2020 Annual Report released by Football Queensland

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FQ Annual Report

Following a momentous year of challenges and growth across the state, Football Queensland (FQ) has published their Annual Report for 2020.

In spite of the tumultuous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, FQ were proud to have delivered a full season of National Premier Leagues football and to have been the only Member Federation to record an increase in participation across last year.

Improvement across four key areas – governance, administration, competitions and affordability – was at the forefront of FQ’s attention, and plenty was achieved despite the unprecedented obstacles the year presented.

Through their determination to inspire Queenslanders through football, FQ were successful in the following areas and initiatives:

  • The publishing of the Future of Football 2020+ document and Opportunities Paper which were produced in consultation with FQ’s stakeholders
  • The release of the 2020-2024 Strategic Infrastructure Plan in September which set out the organisation’s commitment to meeting the growing demands of the 127,627 participants across the state.
  • The establishment of a Regional High-Performance Centre in Townsville through a partnership with the North Queensland Cowboys
  • FQ launched NPL.TV, an industry-first over-the-top streaming service which broadcast all NPL Men’s, NPL Women’s and FQPL games live
  • FQ rolled out a suite of initiatives to support referees and foster ongoing growth in referee registrations including: the introduction of the pink armband for match officials aged under 18, new ‘sin bin’ rules, an e-learning platform, the inaugural FQ Referee Academy and the launch of the Futsal Referee Information Pack
  • FQ outlined its bold vision for futsal in the state with the release of the 2020-2022 Futsal Strategy, which has identified a clear focus over the next two years on growing participation, strengthening futsal clubs, improving access to infrastructure and building capability and capacity of administrators.

FQ President Ben Richardson acknowledged the immense work done by the game’s stakeholders through the challenges of 2020.

“Thank you to all our valued partners for supporting us to administer and grow the beautiful game here in Queensland.

“Thank you in particular to the Queensland Government for their ongoing support in providing funding to help us deliver the game across the state.

“Thank you to all the staff at FQ for their ongoing commitment to delivering the best outcomes for football in Queensland.

“Finally, thank you to all members of the football community across the state for your support throughout a year which was extremely challenging for us all.

“Despite its challenges, 2020 truly demonstrated football’s incredible ability to unite.”

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South Canberra FC Breaks the Mold: Equity-Driven Model Earns ‘Club Changer’ Honour

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Image Credit: SCFC

South Canberra Football Club has been named Club Changer of the Month for April, in a recognition that reflects a broader shift across Australian football toward rewarding clubs that are actively dismantling the structural barriers limiting women’s access to the game.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup has just delivered record crowds and unprecedented visibility for women’s football in Australia, and the Club Changer program is now asking what comes next. Its decision to name South Canberra Football Club as Club Changer of the Month for April signals a clear shift in how the program defines contribution: away from participation numbers alone, and toward the equity frameworks that determine whether women stay in the game once they arrive.

South Canberra FC built that framework from the ground up. Established in 2021, the club set out to give women and female-identifying players a safe, inclusive environment to play football at any level. It runs entirely on volunteers, operates as a not-for-profit, and is governed by an all-female committee with 13 of its 14 coaches identifying as female.

 

Building the infrastructure of inclusion

In 2026, the club secured grant funding and put it to work immediately. Two coaches are completing their C Licence qualification, and ten coaches, players and community members have undertaken the Foundations of Football course, which directly tackles the cost and accessibility barriers that exclude women out of coaching pathways.

The club also commissioned a female-specific strength and conditioning program with sports physiotherapists ahead of the 2026 season, targeting injury prevention and explicitly supporting players returning after childbirth.

SCFC’s leadership team draws from LGBTIQ+ individuals, First Nations people and veterans, strengthening the club’s connection to the communities it was built to represent.

The Club Changer program is backing clubs that do this work- clubs that treat equity as infrastructure rather than aspiration. At a moment when Australian football is under pressure to turn its biggest-ever surge of women’s interest into something lasting, SCFC’s model offers a clear answer to the question of how.

Football NSW announces 2026 First Nations Scholarships as pathway access program enters new phase

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Image Credit: Football NSW

Football NSW has announced the recipients of its 2026 First Nations Scholarships, with ten emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players from metropolitan and regional NSW receiving support designed to reduce the financial and structural barriers that have historically limited First Nations participation across the football pathway.

The scholarship program, developed and assessed in collaboration with the Football NSW Indigenous Advisory Group, targets players across both elite and development environments – recognising that talent identification alone is insufficient without the resources to support progression once players are identified.

Co-Chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group Bianca Dufty said the calibre of this year’s recipients reflected the depth of First Nations football talent across the state, and the importance of structured support in converting that talent into long-term participation.

“Their dedication to football and the desire to be role models for younger Aboriginal footballers in their communities is to be celebrated,” Dufty said. “I’m confident we will see some of these talented footballers in the A-League and national teams in the future.”

 

Beyond the pitch and into the pipeline

The 2026 cohort spans both metropolitan clubs and regional associations, an intentional distribution that acknowledges the particular barriers facing First Nations players outside major population centres, where access to development programs, qualified coaching and pathway competitions is more limited and the cost of participation more prohibitive.

The next phase of the program will introduce First Nations coaching scholarships, extending the initiative’s reach beyond playing pathways and into the coaching and administration pipeline – areas where Indigenous representation remains among the lowest in the game.

The structural logic is clear. Scholarships that reduce financial barriers at the entry point of elite pathways matter most when they are part of a sustained ecosystem of support rather than isolated gestures. Football NSW’s collaboration with the Indigenous Advisory Group provides that continuity, ensuring the program is shaped by the communities it is designed to serve.

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