Football Queensland (FQ) is pleased to reveal that seven clubs have been successfully screened to potentially enter the FQ Academy following assessment later this year, further demonstrating FQ’s commitment to improving technical outcomes for women and girls participating in the game.
The FQ Academy licence screening outcomes reflect the ongoing development and expansion within the female football community, and an increase in participation and demand from co-hosting the biggest FIFA Women’s World Cup™ on our shores last year.
Clubs participating in the assessment screening process are evaluated on multiple criteria based on coach qualifications, club strategies and facilities, and the number of female players per age group by FQ’s Club Development Unit.
The seven successfully screened clubs meeting these criteria were Rochedale Rovers FC, Gold Coast Knights FC, Southside Eagles FC, Samford Rangers FC, Caboolture Sports FC, Robina City FC and Grange Thistle FC.
“Football Queensland is excited to see more female teams and clubs participating in the FQ Academy club assessment process, highlighting FQ’s commitment to the technical development of women’s football, while also recognising clubs’ dedication to advancing coaching and player development standards for female teams across Queensland,” FQ General Manager – Football & State Technical Director Gabor Ganczer said.
“The advanced FQ Academy licence screening process is an evaluation mechanism for female teams with the goal of gradually building up the youth teams in the FQ Academy to provide more high-quality development pathways for our next generation of football stars.
“As seven clubs look to enter the FQ Academy, this poses an exciting opportunity to work towards the possibility of opening a third tier of advanced girls competitions in Queensland for select age groups from 2025.
“Aligned with our goal of achieving 50/50 gender parity by 2027, FQ remains committed to providing advanced, high-quality development pathways for women and girls as outlined in our soon-to-be-released 2024-2026 Women & Girls Strategy, recognising them as the future of football in our state.
“The increased engagement from clubs in the club development process demonstrates the growing enthusiasm for football from women and girls and the desire for accessible, high-quality pathways throughout the state.”
FQ’s club assessment process is designed to measure a club’s technical performance from a planning, delivery and outcomes perspective, strengthening its accountability, transparency, and visibility across all areas to foster high-quality development and progression.
Club female programs are currently evaluated against the Tier 2 criteria, and will have the opportunity to work towards, or in some cases, bring their services in line with their boys programs’ Tier 1 rating that provides a Bronze, Silver or Gold rating to the best development clubs.
The FQ Academy club development process also supports coaches and players through licensed courses, workshops and webinars, while the players also have the opportunity to be part of the FQ Academy regional and state team programs.