Football Queensland’s 2022 annual report highlights progress towards One Football Strategic Plan

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Football Queensland Annual Report
Image credit: Football Queensland

With over 78,000 games played throughout the state-wide linked football pyramid in 2022, Football Queensland continued to revolutionise football in the state, being an inspirational year for the sport.

Implementing the Future of Football 2020+ competition changes took up a substantial amount of 2022 as Football Queensland strengthened the linked football pyramid that had been created in 2021 to link tournaments and enhance routes for clubs and players around the state.

Accordingly, and as a thrilling addition for local clubs, FQ introduced the FQPL Champions League in 2022. The FQPL Champions League was created to provide aspiring players brand-new chances as they fought against the best of the best from both their conference and the rest of the state. The first FQPL Champions League brought together the top teams from the Northern, Central, and South East Queensland conferences. It was a successful campaign and a great addition to the 2022 competitive schedule.

Participation

Women and girls saw a nine percent growth from 2021 and a total of of 28,912 players participating, making promising signs for the women’s football. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and beyond will be played in more inclusive environments thanks to the efforts of the Our Game Network Queensland, which was introduced during FQ’s Super September.

The youth saw an increase in numbers as well, with a total of 38,876 young boys and girls participating in MiniRoos programs across Queensland in 2022. This saw a 7.6% increase in female MiniRoos registrations compared to 2021.

FQ partnered with Brisbane Roar and local clubs to deliver MiniRoos Kick-Off After School programs for girls in 2022. The initiative focused on engaging girls enrolled in Prep to Year 3 in the MiniRoos program, developing their love for football and supporting their transition from school to club football. This program was the key factor in increasing youth and in particular girls participation in the game.

Futsal

A record number of teams from across Queensland participated in the 2022 FQ Futsal State Titles, held in September at the Nissan Arena in Brisbane. The State Titles provided an opportunity for teams from across Queensland to come together to compete to become champions within their age group, and the overall champion club.

Sunshine Coast Wave were crowned the inaugural FQ Futsal Club champions in 2022, with points awarded across FQ’s major futsal tournaments and leagues including the Futsal State Titles, the F-League and the SEQ Futsal Premier League.

Inclusive

Football Queensland offer a variety of ways to ensure everyone can be involved in the sport, a great way to promote different types of soccer for all ages and skill levels. This includes walking football, beach soccer, Q-League and the National Para Football Championships.

Referees

The Protect Our Game project was introduced in April by FQ. Its goal is to prevent bad behaviour both on and off the field while fostering a healthy atmosphere and supporting behaviour within Queensland football. A state-wide Protect Our Game campaign was put in place, and implemented a three-strike regulation to fight referee abuse.

In line with FQ’s commitment to growing the number of referees within our game, 25 referee staff were appointed across each of the nine regions in Referee Coach and Development, Support, Mentoring and Training roles to strengthen the development of match officials in Queensland.

Referees are a crucial part of the game, with Football Queensland knowing how important they are and investing in referee development is a step in the right direction to produce more referees in the future.

Coaches

Football Queensland launched the FQ Coaches Club pilot program across South East Queensland, designed to provide additional support and development opportunities for community coaches.

With 7,763 registered coaches within the state and a six percent increase in female coaches, the FQ Coaches Club pilot program was beneficial in helping more coaches receive their licences.

Promoting the game

2022 was another hugely successful year of growth in Football Queensland’s digital broadcast reach as more than 820,000 unique viewers tuned in to the FQTV Match Centre launched this year.

Total unique viewers increased by 113% in 2022, demonstrating the huge level of interest and appetite for Queensland football content.

Football Queensland continues to work on developing all aspects of the game and increasing their numbers throughout the year.

To see the report in full, you can click here.

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IMG takes commercial lead on inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup

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Image Credit: Vietnam Football Federation

IMG has been appointed to lead the global commercialisation of the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup, giving the new Southeast Asian national-team competition an established international sports business partner ahead of its first edition.

Under the strategic partnership, IMG will manage worldwide media and sponsorship rights sales while also overseeing broadcast production for the tournament, which takes place from 24 September to 5 October across Indonesia and Hong Kong, China.

The inaugural competition will feature 14 national teams, including all 11 ASEAN members alongside guest nations, with matches split between two divisions. Division 2 fixtures will be played in Jakarta and Badung, while Division 2 matches will be played in Hong Kong.

The agency’s role will include selling sponsorship and media inventory internationally while helping establish the broadcast infrastructure required to present the tournament to audiences outside Southeast Asia.

The partnership builds on IMG’s existing strategic relationship with PT Garuda Sepak Bola Indonesia, which has been working with the Football Association of Indonesia since 2025 on areas including commercial strategy, media rights, production and digital development.

For FIFA, the tournament creates another international football property in a region with a large and increasingly connected football audience.

For IMG, it adds another major regional property to a football portfolio that already includes competitions and organisations across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.

The immediate challenge will be turning the inaugural tournament into a sustainable commercial property capable of attracting broadcasters and sponsors beyond its first edition.

If successful, the FIFA ASEAN Cup could provide Southeast Asian national teams with a recurring commercial platform while giving IMG another foothold in one of football’s developing markets.

GIS Sydney continues to connect students with Australia’s sports industry

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Image Credits: Global Institute of Sport

Following the launch of its Sydney campus in 2025, the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is continuing to establish itself in the nation’s sports industry. A leading provider of degrees and executive education in sport, GIS provides students the chance to study at two of Australia’s biggest sporting venues: Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Programs such as Sports Analytics and International Sports Business are delivered in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, and feature the chance for students to gain exclusive access to the sports industry.

More than 50 guest speakers have shared their experience with students studying at GIS Sydney, representing organisations like FIFA, Red Bull, Cricket Australia, and the AFL. While learning about the regional and national sports industry in the classroom, students have also had the chance to gain an international perspective through GIS’ signature Global Sports Summits, which have given Sydney students access to iconic sporting venues around the world from London to Miami.

Outside of the iconic venues students can call their classrooms, the organisation prioritises the real, industry placements needed to put theory into practice by providing each student with 140 hours of relevant work experience throughout their studies. Included in this are several sporting organisations who are keen to welcome GIS students on board, including the Professional Football Scouts Association (PFSA), Football Coaches Australia, and Basketball NSW.

GIS also has a partnership with popular network and app Yakka Sport to connect students with paid employment opportunities while they study.

Behind these advancements at the GIS Sydney campus is an Industry Advisory Board which features a host of experienced figures from the world of sport. Included in the Asia-Pacific branch is Chair James Rosengarten, GM of the Melbourne Renegades; Kevin Jang, Managing Director of CAA Stellar Korea; and Brad Lloyd, GM of the Carlton Football Club.

Since launching, GIS’ Sydney campus has ultimately combined its locations and industry connections to provide the next generation of sports professionals with the knowledge, network, and confidence to tackle the rapidly evolving sports industry.

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