Football Queensland unveil stadium at sport’s spiritual home

Avatar
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.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

Avatar
Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

Avatar
Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend