Football Queensland integrates FQ Academy with Brisbane Roar

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Football Queensland has confirmed the FQ Academy Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) Youth and Junior programs for 2025 will continue to evolve, focusing on enhancing the development of high-potential players and strengthening pathways to professional football by further aligning with Brisbane Roar FC.

As the 2024 season comes to a close, the FQ Academy QAS program celebrates a successful year, with several current and former players securing youth contracts and scholarships with Brisbane Roar and earning selections for the Junior and Young Matildas squads.

FQ Academy QAS is the elite football development program for women and girls in Queensland. Established in 1992, it provides a full time playing and training environment for female players aged U13 to U18 with established top coaches leading the way.

The FQ Academy QAS U18 side participate in the NPL Queensland Women’s competition, with players gaining valuable experience and development opportunities against Senior Women’s teams.

Providing a pathway to Liberty A-League sides including the Brisbane Roar, graduates of the FQ Academy QAS have also gone on to represent the country with national teams following their time in the NPL Women competition.

FQ General Manager – Football & State Technical Director Gabor Ganczer discussed this deal with Brisbane Roar and the future of the academy.

“Building on this season’s achievements, the structural adjustments to the FQ Academy QAS program for the 2025 season will further enhance both our Junior and Youth programs, with players benefitting from tailored development strategies aimed at preparing them for professional contracts and on-field success,” Ganczer said in a joint statement.

“Starting in 2025, the FQ Academy QAS program for Under 17-19s and up to Under 23s will shift towards aligning with Brisbane Roar’s professional environment and playing styles. This shift includes elevating the age band and providing playing and training opportunities and game time for FQ Academy QAS and Brisbane Roar contracted players in the NPL Women to support continued growth throughout the athlete categorisation period in line with long term player development principles.

“Football Queensland’s continued commitment to support high-potential player development through the FQ Academy’s strategic alignment with Brisbane Roar and the Queensland Academy of Sport will ensure a clear pathway for athletes over 18 to remain within the program whilst also playing up and experiencing the A-League with Brisbane Roar’s Women’s team during the regular season.

“In this new structure, current Brisbane Roar players will also be able to play back in the NPL Women, allowing Under 23-aged Roar squad members to return to the FQ Academy QAS for match fitness and injury recovery should they not be A-League tied.”

Conclusion

This is a smart decision by both FQ and the Roar who aim to make the academy the best in Australia at developing women for the professional game.

It also allows more top young talent to potentially shine in the A-League Women’s competition, a league that developed every Matilda that featured in the successful 2023 Women’s World Cup.

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Central Coast Mariners Women secure future under Holman Barnes Group

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Image Credits: Central Coast Mariners

The future of the Central Coast Mariners Women has been secured after the Holman Barnes Group (HBG) reached an agreement to become the new operator of the club’s A-League Women program. The deal ends uncertainty surrounding the team’s participation in the 2026/27 season.

The agreement between HBG, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and Total Soccer Growth Holdings (TSG) ensures the Mariners will remain in the Ninja A-League Women competition. It also introduces a new operating model designed to provide long-term stability.

The uncertainty emerged following TSG’s acquisition of the Central Coast Mariners’ men’s side and academy in June. The women’s program was excluded from the original takeover. TSG already owns English football side Queens Park Rangers (QPR) and MLS club Los Angeles FC. The omission placed the future of the 2025 A-League Women champions in doubt. It also prompted the APL to seek a sustainable solution ahead of the new campaign.

A new operating model

Under the new arrangement, HBG will oversee all operational aspects of the women’s team. This includes the football program, staffing and day-to-day management. TSG will retain the club licence and continue overseeing the men’s program and academy. It will also support the women’s operation through its broader football network.

The agreement represents an innovative partnership between the three organisations. It has been designed to strengthen the long-term sustainability of professional women’s football on the Central Coast. HBG’s plans extend beyond the senior team. They include a strong focus on developing participation pathways and creating greater opportunities for female footballers throughout New South Wales.

Attention turns to the new season

The transition comes at a crucial time with preparations for the 2026/27 Ninja A-League Women season underway ahead of its October 16 start. The new operators are expected to begin managing the program immediately. This remains subject to the completion of the remaining regulatory processes. The team currently has no sponsors and games are expected to be moved away from Central Coast Stadium.

The A-League had previously set a July 31 deadline for new owners to be found to secure a place in the upcoming competition. With that now achieved, HBG will be on the clock to ensure the season begins without disruption and becomes a commercial success.

For the Central Coast Mariners Women, the agreement delivers certainty after a turbulent off-season. It also allows the club to shift its attention to the 2026/27 campaign and the team’s on-field performance.

South Melbourne’s Australia Cup triumph reignites promotion and relegation debate

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Image Credit: The Greek Herald

South Melbourne FC’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Adelaide United in the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32 has reignited debate around promotion and relegation in Australian football, with Co-President Bill Papastergiadis stating the result is further proof that ambitious National Premier Leagues clubs deserve a pathway to the top tier.

The Victorian powerhouse produced one of the competition’s biggest upsets at Lakeside Stadium, overturning an early deficit to eliminate the Isuzu UTE A-League side and secure a place in the Round of 16.

While the result was celebrated as another example of the magic of the Australia Cup, Papastergiadis believes the victory carries a much broader message about the strength that exists outside Australia’s professional league.

Speaking following the win, Papastergiadis said South Melbourne’s performance demonstrated why the Australian football landscape should move towards a connected pyramid featuring promotion and relegation.

“The result was South Melbourne FC’s revenge 22 years in the making,” Papastergiadis said.

“It also demonstrates that clubs in the National Premier Leagues have the quality, professionalism and ambition to compete with A-League opposition when given the opportunity.”

For years, South Melbourne has been one of the strongest advocates for structural reform within Australian football, consistently calling for an open pyramid that rewards sporting merit rather than maintaining a closed league system.

Papastergiadis argued that Australia Cup fixtures continue to showcase the depth of talent throughout the domestic game, with NPL clubs regularly proving they can challenge and defeat professional opponents despite operating with significantly fewer resources.

He believes these performances should not simply be viewed as isolated “cupsets”, but as evidence that Australia’s football ecosystem is ready to embrace a promotion and relegation model that provides ambitious clubs with a genuine pathway to the top flight.

The result against Adelaide United adds another significant chapter to South Melbourne’s storied history. One of Australia’s most successful clubs, South Melbourne has long maintained aspirations of returning to the national stage, backed by a passionate supporter base, strong infrastructure and a proud footballing tradition.

For Papastergiadis, victories such as Thursday night’s reinforce the argument that clubs should earn opportunities through performances on the pitch.

“The Australia Cup continues to show what’s possible when clubs from different levels of the football pyramid compete against one another,” he said.

“Our football should be built on opportunity and merit. Clubs that perform consistently and invest in their communities should have the chance to progress to the highest level.”

South Melbourne will now turn its attention to the Round of 16, where it will look to continue its impressive cup run.

Beyond the result itself, however, the victory has once again fuelled discussion around the future of Australia’s football structure and whether the growing strength of clubs outside the A-League should accelerate the push towards a fully connected national competition.

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