After overseeing the growth and development of the game across the Northern conference for the last nine years, Declan Carnes will officially step down from the role of Football Queensland General Manager – Northern Region at the end of this month.
Leading the Northern conference through the Future of Football 2020+, one of the most transformative reform periods for football in Queensland, Declan restored the financial stability of the local game thanks to his achievement of strong commercial, funding and infrastructure outcomes to complement significant growth in participation at all levels.
“In his nine years with Football Queensland, Declan has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to our beautiful game,” FQ CEO Robert Cavallucci said.
“Whilst his determination and contributions will be missed, it presents an exciting opportunity to find a candidate who can match Declan’s passion and drive to support the growth of football within the Northern conference.
“The General Manager – Northern Region role will soon be advertised, with Football Queensland encouraging applications from high-quality candidates particularly across the Far North & Gulf, Northern and Whitsunday Coast regions.”
Highlights of Declan’s tenure include the acquisition of government funding for local clubs and the completion of lighting, shade and grandstand projects, the transfer of entities as part of the Future of Football 2020+ reforms, and the development of master plans for Football Queensland facilities across the Northern conference, delivering considerable benefits to the local community and paving the way for the ongoing sustainability of the game.
In 2021, Football Queensland achieved a major Strategic Infrastructure Plan objective thanks to Declan’s work in securing a user partnership agreement with the North Queensland Cowboys, with young footballers in the Northern region benefiting from access to state-of-the-art training facilities.
Success also brought significant challenges for Declan and the team in the form of the 2019 Townsville floods and subsequent rebuild, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic which impacted football participation across the state.
The establishment of the FQ Academy and the FQ Referee Academy within the Northern conference has delivered fantastic development outcomes during Declan’s time, including the selection of players in Queensland state teams and young match officials in the inaugural intake of the Football Australia Referee Academy.
The success of the Girls United social program across the Northern conference following its rollout in recent years reflected the incredible demand for football among women and girls, particularly over the last two years in the wake of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ and as Football Queensland works towards 50/50 gender parity in participation by 2027.
The competition landscape has also gone from strength to strength as Mt Isa teams featured in the Australia Cup and Kappa Women’s Super Cup for the first time in history and more local Finals were live streamed in recent years than ever before.
While the recruitment search is underway for the General Manager – Northern Region role, FQ General Manager Damien Bresic will lead the Northern team.
Declan will continue to be involved in the game and will maintain a strong relationship with Football Queensland as he takes on a new opportunity with FQ partner Paradise Outdoor Advertising.
On behalf of Football Queensland, we wish to thank Declan for his unwavering support of football in Queensland.
