Football Queensland have announced that the FQ Academy Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) Youth and Junior programs for 2025 will continue to evolve to elevate high-potential player development and strengthen pathways to professional football by further aligning with e Brisbane Roar FC.
As the 2024 season reaches its conclusion, the FQ Academy QAS program celebrates a year of great success and achievements with several current and former FQ Academy QAS players earning youth contracts and scholarships with Brisbane Roar and selected in the Junior and Young Matildas squads.
“Building on this season’s achievements, the structural adjustments to the FQ Academy QAS program for the 2025 season will further enhance both our Junior and Youth programs, with players benefitting from tailored development strategies aimed at preparing them for professional contracts and on-field success,” FQ General Manager – Football & State Technical Director Gabor Ganczer said.
“Starting in 2025, the FQ Academy QAS program for Under 17-19s and up to Under 23s will shift towards aligning with Brisbane Roar’s professional environment and playing styles. This shift includes elevating the age band and providing playing and training opportunities and game time for FQ Academy QAS and Brisbane Roar contracted players in the NPL Women to support continued growth throughout the athlete categorisation period in line with long term player development principles.
“Football Queensland’s continued commitment to support high-potential player development through the FQ Academy’s strategic alignment with Brisbane Roar and the Queensland Academy of Sport will ensure a clear pathway for athletes over 18 to remain within the program whilst also playing up and experiencing the A-League with Brisbane Roar’s Women’s team during the regular season.
“In this new structure, current Brisbane Roar players will also be able to play back in the NPL Women, allowing Under 23-aged Roar squad members to return to the FQ Academy QAS for match fitness and injury recovery should they not be A-League tied.
For our FQ Academy QAS Junior program, in 2025 we are boosting our talent identification capabilities to better prepare for the annual National Youth Championships, including extending our state playing squad with a train-on program that better integrates players into a full-time program environment focusing on technical and tactical development.
“As we look towards upcoming major tournaments on home soil including the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup and the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games, this shift towards professional readiness and support for athletes in the Daily Training Environment is crucial as it will provide a clear pathway for FQ Academy QAS players to vie for Matildas selection, following in the footsteps of many past and current squad members who are program graduates.
“This evolution reflects FQ’s commitment to a holistic and aligned approach to player development across all age groups, ensuring the FQ Academy QAS program remains at the forefront of women’s football in Australia and continues to produce outstanding representatives for our national teams.”
“When I started at the football club, one of my initial discussions with club mangement was to establish a youth structure and an elite female pathway here in Queensland, to ensure we are naturing and developing our best young talent,” Brisbane Roar Ninja A-League Women Head Coach, Alex Smith said.
“This is something we have been working hard on for a while now and it is fantastic to see it come to fruition. None of this could be possible without the support of our two brands being aligned, so it’s fantastic to see Brisbane Roar and Football Queensland working together.
“Game time is so important for players development, so to have our young ALW players having more opportunities to get competitive game time is invaluable, especially during the ALW season.
“Conversely, younger players within the academy will be able to train with our ALW senior squad to gain important experience. These players will also be able to stay in the program longer to continue their development. I believe this announcement is a huge step forward for female football in Queensland.”
