I have a real hunch an Auckland A League club is going to be successful from the get go. The failed Knights & Kings certainly are relevant reminders, in that things on & off the field need to be done well.
But 1. a new Auckland won't be based at that soulness Albany stadium, 2. The Yellow Fever has shown what a real NZ football fan club can look like, something no other code in NZ has, and 3. Multicultural Auckland has grown & it's football community has grown since the previous two duds. I'd plump for Eden Park & it's central locale, but Mt Smart could also go okay. Or a combination of those 2 grounds plus 1-2 games at Tauranga (around New Years) & Hamilton. The Nix derby games definitely in Mt Eden.
Re the NZ player pool, I think there is enough talent around. Some domestic Greives, Reiras, Siggies who just need a chance. Cam Howieson to make himself available. As others have written, it seems the Nix are now basically ignoring any domestic NZ player who are not in their Academy. For sure there are players in the domestic leagues worth a chance at the A League.
Also without insulting the Nix & Welly, there are also some Kiwis overseas who would be enticed back to live & play A League football in the 09, but not the 04. That's a reasonable agrument.
And lastly since we NZers love a good per capita stat.
Aussie population 26.7M, 12 ALM clubs (with Canberra). So that's 2.2M people per club.
NZ popn 5.2M, 2 ALM clubs so 2.6M folks per club. We edge them
If they have the available football (soccer) talent with all those competing winter codes like 20 AFL clubs, 18 NRL clubs & 5 pro Super Rugby teams - so will we there or thereabouts.
The new NSD (2nd tier) if happens next year in Australia, will identify a host of promising Aussie (and some Kiwis) worth a shot at the ALM. And Oz clubs won't be able to sign them all. The step up from the NSD to the ALM, will be smaller than the semi pro NPL leagues.
Football in NZ to really progress as a sport, needs an Auckland A League club. Do the draw right and that means an ALM and ALW game each week in NZ. At worst a game every fortnight. Often in Jan-Feb it seems the Nix can go 3-4 weeks without playing in NZ, and football disappears from the sporting focus. And like it or not, so much of the sporting media, and commercial dollars are based north of the Bombays.
A 2nd A League club in NZ, and the AWs plus the Ferns playing say 2 high profile friendlies each annually at home - and the code will be much closer to it's potential in Aotearoa. Rugby will then genuinely have reason to be worried, because as it will feel threatened both at a grassroots & and the highest level.
PS.
YoungHeartHM & Carlind are tracking young Kiwis offshore better than me!