Football Queensland unveil stadium at sport’s spiritual home

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Image credit: Austadiums official website

Football Queensland have officially released their vision for a dedicated stadium in Brisbane to be built at the sport’s spiritual home in Bowen Hills, according to Brisbane Times’ Cameron Atfield.

According to FQ’s plans, Perry Park would get its long awaited upgrade becoming a top rectangular stadium with the developments helping increase the capacity between 15,000 and 20,000.

Funding has not yet been secured and the estimated cost of the project will be “up to $200 million.”

The stadium plans to host teams from all levels such as the Brisbane Roar’s men’s and women’s teams, as well as community clubs in preparation for Queensland’s inevitable involvement in the National Second Tier. FQ suggested it can be multi-use so lower-drawing professional teams like cricket’s Brisbane Strikers and rugby’s Queensland Reds can use the facility.

On ‘The Subs Bench’ podcast months ago, Cavallucci spoke in length about the importance of using the historic Perry Park as their next big infrastructure project to enhance the ‘Home of Brisbane football.’

He stated that this upgrade was necessary for the sport to advance in the state and shed light on how it would affect all tiers of the football pyramid.

Cavallucci explained the importance of this stadium’s upgrade for the potential National Second Tier and expansion teams, with a second Brisbane professional team helping football boom in the state.

The plan to upgrade this stadium, whilst centred around football, also benefits the city and its other sports.

Perry Park’s location in the inner city makes it easy to commute to with the train station nearby as well as it being on major road infrastructure. It has all the suitable elements of a top stadium and intertwines with Brisbane’s sporting spine (Suncorp and Gabba).

Cavallucci also mentioned that a potential second Brisbane A-League team, in the event of an expansion past Auckland and Canberra, is only possible with the appropriate infrastructure and that this stadium upgrade will “mobilise a broader fanbase.”

In the wake of the Olympics in 2032, the government will be considering investing in upgrading their current facilities to accommodate the games, but more focus is on FQ’s rampant push to proactively prepare for the NST and a potential A-League expansion.

This news is really exciting for the state and will be vital for their involvement in the future of Australian football, with the city of Brisbane in particular dying for an elite football home.

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Football Victoria recognised in Pride in Sport Index 2026

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The Silver Status shows Football Victoria‘s commitment to providing Victorians with a safe, inclusive landscape for all to enjoy the beautiful game.

Everyone’s game

Earlier this month, the Australian Pride in Sport Awards recognised several organisations and individuals across the nation who continue to champion inclusive spaces in the world of sport.

Among the nominees was Football Victoria, who received the Silver Status. FV Executive Manager Equity, Programs and Government Relations, Karen Pearce, expressed her pride at the achievement.

“Achieving Silver Status in the Pride in Sport Index is an important reflection of the work being done across Football Victoria to ensure LGBTQ+ people feel safe, welcomed and included in our game,” Pearce said via official press release.

“We remain committed to embedding inclusive practices across all levels of football, and continuing to create environments where everyone can belong, participate and thrive.”

 

Inclusion matters

While recognition is always a positive reflection of successful work behind the scenes, it is important to remember what the work intends to achieve.

Football – and sport in general – is a unique opportunity to bring diverse communities together, and to compete, spectate and enjoy the game on an equal playing field.

Furthermore, as custodians of ‘the world’s game’, governing bodies, fans and players around the world all share the responsibility to empower marginalised groups to feel included.

Two months ago, The Premier League introduced their own initiative – Premier League With Pride – reflecting their own commitment to ensuring football grounds, schools and academies remain welcoming.

 

Final thoughts

There is no place for hate or abuse in football, whether on a grassroots field or professional stadium.

Football Victoria will continue its journey and commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community – at all levels of the game – for many seasons to come.

Football Queensland to celebrate Female Football Week with statewide events, awards and coaching programs

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Brighton women's football motion
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Football Queensland will mark the 2026 Female Football Week with a program of statewide events, competitions and professional development opportunities running from May 8-17, as the governing body continues to push for broader access and representation across all levels of the women’s game in Queensland.

The nationwide initiative, now a fixture on the Australian football calendar, provides a concentrated period of visibility for female participation across playing, coaching, officiating and administration: areas where structural underrepresentation has historically limited both the growth of the game and the opportunities available to women and girls within it.

“Female Football Week provides us with a valuable opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women and girls across our game while continuing to increase the accessibility of football in Queensland,” said Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci. “We encourage our clubs to host their own Female Football Week events and activations for female participants.”

 

Elite Competition Meets Community Access

The centrepiece of Football Queensland’s program is the return of the NPL Women’s Magic Round to Nudgee Recreation Reserve on May 8 and 9, featuring five NPL Women’s Round 13 clashes alongside a Girls United Junior Carnival and family-friendly activations. Each Magic Round game will feature an all-female refereeing panel, a deliberate and visible commitment to developing the next generation of female match officials at a moment when referee shortages are among the most pressing structural challenges facing the game nationally.

A Women in Football networking event will be held on the opening night of Magic Round, bringing together coaches, match officials and administrators. The inclusion of that event alongside elite competition is significant because it positions professional development and community building not as supplementary activities but as core components of what Female Football Week is for.

The Central Coast region will host its own Magic Round on May 16, featuring a Youth Girls game and three FQPL Central Coast Women’s matches, while a Darling Downs Junior Girls Day will take place at Captain Cook Park on the same day, extending the reach of the week’s programming beyond the southeast corner of the state into regional Queensland.

 

Coaching access as a structural priority

Football Queensland will deliver a series of female-only coaching courses around Female Football Week, with clubs also able to express interest in hosting their own. The initiative addresses one of the most persistent barriers to female representation in football administration- its coaching pipeline.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented at all levels of the game in Australia, and the barriers to accreditation, including cost, availability and the cultural environment of mixed coaching courses, compound one another in ways that individual ambition alone cannot overcome. Female-only courses create environments where women can develop without those barriers, and their delivery during Female Football Week signals that the commitment extends beyond celebration into structural change.

The Girls United Carnivals, running in both Metro and Far North and Gulf regions alongside the Q-League Schools program at Meakin Park, extend that access to players at the earliest stages of their football journey.

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