It has been a troubled period for the competition with several clubs being propped up by Football Federation Australia.

Canberra remains as determined as ever to join the party but believes recent developments will see the demands for admittance become more onerous.

Slavich believes franchises will need to work harder than ever to show that they won't be knocking on the FFA's door seeking a handout several months or a year down the line.

Canberra still feels it ticks all the boxes, especially with a broad-based ownership structure and government support. There is still plenty of hard work ahead though.

"I think it will become harder (for a franchise) to convince them (the FFA) but in our case we firmly believe Canberra should be part of the competition," said Slavich.

The looming World Cup could not come at a better time insists Slavich and with considerable doom and gloom in the air he sees it as an important opportunity to give the A-League a big shot in the arm.

"We saw what happened in 2005 when Australia qualified," said Slavich. "I am hoping the 2010 tournament will see the Socceroos do well and reignite community and business interest in the A-League.

"We want to see improved attendances, corporate and public support. Football is a wonderful game."

Slavich admits Canberra's failure to secure a spot ahead of Sydney Rovers has made it harder to maintain momentum but he remains determined to see the job through.

However, he would love the ACT to be adding to the competition rather than simply benefiting from the death of another side.

He added: "If a team dropped out then of course you look at it (the opportunity) but that is certainly not what we want. We want a strong competition."