Bayside families could face registration bill rise of $43 per child under Football Queensland’s new team-based model
MORE than 70 Queensland football clubs – led by Wynnum Wolves – are warning that families will face higher registration bills under Football Queensland’s new team-based fee model.
Clubs from the Bayside, Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Townsville and regional Queensland have backed a formal objection to Football Queensland’s proposed 2027 Competition Access Fee model, warning that rising costs could ultimately force families out of the game.
Football clubs fear new fees will hit family budgets hard
The Competition Access Fee will replace the game’s previous “per member” charging structure from 2027, prompting calls for a pause and formal consultation from clubs concerned about the cost and administrative burden.
Wynnum Wolves Football Club says its Football Queensland-related bill could rise by more than $35,000 in one season under the model.
Using its 2026 profile of 70 community teams and about 826 players, the club estimates its costs would rise from $55,156 to $90,766.79 – an increase of $35,610.79, or 64.6 per cent.
Its modelling puts the average FQ-related cost per player at $109.89 next season, up $43 from $66.77.
The club says the new model will leave committees with little choice but to recover additional costs through registration fees.
For Metro North and South clubs, the published fees – before GST – range from $585 for an under-6 or under-7 MiniRoos team to $3208 for a senior side.
Under-8 and under-9 teams will cost $810, under-10 to under-12 sides $960, under-13s $1424, under-14 to under-16s $1606, and under-17 and under-18 teams $1697.
But Wynnum Wolves argues the fixed team charge leaves clubs exposed if player numbers fall or families cannot pay.
The group says families registering more than one child, or already under cost-of-living pressure, may decide it is no longer affordable.
Clubs could then face a choice between increasing fees for remaining players, reducing services or deciding an under-filled side is not financially viable.
It also argues the system could create pressure to put more children into squads simply to spread the fixed cost, potentially reducing game time and player development opportunities.
“Clubs do not have the financial capacity to absorb an increase of this scale,” an open letter from more than 70 Queensland clubs led by Wynnum Wolves president Rabieh Krayem states.
The letter says the change would also leave volunteers responsible for calculating each player’s share, chasing unpaid amounts, handling withdrawals and refunds, and covering any shortfall.
The club-led letter also raises the prospect of a multi-million-dollar statewide revenue increase for Football Queensland.
It says an illustrative scenario – based on an assumed average increase of $20,000 across 350 Queensland clubs – would generate an extra $7 million in 2027.
Football Queensland said it had not increased its player enrolment fees in seven years, despite cumulative inflation of about 25 per cent
FQ said its own fees would remain the lowest in Australia in 2027, although some member federations were yet to settle their charges.
FQ said its illustrative modelling showed the total amount paid by a participant could remain broadly comparable with 2026 where a club passed the CAF through directly. In one senior-player example, it said the total cost fell from $1417.26 in 2026 to $1415.88 in 2027.
However, FQ said final registration prices remained a matter for individual clubs, while CAF rates differed between regions and competitions to reflect delivery costs.
