KEY POINTS:
The schemozzle continues - the Knights will play Melbourne tonight but only after a mini-player revolt was quelled and a lack of aircraft seats meant some had to stay home.
For some time yesterday, it was doubtful the game would take place after a show of defiance by Knights players.
The players' contracts became null and void when the FFA revoked the Knights' licence under the ownership of Brian Katzen, Anthony Lee and Maurice Cox.
They were all offered five-week deals to take the club through to the end of the season but they baulked at this, given their original deals ran until at least June.
On Friday night, the players, led by Darren Bazeley and Neil Emblen, dug their heels in, forcing the FFA to cancel seats on an early-morning flight yesterday.
However, they softened their stance yesterday morning and were keen to travel to Melbourne.
The FFA, though, said they could find only 12 spots on a flight yesterday afternoon, with room for just nine players - Mark Paston, Michael White, Noah Hickey, Che Bunce, Jonathan Richter, Jonas Salley, Alen Marcina, Li Yan and Gao Leilei. New manager Ricki Herbert, New Zealand under-17 coach Colin Tuaa and Peter Elderkin, who will act as team manager, filled the other three seats.
They were joined in Melbourne by Richard Johnson, Dustin Wells, Fernando and former Knights defender John Tambouras, who was signed on Wednesday as short-term cover, with Melbourne-based All White Jeff Fleming and a back-up goalkeeper.
All the Knights players - even those left behind - turned up at the airport yesterday afternoon in a show of solidarity and some were said to be trying to find flights to Melbourne to illustrate their desire to play.
They are scheduled to meet FFA head of operations Matt Carroll on Tuesday to talk about new contracts. "There are a lot of emotions running around and I understand that," Herbert said. "But it's in everyone's interests that the game is played. The FFA told me to select nine players and that's what I've done. It will be something of a triumph just to get a team on the park."
Once it became clear the players might not take on A-League leaders Melbourne, efforts were made to find an alternative team.
Members of the Australian under-23 side were to be drafted in, along with Victorian state league players.
NZFC players were not considered because of the affect that would have had on the competition and the possibility they may not have been able to return tothe NZFC.
