I’m pleased to share the Football Queensland 2022 Annual Report following the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Saturday, 13 May.
Looking back on the year that was, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank every member of our football community for the resilience you continued to show throughout 2022.
Despite facing an operational environment of evolving complexity in 2022, prudent financial management saw FQ record a ninth consecutive year of surplus alongside record revenue, in addition to the many positive and expected impacts resulting from the Future of Football 2020+ reforms.
Across this period, FQ sought to diversify revenue streams to reduce the reliance on registration income which allowed governing body registration fees to be lowered for the first time, whilst additionally placing the organisation in a position of stability to navigate complex, challenging periods such as the statewide floods.
In 2022 FQ was able to renew eight partnerships, and saw commercial revenue grow to a record $1,005,596, reinforcing the organisation’s financial security and allowing us to invest $1.1 million into regional football facilities.
The Queensland weather was not at its finest in February with over 100 clubs affected by the major flood event which led to the launch of a dedicated Flood Support Hub to connect clubs with support from the wider football community.
Despite the ongoing challenges that 2022 presented, almost 78,000 games of fixtured football were played throughout the connected football pyramid and strong growth in overall participation was recorded, with new highs being reached across referee and coach development.
FQ’s ongoing commitment to referee education continued in 2022, resulting in a 36% increase in registered female referees as FQ delivered courses to over 2,000 referee participants across the state.
Thanks to a ‘One Queensland’ approach to state team selection with squads featuring both regional and metro FQ Academy players, FQ recorded an incredibly successful year on the national stage. Our state teams went undefeated for over 70% of their national games, dominating at both the National Youth Championships and NTC Challenge, bringing home two trophies.
The FQPL structure was also launched throughout regional Queensland in 2022 with the creation of the Northern Conference, the Central Conference and the South East Queensland Conference, connecting clubs and participants from the regions to the FQPL framework.
Following the implementation of the connected football pyramid, FQ was proud to launch the first edition of the FQPL Champions League, a tournament designed to provide additional opportunities for the next generation of regional footballers.
2022 was an important year as we closed the 2020 – 2022 strategic planning chapter and unveiled FQ’s 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. The strategy focuses on four pillars of Participants & Clubs, Elite Teams & Pathways, Fans, and Unifying Football and contains ambitious targets including reaching 50/50 gender parity in participation by 2027.
New initiatives were released throughout the year in line with this goal, with Be23Ready launched to drive growth in female participation and equip clubs with tools to create more inclusive environments for this influx of participants as the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ draws near.
With 2023 set to be a hugely exciting year with the biggest global sporting event, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™, arriving on our shores, I look forward to updating the football community on our progress.
Download a copy of the Football Queensland 2022 Annual Report for more detailed information.
Robert Cavallucci
Chief Executive Officer
Football Queensland