Football Queensland (FQ) is excited to announce the inaugural edition of the Inter-Conference Junior & Youth Carnival, with the draws now confirmed for the three-day tournament to be held from Saturday, 4 May to Monday, 6 May at Mackay Football Park. 

The Inter-Conference Carnival will bring together over 1,000 boys and girls aged Under 9 to Under 16 from FQ Academy regional programs across Queensland, as they gather to showcase their skills in an in-game competitive environment before talent identification coaches and FQ technical staff. 

“Football Queensland is excited to launch the Inter-Conference Carnival as we look to increase competitive match minutes and development opportunities for our junior and youth players involved in FQ Academy regional programs across the state,” FQ General Manager – Football & State Technical Director Gabor Ganczer said. 

“This carnival forms a crucial part of the FQ Academy pathway for regional players, offering another opportunity for talent identification and player development tracking for coaches and FQ technical staff in attendance, including Isaka Cernak, our Manager of the FQ Academy QAS and Dale Hill, our high performance FQ Academy Goalkeeping Development & QAS Goalkeeper Coach. 

“We are proud to have FQ Academy programs from seven regions participating in our first ever inter-conference regional carnival for both junior and youth teams, including players from two Tier 2 programs from Mt Isa and Burdekin taking part in an FQ Academy event for the first time, showcasing our commitment to continuous technical advancement opportunities for our clubs. 

“The addition of the inter-conference carnival to the regional football calendar underscores FQ’s dedication to providing more high-quality match minutes to youth and junior players statewide in support of broadening access and opportunity to enter the FQ Academy pathway, the only pathway recognised by Football Australia for state and national team selection. 

“We look forward to welcoming all players, coaches, referees and supporters to the Inter-Conference Carnival at Mackay Football Park and we hope they enjoy the first-of-its kind event.” 

View the confirmed Inter-Conference Junior & Youth Carnival draw schedule below. 

Find more information about the Inter-Conference Carnival here.