greater Melbourne region, with plans to include teams from Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, Gippsland, Shepparton and Albury/Wodonga.
 
The alterations to the structure of Victoria’s leagues come after the FFA’s National Competitions Review, attempts to bring sweeping changes into state league football across the country.
 
However, unlike other state federations that are launching new competitive structures from next year, FFV say they won’t be implementing the NCR recommendations until after the 2013 season.
 
“One thing we’re very keen to do is not rush any implementation,” said FFV CEO Mark Rendell.
 
“The whole idea of the NCR across Australia and Victoria is to provide a higher level, more engaged league that is linked to the pathway, that is linked to FFA, that is linked to the A-League clubs.
 
“A discussion paper is being put together for feedback from the football community and it’s not until we get all the feedback in from the football community that the board will make a final decision on the implementation of the NCR in Victoria.”
 
Rendell revealed details of the future format of the league and how it might structure the competition.
 
“What the discussion paper contemplates is that there will be 24 clubs, up to six in regional Victoria, up to 16 from metropolitan Victoria and the two A-League clubs,” he said.
 
“Anyone will be able to apply, be it individual club entries, be it a consortium of clubs, be it other individuals; no one will be excluded from providing an application if they want to come in to the league.
 
“With 24 clubs you’d divide that into two divisions; the discussion paper contemplates either an East or a West divisional structure or promotion/relegation between the two.”
 
Asked whether traditional rivals might find themselves competing in different leagues, Rendell stated “that’s a long way from being determined.”
 
“It depends on where you break the divisions up. Currently FFV have 12 zones so you would probably break six zones in one and six zones in another if you went to two divisional approaches and that depends on where that division in metropolitan Melbourne broke up.”
 
Even with split divisions Rendell said there would still be a finals series of some form.
 
“FFA are looking at a Champions League type format for the winners of all the second tier competitions around Australia, and we would come up with a Victorian winner to participate in that,” he said.
 
No matter what shape the league eventually takes, an increased regional presence appears fundamental to any overhaul, with FFV stating they’re aware of the cost of travel imposed on regional clubs.
 
“It has been raised as an issue by some of the country leagues about playing in metropolitan Melbourne and that will be fed into the review process,” he said.
 
“The intention is that the league will provide a higher level of visibility and profile for the leagues and therefore the clubs.
 
"From a commercial, sponsorship and promotional point of view, everyone should benefit from that.”
 
The FFV’s cup competition will be preserved unless the much-mooted FFA Cup is ever introduced and makes the existing tournament redundant.
 
“We will continue to run the State Knockout Cup unless the FFA Cup comes in and it provides a similar opportunity," said Rendell.
 
“As we understand it, one of the benefits of being involved in the league and holding a licence compared to community clubs would be protection into later rounds of the proposed FFA Cup.
 
“We will continue to review the merits of a Cup competition on a yearly basis depending on what FFA is doing and how their cup competition looks, but we want to ensure that cup football is part of the mix offered to clubs in Victoria.”
 
FFV will host a series of forums around Victoria over the next seven weeks to garner feedback and allay concerns regarding the proposed changes.
 
Rendell added: “We welcome all questions and all forms of constructive feedback on how to get the best implementation model for Victoria.”