Football Queensland’s Services Guide to shape future

Football Queensland (FQ) have signalled their intent to help football reach its lofty potential in the state with the release of the 2021 Services Guide – Investing in the Future of Football.

The announcement marks another significant step being taken by FQ in the pursuit of assuring a positive future for the game in line with Football Australia’s own initiatives to unlock the potential of Australian football. The guide is divided into FQ’s four key Strategic Pillars – Participation, Infrastructure, Clubs & Community and Leadership & People.

By building on the solid precedent set by recent years, FQ is aiming to deliver on a number of critical key targets from this year onwards. Specifically, FQ is seeking to build their participation base to 90,000, including 22,500 female participants alongside 8,820 registered coaches and 2,200 referees.

Notably, FQ have identified women and girls as the future of football in the state. With a surge of focus on the development of the women’s game, particularly with the 2023 Women’s World Cup right around the corner, FQ want to transform interest into active involvement. FQ’s concerted effort to grow women’s football is illustrated in the guide through their establishment of female-only coaching & referee courses, alongside the employment of a full-time Participation Manager to work specifically within the women and girls space.

Additionally, FQ has pledged to provide increased support for all forms of the game, including all abilities football, futsal, Indigenous football, masters football and summer football, as well as promote an inclusive space to people from all cultural backgrounds.

FQ’s strengthening of its programs and competitions is seen by the state’s governing football body as essential to creating a connected pathway to provide ambitious players with a clear view of the top. A stronger focus on assuring access for young male and female talent to the Australian footballing pyramid aligns with Australian football’s collective desire to build up the talented pool of youth available, ultimately allowing for Queensland’s footballing youth to thrive.

Following on from the release of the ‘Strategic Infrastructure Plan 2020-2024’ document in September of last year, FQ have reiterated their desire to build self-sufficiency within Queensland’s football infrastructure with the ‘Investing in the Future of Football’ guide. This reinforces that FQ are working towards the securement of a Queensland Government football infrastructure fund equating to $60 million over four years, thereby placing an clear emphasis on ensuring the expansion of football state-wide.

Moreover, the Kappa Festival of Football marks a clear effort by FQ to put a spotlight on the budding male and female talent coming through. The tournament will see NSW’s Men’s and Women’s teams featuring alongside Brisbane Roar’s A-League and Westfield W-League sides pitted against the very best that Queensland football has to offer. The inaugural 2020 edition was a huge success and was deemed as being massively beneficial to the process of scouting and recruiting young talent.

FQ’s dedication to a shared services model in its running of the game has been a fruitful initiative, particularly in extending practical support for football participants, officials, staff, volunteers and fans across the entire state. The measure has allowed for the management and administrating of football in Queensland to be proactively run, creating efficiency through the sharing of resources across the finance, competitions, refereeing, digital and marketing departments.

“With 313 clubs and over 180,000 participants, football in Queensland is operating on an enormous scale and the FQ Services Guide demonstrates just how FQ is delivering for its members and unlocking the opportunity in the game, increasing the number of participants, referees and coaches with services, programs, knowledge and support across all areas.” FQ Chief Executive Officer Robert Cavallucci said upon the guide’s release.

“With this structure in place, we can narrow our focus on accomplishing the projects that enable us to unite the game across Queensland, introduce efficiencies that place downward pressure on fees, meaningfully engage with members and provide quality products and services.

“FQ is striving to reach these targets by improving the standard of delivery at all levels and thereby improving the overall experience for our members.

“There is now a greater emphasis than ever on bringing communities together by developing community club capabilities and, crucially, on creating the efficiencies needed to make football more accessible.

“We are finding fresh ways to bring our vision to life through initiatives such as the shared services model, making managing and administering football across the state easier and more efficient.”

To view the full copy of FQ’s 2021 Services Guide – Investing in the Future of Football, you can find it here.

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Louie Acevski discusses NPL season 2025 and NST on SEN radio

Preston Lions Senior Men’s Head Coach, Louie Acevski, went live on SEN Radio yesterday with Julian De Stoop to discuss the upcoming Victoria NPL season and National Second Tier competition (NST).

