Football Queensland's new FQ Academy to go statewide in 2022

Football Queensland (FQ) have announced the launch of their brand-new FQ Academy, which is set to be unveiled across the state next year.

The purpose of the FQ Academy is to help provide a clearer development pathway from community football to Australia’s national teams and professional leagues for Queensland footballers aged seven to 17.

FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci outlined the player-focused FQ Academy will expand and unify FQ’s range of advanced development and pathway programs under a single banner.

“The FQ Academy consolidates the nine individual programs currently delivered by Football Queensland across eight centres around the state and binds them together behind a common purpose and shared vision for the game,” Cavallucci said.

“All of the junior players involved in FQ’s Regional TSP and SAP programs will now form part of the top tier of the FQ Academy.

“Players who need more development time will also have the opportunity to take part in the new ‘Development’ tier, which broadens opportunities for players and extends talent identification throughout Queensland.

“Both the Academy and Development tiers will include weekly training sessions, holiday clinics, small-sided tournaments, position specific training programs and opportunities to take part in various FQ State Carnivals.”

The FQ Academy will be bolstered by further investment in regional football with the appointments of new Club Development Ambassadors in Wide Bay and Whitsunday Coast.

“We are in the final stages of recruiting additional Club Development Ambassadors who will live and work in the Wide Bay and Whitsunday Coast regions to deliver coach education and drive player development in new FQ Academy centres, further demonstrating FQ’s commitment to regional player development,” Cavallucci said.

“In the Wide Bay, Central Coast, Whitsunday Coast, Northern, and Far North & Gulf regions, Football Queensland will continue to expand and deliver new programs in the FQ Academy.

“Following a 12-month review into SAP across SEQ, clubs within the existing SAP Leagues will transition to new FQ Academy Leagues and participation will be through selected club academies currently rated by FQ’s comprehensive Club Assessment process.

“We now have a more consistent and visible pathway for aspirational footballers which is quality-controlled and accredited by Football Australia and consistent with the advanced Junior NPL structure already in place in SEQ.

“This aligns all Queenslanders with the national development and Talent ID system, linking junior players with the Matildas and Socceroos.”

You can find out more on the FQ Academy here.

Image credit: Football Queensland

The 2026 Football Queensland Academy Leagues Club Value Index (CVR) has just been released.

This aggregated metric measures the value for money that each club delivers with respect to their SHIELD weighting and performance output. Over the last five years, the 2026 Football Queensland Academy Leagues Club Value Index has provided valuable insight to parents and stakeholders by offering a transparent, evidence-based, and non-partisan evaluation of which clubs are effectively converting resources into high-quality development programs.

Understanding the Club Rank Score (CRS)

At the heart of the program is the Club’s Rank Score (CRS), which ranks clubs according to a longevity-focused framework. It analyses key criteria, such as opportunities for progression, equity, and safety, producing a merit-based reflection of FQ Academy Club quality. While the CRS reliably examines a club’s overall performance, it does not consider cost-efficiency or gender inequalities.

How the Club Value Ranking Index Improves Analysis

The Club Value Ranking Index fills this gap. Using the CRS as a foundation, the CVR transforms the data by including additional variables such as gender, registration fees, and SHIELD weightings (gold, silver, bronze) to more accurately quantify cost-efficiency. FQ categorises clubs based on their CRS placement:

Gold clubs: 1–10
Silver clubs: 11–24
Bronze clubs: 25–32

The data offers a unique assessment of how clubs perform relative to their SHIELD tier and costs, including performance by gender. This year’s data shows that clubs investing in both male and female player development perform significantly better.

Correlation Between SHIELD Tier and CVR

When transformed, the Club Value Ranking still shows a correlation between SHIELD tier and higher ranking:

Of 10 gold-tier clubs, 7 make the top 10 in the CVR.
Of 8 bronze-tier clubs, 6 are in the bottom 10 in CVR.

As such, the algorithm is particularly relevant to silver-tier clubs, which are dispersed more widely in the CVR.

Outliers and Key Findings

Notable examples include:

Samford Rangers: 21st in CRS → 1st in CVR
Brisbane Strikers: 14th in CRS → last in CVR
Brisbane City: 5th in CRS → 17th in CVR
North Lakes United: 26th in CRS → 10th in CVR

These results highlight clubs that deliver high-quality outcomes relative to their resources, isolating both overperformers and underperformers.

Changes From Last Year

Since last year, 12 more clubs were added. Examples include:

Redlands United: 1st in last year’s CVR → now falls to 27th
Gold Coast Knights: rose from 20th in CVR to 8th in 2025

This demonstrates the CVR’s ability to provide nuanced assessments beyond pure CRS performance.

Implications for Families and Stakeholders

The 2026 Football Queensland Academy Leagues Club Value Index offers a more complete picture of club performance by balancing quality, cost efficiency, and gender-inclusive development. While limitations remain cultural and demographic differences between clubs affect outcomes, the index gives families, coaches, and stakeholders an empirical tool for informed decision-making.

Football Queensland has unveiled its redesigned Club Support Hub, providing enhanced resources and a new Customer Service Booking Portal to assist club administrators and volunteers ahead of the 2026 season. The upgraded hub is designed to streamline support and ensure clubs have the tools they need to operate efficiently.

The Club Support Hub now offers a comprehensive suite of practical resources, covering every stage of the football season – from pre-season planning to post-season wrap-ups. Administrators and volunteers can also book dedicated support directly with FQ’s Customer Service team, making guidance more accessible than ever.

FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci said, “Football Queensland acknowledges that the success of club operations is fuelled by the hard work and dedication of volunteers across the state. We are proud to continue to bolster the support available to them with more resources and more access to FQ Customer Support.”

Building on the original Hub launched in 2021 and FQ’s Future Club+ initiative, the upgrade aims to make volunteer workflows more efficient. Checklists, guides, and direct triaging options ensure clubs receive the right support at the right time, allowing administrators to focus on value-adding activities that enhance the football experience.

To support the rollout, FQ will deliver a series of webinars in the coming months, guiding administrators through the extensive new resources available. “We are excited to continue strengthening the support available to our clubs and volunteers as we reinforce our commitment to improving the experience for every member of our football community,” Cavallucci added.

The upgraded Club Support Hub marks a significant step in Football Queensland’s ongoing efforts to provide a more efficient, club-focused service model, ensuring administrators and volunteers have the tools and guidance they need to succeed.