Global Experts Strengthen 2025 Queensland Football Convention Line-up

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Image credit: Football Queensland

With less than two weeks to go until the 2025 Queensland Football Convention, Football Queensland has announced the addition of several world-class experts to this year’s program.

Among the latest speakers are leading sports researcher and Athlete Assessments CEO Liz Masen, Olympic gold medal-winning coach Dean Boxall, and representatives from globally renowned football advisory group Double Pass — Stig Meyleman (Partner) and Sander Van Praet (Global Projects Lead).

Together, they bring a wealth of experience in leadership, elite coaching, and player development, adding significant depth to the Convention’s agenda.

Their sessions will focus on high-performance coaching, leadership frameworks, and internationally benchmarked development pathways that can be implemented within clubs and organisations across Queensland.

Attendees will gain valuable insights into the habits, systems, and cultures that drive success in high-performing teams.

About the Speakers

Liz Masen has over 30 years’ experience across professional sport, high-performance organisations, and investment banking. As CEO of Athlete Assessments and a PhD researcher in behavioural science and coaching, Liz has delivered workshops internationally, including for WeCOACH NCAA Women Coaches Academies and the Japanese Women Leaders and Coaches Academy. Her research into the coach–playmaker relationship across six team sports offers unique, practical insights into leadership, team dynamics, and building high-performing teams.

Dean Boxall is an Olympic gold-winning swimming coach renowned for his ability to develop elite athletes, including Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus. Known for combining technical expertise with a focus on mindset and performance under pressure, Dean provides practical lessons in leadership, preparation, and high-performance coaching that translate beyond the pool.

Double Pass is a globally recognised football advisory company with over 20 years’ experience in league quality assurance and club development. With a team of more than 75 experts, Double Pass has partnered with FIFA, the English Premier League, the Bundesliga, and the Italian Football Federation. In 2024, Double Pass conducted an audit of the FQ Academy, working closely with Football Queensland to benchmark and enhance the system. The group continues to work with FQ, supporting in the delivery of our development pathways and frameworks, ensuring they are designed to strengthen clubs, develop players, and ensure sustainable growth across Queensland football.

FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci spoke with excitement about the additional speakers to the Convention.

“Bringing Liz, Dean, and Double Pass into the program strengthens this year’s Convention in a very practical way. Their experience spans elite international sport and high-performance leadership, and they are uniquely positioned to share insights that clubs and coaches can apply immediately. This is about giving our community the tools and frameworks to drive performance, growth, and long-term success,” Cavallucci said in a press release.

“The addition of these speakers highlights our commitment to ensuring our football community benefits from the best international practices and proven strategies, as the sessions provide our attendees with clarity and direction on how to elevate their teams, their clubs, and their overall sporting programs.”

The inclusion of these leading figures further strengthens the 2025 Queensland Football Convention as one of the nation’s premier gatherings for football professionals, coaches, and administrators.

Soccerscene is the official media partner of the Convention and we look forward to showcasing an event that will continue to shape the future of Australian football.

To purchase tickets to the event on the 25th-26th October, click HERE 

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Eastern Suburbs Football Association Announces First All-Female Referee Course and Expanded Women’s Competition

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Image Credit: Football NSW

The Eastern Suburbs Football Association has opened its 2026 season with three structural investments that reflect the growing ambition of community football associations to address participation, representation and development gaps simultaneously, beginning with the delivery of its first all-female Football Match Official Course.

The course, held at Matraville Sports High School and led by female liaison committee member Michelle Hilton and 2025 Referee of the Year Ariella Richards, brought 25 new female referees into the association ahead of Round 1. The initiative targets one of the most persistent imbalances in community sport, with women remaining significantly underrepresented in officiating roles at every level of the game, by creating a dedicated entry point separate from the mixed course environment that many women find unwelcoming.

The Women’s Premier League has also expanded, now featuring eleven teams and introducing a WPL1 and WPL2 structure following the first ten rounds of the season. The tiered format creates more competition opportunities for clubs across the region while providing a clearer development pathway for teams at different stages of growth. Returning clubs Randwick City, Glebe Wanderers, Easts FC and Sydney University join established sides in what the association describes as one of its most competitive women’s seasons. ESFA clubs have continued to perform strongly in state-wide competitions including the Football NSW Sapphire Cup, State Cup and Champion of Champions.

Building the next generation

The season opened with an inaugural Development League Gala Day for Under-9 to Under-12 boys and girls, bringing eight clubs together in a structured development environment ahead of Round 1. Sydney FC A-League Women’s players attended the event and engaged directly with young participants, a deliberate effort to connect grassroots players with visible examples of where the pathway leads.

“We are committed to creating more opportunities for clubs, players, coaches and referees to thrive, with a strong focus on participation opportunities to suit participants of all abilities and aspirations,” said ESFA CEO John Boulous.

The three initiatives, a new referee entry point for women, an expanded women’s competition structure, and a development-focused junior gala day with elite role models present, together reflect an association responding to the participation pressures the AFC Women’s Asian Cup has brought into sharp relief across Australian football.

More Than One in Five Football Australia Staff to Lose Jobs Amid Growing Financial Losses

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Image Credit: ESPN

Australian football finds itself in a curious position.

From the outside, the game appears to be riding a wave of momentum. Attendances, visibility and public interest have all experienced significant uplift in recent years, while major international tournaments and growing discussion around football’s future continue to place the sport firmly within the national conversation.

Yet behind that momentum, Football Australia is now confronting a far more challenging internal reality.

 

A compounding deficit

Chief Executive Martin Kugeler has reportedly indicated the governing body’s projected financial losses for 2025 are expected to exceed the organisation’s reported $8.5 million deficit from the previous year. Accompanying the financial outlook are substantial organisational changes, with reporting from Tracey Holmes indicating more than one in five Football Australia employees are expected to lose their positions through restructuring measures.

The figures represent more than a difficult balance sheet. They point toward a significant period of recalibration inside the organisation responsible for overseeing the sport nationally.

 

Losing the wisdom of existing staff members

For governing bodies, restructures are often framed as strategic necessities for future sustainability. However, workforce changes on this scale also raise broader questions around the challenges of such a transition.

People are often the carriers of knowledge, relationships and long-term strategic understanding. When organisations undergo significant structural change, the effects can extend beyond immediate financial outcomes.

 

Contradicting timing

The timing is what makes the developments particularly notable.

Football in Australia has spent recent years discussing expansion, growth and long-term opportunity. The conversation surrounding the game has increasingly centred on future potential. Often headlining stronger pathways, larger audiences, infrastructure development and greater visibility.

Against that backdrop, news of deep financial losses and substantial staffing reductions creates a different conversation: one focused not on where the game wants to go, but on what may be required to sustain that journey. Therefore, this announcement points toward stagnancy, rather than growth.

Further detail surrounding Football Australia’s strategy and long-term direction will likely emerge over coming months. For now, the developments serve as a reminder that growth stories are rarely straightforward.

Often, the periods that appear strongest from the outside can also be the moments organisations face their most significant internal tests.

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