Having achieved promotion from the VPL1 after a successful 2024, the Lions will face a busy year in 2025.

Beginning on February 7, the Preston Lions will kick off their first match in the NPL with a game against Hume City at home. However, the Lions will also take part in the new NST competition in October.

Speaking on the season ahead, Acevski expressed his enthusiasm.

“Coming into NPL 1 season this year, where we haven’t been part of it for a long time, it’s exciting times,” Acevski said on radio.

“There’s derby games week in, week out, and we’re hoping to get anywhere between four to 6000 people per game on a Friday night. I know round one against Hume City will be a huge crowd.

“There will be some entertainment. Facilities are fantastic. Ground will be exceptional. Lights will be on, and cameras will be rolling.

“It’s a great product to watch and be a part of. I, to this day, still get goosebumps every time I walk out.”

Having achieved four promotions across the last six seasons, the Preston Lions have achieved immense success in a short time frame. However, Acevski was aware of the fraught competitiveness of the NPL.

“Expectations are very simple for us, It’s an unknown quantity at the moment,” he said.

“The NPL 1 is a very, very tough league, and we’re the new kids on the block. We’re just coming into it to put a bit of security and put the foundations down in NPL 1.”

At the end of the NPL season, Preston will take part in the recently created National Second Tier competition as a foundation club.

Acevski outlined the importance of the competition for Australian football.

“The B league is so important. The quicker we bring it in, the better,” he said.

“We need to give kids opportunities to grow further and become better players in a better environment, closer to a professional environment, and the B league will give us that.”

Preston will enter the 16-team competition as one of eight foundation clubs, hoping to become a mainstay in the tournament which will run from October to December next year.

“We’re in a really good place. The foundations have been constructed. We’re moving up to bigger and better things, and every year we’re just trying to improve as a club,” he continued to say.

“We just want to make and bring a product to Australian football that everybody wants to be a part of and wants to come and watch us on a Friday night.

“The success is not a one person show, you’re as good as your team in relation to your staff, players, committees, etcetera. We’re all on the same status and wavelength about what we want to do and how we want to go about it.

“Come this season, the B league, as an official home and away season is not commencing, but the Victoria NPL 1 season will be a short advertisement for it. You’ll the see the passion, love and support base around these games, and it’s just going to be a snippet of what the B league can and probably should be.”

To listen to the full interview, click here.

Workplace Law renews collaboration with Melbourne City FC

Melbourne City FC has confirmed the renewal of its partnership with Workplace Law, a leading provider of employment and workplace relations expertise, for another two years.

Following a successful inaugural season together, this renewal signifies an ongoing collaboration that highlights shared commitments to excellence, equality, and innovation.

Workplace Law continues to support City’s Women’s program, with their logo proudly displayed on the back of the A-League Women’s training kit.

Furthermore, the logo will feature on the matchday attire of City Women’s Head Coach, Michael Matricciani, reflecting Workplace Law’s unwavering dedication to advancing women in sport.

Melbourne City FC’s partnership with Workplace Law, backed by a history of driving success on and off the field, aligns with the Club’s goal of fostering a high-performance culture for its players and staff.

Melbourne City FC CEO, Brad Rowse, shared his enthusiasm for the renewed partnership.

“We’re delighted to continue our partnership with Workplace Law, a company that shares our passion for driving excellence and creating opportunities for women in sport,” he said via press release.

“Their support plays a vital role in ensuring our Women’s program can continue to thrive, both on and off the pitch. We look forward to achieving even greater success together over the next two years.”

Workplace Law Director and CEO, Shane Koelmeyer, shared this excitement.

“We absolutely love being part of the Melbourne City family and are delighted to extend our partnership for another two seasons. They are the ‘gold standard’ when it comes to creating the ideal high-performance environment for their coaches and players to thrive on and off the pitch,” he said via press release.

“The Club has a wonderful history of sustained success in both the women’s and men’s programs, and we look forward to sharing in, along with their other amazing partners, further success in the future.”

This partnership not only bolsters Melbourne City’s ALW program but also showcases Workplace Law’s commitment to empowering teams and individuals to excel.

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