It may be off-limits to Kangaroos, Blues and Demons but the Socceroos have been welcomed to AFL club Collingwood’s home to prepare for the Asian Cup.

Beginning on Sunday, Ange Postecoglou’s men are based in the Westpac Centre training facility – right in the heart of Melbourne’s sporting precinct.

It’s just a stone’s throw from AAMI Park – the site of the Socceroos’ tournament-opening match with Kuwait on January 9.

Fitting a team that credibly claims to be the biggest sporting club in Australia, Collingwood’s facilities are considered among the best in the league.

But for Postecoglou – a supporter of the Magpies’ arch-rivals Carlton – he’s had to put to one side a lifetime’s worth of barracking to walk through the doors.

“I know there’ll be a couple of my mates smirking at the fact that as a Carlton supporter I’ve come down to enemy territory to do our prep,” he said.

“It’s good of Collingwood football club to open up their doors and for us to be able to do our prep work in this vicinity.”

Postecoglou said he felt inspired both by the nearby venues and to be playing a part in a packed sporting calendar.

The Asian Cup joins the Cricket World Cup, Australian Open and Formula One Grand Prix to all take place locally in the coming two months.

The women’s final of the grand slam clashes with the Asian Cup final, while Australia’s cricketers play India in a one day international on the same day as a possible Socceroos semi-final.

While it will be harder to dominate the public’s attention, Postecoglou wasn’t complaining.

“We’ll be looking to make the Asian Cup the biggest tournament in the next month or so in this country,” he said.

“If we’re successful it’s going to add to the impact.

“I’ve got a feeling this tournament will add (to the sporting landscape) in a way that other codes can’t.”