Football Queensland confirms details for 2023 State Referee Conference

Liam Watson
Image via PxHere

Football Queensland’s annual State Referee Conference returns for 2023, which is set to be held on Saturday January 21 and Sunday January 22, 2023.

The state federation will be providing greater flexibility to view the conference, with a hybrid set up allowing those who are interested with adequate access.

Attendees are invited to join the in-person event at St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace or can also join Saturday’s sessions via an interactive virtual platform from one of 11 regional hubs. 

The 2023 Assessor Seminar will be held in-person on day two of the event, welcoming assessors and any referees who wish to mentor next year. 

“Ahead of the 2023 season kicking off, new and experienced referees from every level of the game across the state are invited to join us for the State Referee Conference which is always a highlight of the Queensland football calendar,” Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci said in a statement. 

“After successfully hosting this year’s conference online due to the impacts of COVID-19, we’re excited to offer a new hybrid format for the State Referee Conference in 2023 to accommodate match officials in every part of the state. 

“For the first time, hubs will be created across all regions to allow local referees to attend the virtual version of the conference in a physical venue alongside their peers. 

“We’re delighted to be able to provide this opportunity for our Queensland match officials to come together in each region, not only to learn but also to build relationships and get to know each other ahead of the 2023 season.” 

Registrations for the physical event at St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace will be snapped up quickly as only 200 spaces are available – metro-based referees are encouraged to register as soon as possible.

For those unable to attend the physical events hosted at FQ’s regional hubs, the conference will also be available to view from home via the virtual platform. 

Further information on the 2023 State Referee Conference guest speakers and agenda will be confirmed in due course. 

Register here to attend the physical event at St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace 

Register here to view the conference online from a regional hub or from home 

2023 STATE REFEREE CONFERENCE – REGIONAL VENUES

South Coast
Gold Coast Croation Sports Centre
181 Nerang Broadbeach Rd, Carrara QLD 4211 

Darling Downs
Clive Berghofer Stadium
47 Arthur St, Toowoomba City QLD 4350 

Sunshine Coast
Maroochydore FC
462 Maroochydore Rd, Kuluin QLD 4558 

Bundaberg 
Martens Oval
8 Ritchie St, Norville QLD 4670

Hervey Bay 
Fraser Coast Sports Precinct
Woods Rd, Nikenbah QLD 4655 

Gladstone
Philip Street Communities & Families Precinct (Maxine Brushe Meeting Place)
1 Pengelly St, West Gladstone QLD 4680 

Rockhampton  
Frenchville FC  
105 Clifton St, Berserker QLD 4701 

Mackay 
Mackay Football Park
Corner Heath Road and, Glenella Rd, Glenella QLD 4740

Townsville
Brolga Park
William Angliss Dr at Murray Sporting Complex, Annandale QLD 4814 

Mt Isa
Venue TBC

Cairns 
Endeavour Park
Mayers St, Manunda QLD 4870

 

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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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