I read with interest my BPL colleague Francis Leach's column on Melbourne Heart and its need to establish a fan base. I agree with Francis that it will be difficult chore, but I also believe that there are a number of things Heart (the Heart?) can do to build a presence both in Melbourne and the A-League.

Now, I'm no media consultant - don't even play one on TV - but my year as Communications Manager of the South Dragons basketball club showed me the value of trying to think outside the square. The Dragons had no tradition, other than losing, when compared with the mighty Melbourne Tigers. So I decided to be proactive, a bit quirky, and always accessible with our media opportunities. Of course, winning helped too. So as a tribute to the late, great Dragons, here's my five-point plan for Heart. No consulting fee necessary.

1 Embrace the underdog role

Melbourne Victory, as Francis points out, are the benchmark for how to run an A-League club, both on and off the field. Heart cannot expect to jump in and compete on equal ground. So, deal with the reality. Promote yourself as the battling newcomer fighting the big boys. Success will be even sweeter when it happens.

2 Don't be afraid to say you're the Victory's arch-enemy

John Aloisi used the word "hatred" at his media conference the other day. Perhaps that's too strong, but the one thing that's certain is that Heart needs to bill itself - and state publicly - that it's the Victory's arch-rival. Remember the derbies between South Melbourne and the Melbourne Knights? Those games were always riveting, even if they did occasionally dip into "police horses required" mode. I'm not suggesting Heart/Victory will be like that - those were largely ethnically-supported clubs - but a real derby elevates the level of play and the level of fan involvement.

3 Get your coach and players out and about

I was fortunate at the Dragons to have the most talkative, personable coach in the country, Brian Goorjian. He was also willing to do almost anything to promote the club. He never turned down a radio, TV or print request, no matter how small. Similarly, guys like Mark Worthington and Adam Gibson knew the importance of good publicity. Heart head man John van't Schip seems like a personable guy, and his background suggests he's got some great stories to tell. I'd get him out and about as much as possible. Same with John Aloisi, Clint Bolton and Simon Colosimo. Try to turn them into household names.

4 Find Victory's weak spots and exploit them

Perhaps Heart can beat the Victory on the field, but I wouldn't count on it right away. So look for somewhere else to beat them. Be more fan friendly. Offer more flexible memberships. Have a better website. Do more with local sporting clubs. This is not meant as a shot at the Victory by the way; they've done plenty of things right. But there have to be some chinks in the off-field armour that Heart can attack.

5 Be on the cutting edge

Put social media like Twitter and Facebook to good use. Give fans extra access to Heart players and coaches through audio and video on the website. Do a hip, edgy podcast.

Most of this worked for the Dragons as it took on the established Melbourne Tigers. And the fledgling Sydney Rovers, who will join the A-League in 18 months, will also need to work out how to carve itself a share of a market in which Sydney FC will have had a six-year head start.