Matching that emotion on the terraces at the Socceroos’ October 10 World Cup qualifier in Canberra could be the winning showcase for the city’s A-League potential, says backer Michael Caggiano.

He says the time has “come and passed” to prove their worth as a bid and a sea of local noisy Socceroos fans can only help the area's A-League bid to be included in the competition.

“I don’t think we need to prove our credentials anymore, or our appetite for professional football, that time has come and passed,” Caggiano told FTBL.

“Let’s get behind the Socceroos and fill GIO Stadium with a sea of green and yellow on October 10.

“We know the venue can produce a great atmosphere full of football crazy Canberrans, just look at the last time the AFC was played there – packed houses, wonderful atmospheres, playing surface of the tournament – this will be a great event again.

“I urge all people from our region to once again go and enjoy professional football, an experience we’re still actively working on making a more common thing in Canberra in future A-League seasons”.

If Canberran Tom Rogic is fit and selected - the currently injured Celtic playmaker will be home in early September to recuperate - he’d make the connection between the bid and the Socceroos even more real.

“Tom is a great example of the top-class talent we have in the region forced to look overseas for professional opportunities given the lack of an A-League team here.

“We’ve never had the chance to see Tom in a Socceroos shirt on his home turf since the last World Cup qualifiers in 2015 and I’m sure everyone would love the chance to see him in action again.”

A key plank of the A-League/W-League bid is the proposed city centre-based Canberra stadium - potentially holding 20-25,000.  

What’s more, the ACT Government have funded a $20m home of football set to be built in 2021 at Throsby, a venue which could also house A-League operations.

And without a professional sports franchise in the nation’s capital in summer, the A-League is the missing ingredient for fans as well as proponents of the new stadium.

Caggiano added: “Who knows, this could be the last time we see him in action at GIO Stadium before Canberra gets its new stadium in the city."