32 Australian football clubs have submitted their expressions of interest to participate in the new national second tier football competition, according to sources.

The 32 teams who expressed their interest in joining the new second-tier competition

The EOI process, launched by Football Australia in February 2023, was aimed at assessing the level of interest and refining the strategy, vision, competition format, operation, and administration for the new competition.

The National Second Tier competition is expected to start in March 2024 and feature between 10 and 16 teams with a home and away league structure and finals.

This will involve 24 to 36 games, but the possibility remains for Football Australia to institute a phased group-based competition model that would use the National Premier Leagues competition to determine the make-up of the competition.

Commenting on the EOI process, Football Australia CEO, James Johnson, said: “We underwent a lengthy consultation process last year so we knew there would be great interest and we are thrilled with the level of interest shown in the EOI phase and the calibre of clubs which have expressed their interest.”

“It is also pleasing to see that we have received submissions from right across Australia, demonstrating that our football clubs have a deep desire and aspiration to compete at a national level.

“The National Second Tier provides the perfect platform for them to do so.

“Australian football has undergone a journey of transformation over the last two years, and the establishment of a national second tier which reconnects and realigns Australian football competitions is an important element of Football Australia’s 15-year vision for the game.

“The receipt of EOI submissions is another crucial step in bringing our vision for the game to life,” he said.

Following the assessment of the EOI responses, the Request for Proposal (RFP) phase will begin, which is expected to run from April to June 2023.

Only shortlisted parties from the EOI phase will be invited to submit detailed proposals, with more information provided through detailed Bid Documents.