To the Queensland football community,

Ahead of the Football Queensland Annual General Meeting (AGM) this Saturday, 10 July, I’m delighted to share the Football Queensland 2020 Annual Report. 

As we reflect on the year that was, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank our Queensland football community for your overwhelming support throughout 2020.  

It was a challenging year for us all but it was reassuring to see the football community come together to overcome the difficulties faced.  

Despite the suspension of football due to COVID-19, FQ was proud to be the only Member Federation to register a participation increase in 2020, with 21% growth on 2019 participation. This was an enormous achievement only made possible by the hard work and determination of our football family. 

2020 was also an important year for our reform journey as we embarked on an extensive state-wide consultation process as part of the Future of Football 2020+, releasing the Consultation Paper and Opportunities Paper alongside a number of crucial reforms. 

Elements of these reforms will be further considered by FQ members at the AGM this weekend. Underpinning these reforms are efforts to improve the governance and administration of the game while lowering the cost of football and connecting competitions across the state. This is a landmark decision for football in Queensland, and one that has the ability to secure a brighter future for the game.  

A major boost for football came in June with the announcement of Australia and New Zealand as hosts of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. FQ is busy working with Football Australia and Government to unlock the legacy of this global event for women and girls here in Queensland, including securing greater Government investment in facilities to allow more female participants to join our game.  

The Queensland game’s broader infrastructure priorities were outlined in the 2020-2024 Strategic Infrastructure Plan released in September and are designed to meet the demands of our growing participation base. 

Throughout the year, FQ launched a series of new referee support initiatives including the inaugural Referee Academy, pink armband for referees under 18, an e-learning platform and the RefLIVE Referee Management System, leading to growth of 4.5% in the referee participation base in 2020. 

Coach education remained a priority for our team as we delivered 203 coaching courses to 2,753 participants across the state despite several months of interruption due to COVID-19, with Queensland’s coach registrations increasing by 8% in 2020. 

You can download a copy of the 2020 Annual Report here for more information. 

I look forward to updating you on our progress in the coming months, and seeing many of you around the grounds. 

Robert Cavallucci
Chief Executive Officer
Football Queensland