Football's Big Queensland Paradox: Huge Crowds, Thin Funding
Football is being talked up as Australia's sleeping giant again, and this time the numbers back it up. A Brazil friendly in Brisbane sold out Suncorp Stadium, Townsville drew a crowd rarely seen for the code, and thousands turned up just to watch an open training session. Yet advocates say the sport is still fighting for scraps when it comes to real investment.
The disconnect was the focus of a recent 4BC Brisbane sports segment, where host Sam sat down with Max Gallagher of the Roar Supporters Federation and Fair Funding for Football to unpack why a sport with the country's biggest grassroots participation numbers still struggles to fill out its elite competitions. Gallagher pointed to a recent state government pledge to back football more heavily as a welcome signal, but cautioned that promises and follow-through are two very different things.
According to Gallagher, the core problem isn't interest, it's infrastructure and standard. Casual fans who follow the Premier League or the World Cup on streaming services like Stan Sport often don't translate that passion into supporting local clubs such as Brisbane Roar, Olympic FC, Brisbane City or Lions FC, because the domestic product hasn't historically matched the intensity of rugby league or AFL. Add to that years of instability at club level, including Brisbane Roar's well-documented struggles to secure a permanent training base, and it's little wonder the sport has lagged in the pecking order.
Gallagher argues that's starting to shift. New ownership at Brisbane Roar has steadied the club, and emerging talent such as Lucas Harrington is being held up as proof of the depth of athletic talent the state can produce. Lions FC's strong run in the Australia Cup was cited as another sign the sport's base is stronger than its headline exposure suggests.
Funding remains the sticking point. Gallagher drew a direct comparison to women's cricket, where sustained investment turned a niche product into a genuine drawcard. He believes the same formula applies to football, but acknowledges Australia's crowded sporting landscape makes it harder to win the attention that typically precedes serious funding. With rugby league, AFL and other codes already commanding loyal, long-established followings, football is competing for a slice of a market that doesn't expand as easily as it would in football-mad nations overseas.
Victoria was flagged as a state further along this path, with stronger engagement around its NPL clubs offering a model Queensland could follow. For Gallagher, Australia's multicultural identity is exactly why football should be thriving here rather than sitting on the back burner. A sold-out Suncorp Stadium for an international friendly, he says, is evidence the appetite already exists. What's missing is the sustained backing to turn one-off crowds into everyday support for the local game.
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Advocates like Max Gallagher say it comes down to the perceived standard of the local competition compared to rugby league and AFL, plus years of instability at club level, including Brisbane Roar's past difficulties securing a permanent training base.
State officials have pledged a renewed push to support football, with ambitions to position Queensland as a stronger base for the sport, though advocates say the real test will be whether funding commitments follow the announcement.
Gallagher points to women's cricket as a model, where sustained investment lifted the profile and standard of the competition, which in turn drove public interest and attendance over time.