Canberra A-League Men's team could share Capital Football's Home of Football

Capital Football and ACT Sport and Recreation officials met at a pre-planned meeting on Thursday, but the future of the Throsby development and the looming arrival of an A-League Men's team next year.

The government has already committed $28 million to the project, which was initially slated to be finished by 2022 and was expected to be a training base and boutique venue for the Canberra United A-League Women's team.

But it has been plagued by delays, with the government pushing back the opening date to June, 2024. It's unclear if the Australian Professional Leagues' planned men's expansion into Canberra for the 2024-25 will force another delay or alter designs.

Capital Football boss Ivan Slavich said there was plenty of space at the 30 hectare facility if the parties can strike a deal, while APL officials are investigating other locations around the city to cover all bases.

Capital Football owns the Canberra United intellectual property rights, and a new men's team would have to buy those if it wanted to persist with the same branding and colours.

A-LEAGUE EXPANSION

"It's logical that Canberra United and the men's team would be together, because that's what happens everywhere else except Macarthur," Slavich said.

"Obviously we have to receive fair value for what we've built over the last 15 years, and it determines the value of all the other women's teams in the country.

"We're quite advanced with the government in regards to Throsby and the Home of Football, and we're investing in it as well. The idea was that United would train and play there, and we'll have the sublease over the facility.

"Quite conceivably Canberra United [A-League Men and Women] could utilise a facility that's run by Capital Football."

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Former Capital Football boss Chris Gardner was concerned rising building costs and ongoing delays would see the pricetag blowout to $50 million to complete phases one and two.

The Home of Football was expected to be a match venue for Canberra National Premier League games, A-League Women's games and the Kanga Cup, as well as having indoor futsal facilities.

"It will take two years to build, but the government is now at the lodging development application phase," Slavich said.

The government has a strong track record of helping to fund high-performance sports centres, chipping in for the ACT Brumbies, Canberra Raiders and Cricket ACT to build training bases.

But it's unlikely they would be willing to commit to two separate soccer venues, given the size of the financial investment on the Throsby project.

AIS chief executive Kieren Perkins wants to build "air-dome" soccer fields similar to ones used by some professional clubs in Europe to make the institute more attractive for elite athletes and training.

The AIS also boasts one of the only FIFA five-star fields in Australia, which the Canberra United women's team has used as a training base for several years.

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