Melbourne Victory have signed Socceroos defender Michael Thwaite one-year loan deal from Norwegian club SK Brann.

Thwaite, 25, Ney joins Brazilian Fabiano De Oliveira, Billy Celeski and Tom Pondeljak that the victory of the key location for the next A-League season after missing the playoffs last year.

Thwaite was included in Pim Verbeek Socceroos the first team for the opening of World Cup qualification against Qatar in February but failed to make the final cut.

He joined Brann in January unfortunate club after stints in Romania and Poland.

"It's very nice to be able to make another Socceroo home, but for only a short time at this stage," Victory football operations manager Gary Cole said.

"It's big, fast and can do a great job for us in defence."

Thwaite made his international debut against Jamaica in 2005.

There are great opportunities to play his first match of the Victory in trial games early next month.

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A new club League-owner Clive Palmer, who named his mining company chief executive officer at the same position in the new Gold Coast-Unis.

Iron ore baron Palmer, Côte owner and president, announced Clive Mensink as the first CEO of the club who play in expanding A-League in 2009-10.

A former club official Brisbane, Mensink has been involved in the company of Mineralogy Palmer more than 15 years.

Palmer said he was convinced Mensink provide business and soccer knowledge to lead the club through its formative years.

"We have appointed Clive Mensink because we know he has an excellent track record as a CEO, a position he occupies the mineralogy," said Australia's fourth richest man, who would be a worth more than $ 1.5 billion.

"More importantly, he is the vice president of Resources in Australasia, which is a listed company, it is used for high demands and requirements of society."

Mensink, 40, was the treasurer of the club Brisbane North Star in 2003.

The coast franchise is yet to decide its official name, but gradually the construction of its first office staff, including five former employees Queensland Roar.

Inaugural Roar coach Miron Bleiberg will coach the United enlargement at A-League kicks off in 14 months.

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Adelaide United last arrival Brazilian Cristiano will be a star of the A-League, the Reds coach Aurelio Vidmar said.

Cristiano arrived in Adelaide on Monday, joining compatriots Diego, Alemao Cassio and the South Australia club.

Striker Cristiano has 10 years experience in the Netherlands, scoring 44 goals in stints with NAC Breda, Roda JC and Willem II.

"I think that in Cristiano you'll get a fair bit of experience, he is someone who has over 10 years experience in Europe," said Vidmar.

"He knows how to score goals, it is quite a team player, which we are very eager to help him to a large extent.

"I think it has the ingredients to be a star in this competition."

Cristiano, 27, Adelaide shore up following the attack losses strikers Nathan Burns and Bruce Djite the Greek Cypriots and Turkish clubs respectively.

"Adelaide is a great club, they have a very good reputation and I saw a lot of things in Adelaide on the Internet and that is why he was the choice for me," said Cristiano.

"We have a lot of quality with Cassio, and now Diego Alemão with other players, and for me, it made the choice easy.

"I was in Brazil last week and I talked with Cassio on the club and it is all positive."

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Football Federation Australia boss Ben Buckley insists football is not locked in a race with the expansion of the AFL despite these two codes to plunge headlong into the same new markets.

Last week, the A-League has published its ninth license in the region coveted by the AFL - the Gold Coast - with Australia's fourth richest man Clive Palmer fracture and it plans to launch in the 2009-10 season.

And the AFL has upped the stakes in the other hotspot in the west of Sydney, with plans to accelerate an under-18 side for the region as early as next year to feed the region later AFL planned for 2012 .

But despite these two codes chasing the same heart, mind and athletes on at least two battlefields, Buckley insists west of Sydney has become more important for the A-League since the AFL scored his plans to set up shop.

"The western part of Sydney is important for the construction of the game and football across the country," said Buckley, the former No. 2 of the AFL to current CEO Andrew Demetriou.

"This is not a race. We have never said that it was a race.

"The west of Sydney has a very strong base for football, it has many remarkable talent for the game and there is a strong demand for the match.

"We believe that this is a natural result of having a team based there over time."

The FFA has received two expressions of interest in the west of Sydney, a team of eight being considered to increase the A-League to a possible 12-club competition.

Melbourne, Townsville and Wollongong are also considered as possible bases for a new A-League franchise.

The FFA has put in place an expansion subcommittee to examine the proposals, and it will also report on a timetable to award new licenses.

But if the schedules go to plan, top-flight football will be a two-year jump on the AFL on the Gold Coast, and probably in place before the west of Sydney 2012 AFL Side A-League bosses decide a team must be established.

The AFL has plans to expand to 18 teams, with one side Gold Coast to come on board in 2011 and west of Sydney the following year.

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