Football Australia has confirmed the completion of another milestone for the Australian Championship, with the conclusion of a third National Second Tier (NST) Request for Proposal (RFP) Application Process on Monday 21 July 2025.
Following the announcement on 31 October 2024, that the NST competition would commence in 2025, Football Australia also committed to a third NST Request for Proposal (RFP) process to select additional clubs to participate in the Australian Championship.
This third NST RFP process was expanded to target clubs outside of the initial Expression of Interest process and predominantly from underrepresented States and Territories. At the conclusion of this process, Football Australia did not receive any fully compliant bid proposals but was encouraged with the prospect that additional clubs may be in a stronger position to join in the future.
The outcome of this NST RFP process reinforces Football Australia's commitment to ensuring the competition is set up to succeed with strong clubs and an appropriate format and structure to provide a commercially appealing model for the NST, operating under the Australian Championship brand, to grow sustainably in the future.
Over the past two years, Football Australia has actively engaged and evaluated as many as 25 clubs against the NST RFP framework providing us with a deep understanding as to the capacity of these clubs to meet technical and financial benchmarks resulting in eight Foundation Clubs.
With the competition launching on Friday, 10 October 2025, Football Australia will continue to monitor club standards and performance within the confines of the Australian Championship to evaluate club development both on and off the field before determining any further NST RFP processes.
The eight Foundation Clubs of APIA Leichhardt FC, Avondale FC, Marconi Stallions FC, Preston Lions FC, South Melbourne FC, Sydney Olympic FC, Sydney United 58 FC, and Wollongong Wolves FC have been granted automatic access to play in the Australian Championship for a period of up to 5 years conditional upon continuing to meet key licensing standards.
The inaugural Australian Championship will launch with two blockbuster opening round fixtures set to launch a bold new chapter for Australian football.
Opening Fixtures
- Friday, 10 October - South Melbourne FC v Sydney Olympic FC at Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne
- Saturday, 11 October - Preston Lions FC v NPL Premier (NSW)* at BT Connor Reserve, Melbourne
Following six rounds of group stage matches, the top two teams from each group will advance to a knockout Finals Series, culminating in the Championship Final on 6 December. This structure has been designed to ensure the competition model is sustainable while maintaining a high degree of competitive integrity and commercial appeal.
Quotes attributable to Football Australia Interim Chief Executive Officer, Heather Garriock:
"The Australian Championship is a priority for Football Australia and an exciting new addition to our domestic football calendar which brings together historic Foundation Clubs and NPL champions to celebrate the very best of domestic club football in Australia.
"This is another important milestone we have completed as part of a rigorous due-diligence process to ensure the long-term success of the Australian Championship.
"This RFP process has been an invaluable exercise in terms of providing a clear picture as to the current state of readiness across the domestic club eco system in Australia, and we will continue to monitor the progress of potential clubs.
"I want to thank all the Foundation Clubs and Member Associations who are working very hard to establish this new competition and make sure that it is set up for continued long-term success."
