Melbourne City’s search for identity ramps up with first grand final appearance | Simon Hill

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A maiden A-League title would go some way to discovering what has so far remained elusive to the City Football Group

It has been a decade in the making but Melbourne City, for so long the A-League’s great underachievers, will finally take their seat at the A-League’s top table on Sunday. Whether they win or not, the monkey is off their back – yet on-field success is but one part of the City conundrum.

The time-worn joke around their lack of cut-through in the Melbourne market will – for fans of other clubs – simply write itself this weekend. When they run out for that inaugural grand final against Sydney FC, it will be to a backdrop of largely empty seats. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the crowd will be limited to around 7,500 (25% capacity at BankWest Stadium) – roughly City’s average attendance.

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from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/aug/29/melbourne-citys-search-for-identity-ramps-up-with-first-grand-final-appearance

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