FFA Cup-holders Melbourne City will begin their defence of the trophy with a road trip to Queensland, to face Brisbane Premier League side Peninsula Power in the competition's round of 32.
And the team that won the trophy in 2015, their neighbours Melbourne Victory, also face a difficult assignment after being drawn to play fellow A-League club Brisbane Roar when the fixtures were ratified at the studios of broadcaster Fox Sports in Sydney on Thursday afternoon.
![FFA Cup-holders Melbourne City will face Peninsula Power in Queensland.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170704001848im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/1/9/f/t/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gx1cz2.png/1498721245432.jpg)
A-League premiers Sydney are tasked with travelling to the Northern Territory to take on Darwin Rovers of the NorZone Premier League.Â
This tie, more than any other, illustrates the possibilities of a genuinely national knockout cup competition.
Rovers were formerly known as Shamrock Rovers Darwin, and were only founded in 2014, while Sydney are bankrolled by a billionaire Russian investor and have won three A-League titles, including last season's grand final triumph over Victory.
The round of 32 is when the 10 A-League clubs enter the competition, after teams from every state and territory have battled through matches that began with the regionalised minor rounds in February.
This round, when A-League teams are in the earlier stages of pre-season training, is when giant-killing feats are most likely to occur.
Redcliffe-based Peninsula and Darwin Rovers might not have enough in the locker to see off City or Sydney, but they will be looking for a bumper pay day with a big crowd to see stars such as Tim Cahill and last season's Johnny Warren Medal winner Milos Ninkovic.
Six A-League clubs have been drawn against each other. In addition to the Roar v Victory match, there are clashes between Wellington and Western Sydney Wanderers, while the first cup winners, Adelaide, will host Newcastle.
Nine ties involve NPL-level clubs meeting opponents from their own tier, including an all-Victorian clash between Hume City and Bentleigh Greens. Both know all about giant-killing, having reached the semi-finals of the competition in the past.
South Melbourne, who are hoping to further their case for an A-League berth, are at home to NSW club Edgeworth Eagles.
One tie that might prompt genuine hopes of an upset is Heidelberg United against Perth Glory.
The Bergers have progressed to the quarter-finals before, they are riding high in the NPL Victoria and will look forward to hosting the West Australians at their Olympic Village ground.