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Canberra was one of four expansion bids snubbed last week when Western Melbourne and Macarthur South West Sydney won licences.

Canberra bid team duo Michael Caggiano and Bede Gahan are confident of a "clear path" to the A-League but O'Rourke said there was still plenty of water to go under the bridge.

"The conversation was set up as it was with other bidders - at their request - to talk to them about where we felt that their current bid had gaps, and to enable them to work on those gaps in readiness for a future wave of expansion," O'Rourke said.

"The other two bidders were better on a number of fronts but I think the board was clear that Canberra weren't out of the race for expansion. Our conversation on Friday was in keeping with that."

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FFA deputy chair Heather Reid wants to see the further expansion within three years and said the capital was "in a very good position" to be included next.

Canberra was the only losing campaign to be singled out by the FFA in their press release 10 days ago when they announced the winners and promised further expansion.

O'Rourke couldn't say when the next wave will hit or what it will look like and added it will likely depend the status of a new league operating model.

"That wave of expansion will be subject to the potential independent A-League model and governance of that but to reinforce what [FFA chairman] Chris Nikou said... it is the board's desire to expand the league so it's in the interest of the management team to continue to explore what that may look like," O Rourke said.

"We mentioned Canberra and Brisbane because we had just expanded into Sydney and Melbourne. Of the three states territories represented in the last six bids, Canberra was the only one that didn't receive an expansion licence.

"The board was conscious of wanting to make sure Canberra and Brisbane knew they were being looked at for potential future licences.

"What is no agreed is the date and that’s all subject to all those other structural reforms that await us.

"I don't want to give false hope but I don't want to say it's not possible. Let's sit down and work though it all."

O'Rourke admitted it has been a crazy few months which saw the FFA board overhauled, an expanded congress and expansion.

"People were looking for expansion and we've made a commitment to continue that, people were looking to a marquee player and that's been done, people were looking to a second division and we're setting up working group for that as well," O'Rourke said.

"A lot of things people wanted us to focus on have been addressed and we're still working."