Canberra A-League expansion: What does a men's expansion team mean for the $33m 'Home of Football'?

Either way, it's unlikely there will be a centre of excellence for the team to use before Canberra and Auckland join the competition for the 2024-25 season.

The ACT government has committed $33 million to a new Capital Football office and base for what was supposed to be Canberra United's training facility.

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Ongoing delays and site problems have prompted fears the project costs will blow out to almost $50 million if they persist with the Throsby site, but the project might have to go back to the drawing board with news Canberra is set to be granted a professional men's licence in the coming months.

A men's team hadn't been factored into the original designs and plans and it's unclear if they could be added to the facility that would have boasted indoor and outdoor fields and a boutique venue for games.

The AIS has the only FIFA five-star rated pitch in Australia and chief executive Kieren Perkins is keen to build temporary "air dome" indoor fields to add more training capacity.

McKellar Park is also an option given it is regarded as the premier boutique field in Canberra, but it is also used for National Premier League games and Canberra United's A-League Women's fixtures.

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It's understood the expansion team will spend the coming months mapping out a plan and evaluating site options to ensure the men's team has a home when it launches its first campaign.

The Home of Football was delayed again last year, but the government had hoped to start construction this year before finishing the project in the middle of next year.

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