Eyes are on the football Expansion, A-League interaction on cards
FNQ Football’s elite players may have a whole new schedule of representative opportunities to aspire to this season, including another potential opportunity to brush shoulders with A-League stars.
And that’s nothing to do with progressing in the FFA Cup, which will feature nine FNQ clubs this year.
Stand-in administrator Alex Srhoj, who is still awaiting a decision regarding his long-term future, said the Far Northern football community had asked for more representative opportunities and clearer communication between the governing body and clubs.
An indigenous all stars and FNQ all stars game is expected to launch the season and kick off representative duties for 2020 prior to the beginning of the season.
Then at the Easter long weekend, the competition’s best will be selected to represent FNQ against a Football NQ side for the Frank Farina Cup at the new North Queensland stadium in Townsville.
“To play on an A-League quality pitch is going to be exciting,” Srhoj said. “The players are already buzzing, and I’ve been getting messages saying ‘When does training start? When do trials start?’ It gives that top 20 per cent something to look forward to,” he said.
Last year, FNQ footballers received the opportunity of a lifetime when they took on reigning A-League champions Sydney FC.
Srhoj said “the area was already in talks with Sydney FC” and the possibility of them returning this year.
“We’re also having discussions around the possibility of bringing other A-League clubs up,” he said.
Srhoj also revealed a new post-season concept FNQ Football were discussing.
“We’re still working on it, but it may be that the winner of the Frank Farina Cup gets to play the winner of the NPL.”
As for the region returning to the NPL, Srhoj said he wouldn’t even consider discussing the idea anytime soon.
“I think it’s three or four years before anything is even discussed,” he said.
“It’s a case of not just having the financial stability, but having the infrastructure and the player pool that has depth.
“The NPL is fantastic and it’s what we want to achieve eventually, but without a strong, stable club competition, we don’t have club football.”
He said he wasn’t discouraged by the number of players leaving the region for NPL opportunities at southern clubs and believed it showed the local competition was able to produce talented players.
“It shows the kids up here that as long as administrators can create a stable competition, then opportunities to play in the NPL aren’t far away.”
Srhoj said his focus this year would be on clearer communication with clubs.
“It doesn’t take long to reply to an email or send a message back,” he said.
“I think in the past, not just recently, we’ve made decisions from above and then probably not communicated why that decision was made.
“Too often we’ve been a closed book and that’s why there’s arguments and disagreements.”
The FNQ Football season kicks off on March 28.
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