“We're always looking to strengthen our squad, not just for the Asian Champions League but for beyond that,” Gary Cole, Victory football operations manager, said after the ACL draw.

“We can strengthen the squad. The one thing we know is that players in our [ACL] squad have to have a mininum six month contract.

“The squad's in constant review and you're constantly working, building and developing relationships with clubs, players and agents to meet that end.

"We're all still very much focused on these last four games to give ourselves, albeit a remote one, a shot at qualifying for the finals.

“And this will obviously improve our preparation for the Champions League."

Victory have applied to play their first ACL game away on March 12, however this and the remainder of Victory's fixtures are yet to be confirmed by the AFC.

By next February, ACL clubs will be able to nominate a squad of up to 30 players for their campaign. Within that, they can nominate three visa players which cannot be changed.

He added: “It's a wonderful opportunity. We saw Sydney play and they could've qualified.

"It's very exciting for us. I'm not sure what our form will be in March next year, but I'd like to think with excellent preparation we'll be in good shape.”

However Cole conceded the club would have to play VPL opposition in between the six group games.

But he was hopeful that the Olyroos, Adelaide United and perhaps even the Socceroos may provide opposition in between ACL matches, with discussions with the FFA ongoing.

Cole, himself a former Socceroo, said he felt Victory had a reasonable chance of topping a group which contains Japan's Gamba Osaka, South Korea's Chunnan Dragons and Chonburi of Thailand.

“We're confident we can go in there and be competitive." he said. "Our goal is nice and simple – finish in the top one and we qualify for the knockout stages.

“We don't know too much about Chonburi from Thailand, but obviously Gamba Osaka is quite a big name in Japanese football. They have a couple of Brazilians like most J-League teams and Endo and Kaji from the 2006 World Cup squad.

“Chunnam Dragons hopefully are not one of the stronger K-League sides as they finished tenth in their league this year.

"I think it's a group we can be competitive in, and we'll certainly aim to win it with a high intensity style. Thailand will be a test but hopefully our football will get us through.”

And Cole hinted that the club may take up an offer from the Northern Territory government to train in the hotter conditions of Darwin ahead of the potential banana skin clash with Chonburi.

“We'll go from the humidity of Thailand to the colder climes of Japan and South Korea," he added.

"So I don't think there is an easy draw – but it's a draw which can see Melbourne Victory be competitive.

“The club has no experience in playing in Asia. However, myself, [coaches] Ernie Merrick and Aaron Healy went to China this year to look at the way the games are played and how the Aussie teams approached it.

“The biggest unknown is Thailand. Obviously the better prepared you are, the better.”