Canberra soccer fans will get another chance to fire a reminder to Football Federation Australia officials that they want an A-League team in the capital after the ACT government secured a deal to host a game next season.
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As the Western Sydney Wanderers prepare to face Adelaide United in the A-League grand final, Fairfax Media can reveal Canberra will have a role to play in the 2016-17 campaign.
It will be announced on Friday the Central Coast Mariners will play Wellington Phoenix at Canberra Stadium later this year in the first regular-season fixture in the capital since 2009.
FFA bosses have scuttled Canberra's immediate hopes of securing the city's own team in the competition, citing the population size as one of the main reasons for not expanding into the ACT.
But a big crowd could reignite a bid for more A-League matches and the hope of a Canberra team in the future.
The Mariners' deal, which has been mooted since December last year, will take advantage of Canberra's new link to Wellington via the start of international flights to New Zealand.
The Wellington mayor is in Canberra this week to meet with ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr to discuss ways the cities can partner up through sporting and cultural events.
Singapore Airlines will begin direct flights from Canberra to Wellington in September, with Barr floating the prospect of setting up a deal with Super Rugby franchise the Hurricanes to play against the ACT Brumbies.
Australia will play New Zealand in a one-day international cricket match at Manuka Oval in December as the international flights open a gateway to more events.
It is believed the Mariners-Phoenix match will be scheduled for November.
Mariners chief executive Shaun Mielekamp said: "The Central Coast Mariners are very proud to be partnering with the ACT Government and Capital Football to host a match in Canberra.
"We see this is a first step towards forming a long-term strategic partnership with the region.
"It is great to return to Canberra with a full flight A-League match and we are committed to doing as much as we can in the lead up to help community football grow and our partnership with Capital Football will help us achieve this.
"Once again we are in the process of planning a pre-season campaign as part of the build-up which will allow us to work with grassroots clubs and help football grow in the ACT.
"I am confident that this will not be a one-off occasion and we have every intention to make this match such a great success, confirming the fixture for many seasons to come."
Almost 11,000 fans turned out for two games when the Mariners played in Canberra in 2009.
But it is hoped more fans will flock to the stadium to showthe FFA that a permanent team in the capital is a viable option.
The Mariners will consider playing pre-season fixtures in Canberra like they have done in previous years while the government has indicated its interest in hosting a Socceroos World Cup qualifier next year.
FFA boss David Gallop shut the door on A-League expansion to Canberra last year when he said: "We firmly believe that any new clubs should be located in markets where there are millions, not just a few hundred thousand in population," Gallop said.
"My football friends in Canberra are always very polite, but insistent about pushing for a bigger place on the national stage ... that's nothing against the city, the coaches, the players or the passionate fans. It's a product of simple economics and the size of the market."
Canberra has attracted big crowds to Asian Cup fixtures and Socceroos matches in recent years as talks grow of potentially reviving plans to lobby the FFA for an A-League licence.
