Words: Football Queensland

Football Queensland has accepted an application from Brisbane Roar to reschedule its PlayStation® 4 NPL Queensland Round 9 match against Northern Fury due to player unavailability.

As per Competition Regulations, all clubs are permitted to request fixture alterations with applications to be assessed on merit.

Consideration of postponement requests is not limited to squad circumstances.

While Brisbane Roar’s application did not meet the minimum 10 days of notification, Football Queensland acknowledges the club’s involvement in this weekend’s Hyundai A-League Semi Finals was not confirmed until Friday, 21 April.

That engagement has resulted in the elevation of several Young Roar players to the club’s AFC Champions League squad for Wednesday night’s fixture in Thailand, in addition to potential selection for Sunday’s match in Melbourne.

Given PS4 NPL Queensland’s role as the state’s elite player pathway, Football Queensland welcomes the opportunities which may be afforded to a number of the state’s talented young footballers.

It has been suggested externally that Brisbane Roar should promote players from its PS4 NPL Queensland Youth Men’s squad to cover absences.

These players are predominantly aged 15-17 and only compete above equivalent age divisions for the purposes of maintaining competitive balance.

Northern Fury will instead host MA Olympic FC in its Westfield FFA Cup Preliminary Round 5 qualifier on Saturday night.

Due to the minor impact on scheduling, Football Queensland is satisfied that a postponement better maintains the integrity of the competition rather than a forfeit being imposed.