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

Avatar
FQ

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.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Pushing for First Nations representation in the game with Football Queensland’s Murri Cup

Avatar
Image Credit: Football Queensland

Football Queensland has announced the inaugural FQ Murri Cup, a two-day tournament celebrating First Nations cultures and showcasing Indigenous football talent from across Queensland, to be held at Nudgee Recreation Reserve on November 28 and 29.

The competition, developed in close consultation with Football Australia’s National Indigenous Advisory Group and Football Australia’s General Manager of First Nations Courtney Fewquandie, will feature a Coles MiniRoos activation, a Charles Perkins XI Talent ID session and a community stallholder zone alongside the on-field competition. Expressions of interest are open now for individuals and teams across the state.

More than a tournament

The launch arrives at a moment when the structural underrepresentation of First Nations Australians in organised sport, at the administrative, coaching, and pathway levels, is under sustained scrutiny. Football, like most codes, has historically failed to build the kind of community-embedded structures that make sustained Indigenous participation possible rather than incidental.

The FQ Murri Cup is a direct response to that gap. By centering First Nations culture within the competition itself, rather than treating it as supplementary to a standard football event, the tournament signals a shift in how the game positions Indigenous participation as a community with its own relationship to the sport that deserves its own platform.

The inclusion of a Talent ID session carries specific weight. Structured pathways into elite football have not always been accessible to players from regional and remote Indigenous communities, where geography, cost and cultural barriers compound one another. Embedding that opportunity within a culturally safe environment lowers the threshold at the point where it most frequently closes.

“The FQ Murri Cup will bring together First Nations players, families and communities for a two-day celebration, providing a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of First Nations participants within our game,” said Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci.Mu

QUT’s Future of Sport Conference to Shape the Next Era of Global Sport

Avatar
Image Credit: Queensland University of Technology

As Australia accelerates toward the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is set to host a landmark event that will bring together some of the brightest minds in sport, technology, and innovation.

The Future of Sport Conference 2026, taking place on March 27 at QUT’s Gardens Point campus in Brisbane, will unite international and Australian leaders to explore how research, technology, and cross-sector collaboration are redefining the global sporting landscape.

Held as a one-day flagship event, the conference represents a critical platform for dialogue across sport, government, academia, and industry. The aim is to collaborate for a shared vision of sport’s future in a rapidly evolving world.

Driving innovation ahead of Brisbane 2032

Positioned within the broader momentum of Brisbane’s Olympic decade, the conference will examine how emerging technologies and data-driven strategies are reshaping performance, fan engagement, and sporting infrastructure.

Delivered in collaboration with global partners including the MIT Sloan School of Management and supported by major industry stakeholders such as Cisco and PMY Group, the event highlights the increasing convergence between sport and advanced technology.

Key themes include:

  • Emerging sports technologies and performance analytics
  • Mental health and wellbeing in high-performance environments
  • The business of sport and sustainable futures
  • Inclusion and social impact through sport

These focus areas reflect a broader shift within the industry towards positioning sport as a driver of social change, economic growth, and community wellbeing, not just measuring its performance.

A global lineup of industry leaders

The conference will feature an impressive roster of speakers drawn from elite sport organisations, academia, and global technology firms.

International expertise will be complemented by leading Australian voices, including executives, high-performance specialists, and researchers shaping the future of sport both domestically and abroad.

Among them are figures working across professional sport, data science, and innovation, offering attendees rare insight into the trends and strategies defining the next decade.

Collaboration at the core

Beyond keynote presentations, the conference is designed to foster meaningful collaboration. An industry roundtable and networking opportunities will allow stakeholders to exchange ideas, build partnerships, and explore practical solutions to shared challenges.

From grassroots development to elite performance systems, the emphasis on collaboration reflects a growing recognition that the future of sport will be shaped not by isolated innovation, but by connected ecosystems.

Shaping sport’s future

As sport continues to intersect with technology, health, and society, events such as the Future of Sport Conference play a vital role in aligning vision with action.

By bringing together diverse perspectives, from athletes and academics to policymakers and industry leaders, QUT is positioning itself at the forefront of global sport innovation.

With Brisbane 2032 on the horizon, the conference offers a timely and influential platform to not only discuss the future of sport but actively shape it.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend