Brisbane Roar’s B Team will compete outside NPL Queensland next season following Friday night’s 2-1 defeat to Gold Coast Knights.
While the outcome is disappointing, the Club remains committed to the purpose of its B Team programme: providing talented young Queensland footballers with meaningful senior football minutes and preparing them for the demands of the professional game.
Throughout the season, Brisbane Roar has continued to field the youngest squad in the competition, with the majority of players aged 19 or under and regularly competing against experienced senior opposition.
The pathway has continued to produce players for Brisbane Roar’s A-League Men’s squad. Over the past 18 months, eight players have progressed from the B Team to represent the Club at professional level.
Noah Maieroni and Emmett Shaw both made their Isuzu UTE A-League Men debuts last season after progressing through the B Team, while Lucas Herrington’s pathway ultimately led to a move to the English Premier League.
This season, Archie Mitchell, George Plusnin and Oscar Page have also signed long-term scholarship agreements with the Club after progressing through the same pathway.
Brisbane Roar Sporting Director James Gow said the Club would continue to place player development at the centre of the programme.
“Naturally, we would prefer to be competing in NPL Queensland next season, but the fundamental purpose of our B Team is to develop players capable of playing professional football.
“We have a talented group of young Queensland players coming through the Club and our focus is on continuing to challenge them, accelerate their development and create genuine opportunities for them to progress into our first team.”
Brisbane Roar will continue to invest in its youth pathway and provide opportunities for Queensland’s best young players to progress towards senior professional football.
The Club thanks its supporters for their continued support of the B Team and its young players throughout the season.
