Earlier this year, as Australia began to feel the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Football Queensland updated the Eligibility for Refunds of Governing Body Fees section of its refund policy.

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Football Queensland updated a single clause within the policy aimed at providing clarity in regards to the refund process for governing body fees, eligibility and payment.

A handful of Gold Coast football clubs believe the update has consequently made it harder to attain a refund.

It is their belief that players could previously only seek a refund if they had not played a game – the updated policy expanding this criteria to include any player who had participated in a training session, team trial, player grading, pre-season matches or practice matches.

But Cavallucci said that understanding was a “myth” and Football Queensland’s refund policy had always covered people who intended and indicated they would be participating in football either by training, trialling or playing a match.

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Cavallucci said Football Queensland updated its policy to reflect this, added a preamble to better explain registration fees and had issued a number of circulars and FAQ documents to clubs around Queensland in an attempt to educate clubs.

The junior season was yet to kick off when restrictions came into place, while the Premier League had played two rounds.

“Our policy was changed to better reflect and align with principals of how a refund was assessed and given,” Cavallucci said.

“That’s exactly what took place to better inform and educate our stakeholders across Queensland and to correct the fundamental misconceptions around refunds, insurance and registration that have plagued the game for years and guided risky behaviour.”

THE ISSUE

FOOTBALL Gold Coast have committed to refunding their portion of competition playing fees but Football Queensland have all but ruled out handing back money as their fee portion is practically “non-refundable.”

Gold Coast football clubs have been left to decide individually whether to refund their portion of fees.

A source told the Bulletin a small handful of Gold Coast families have requested fee refunds but are yet to receive Football Queensland and Football Federation Australia portions of their fees back.

But Cavallucci said requests for refunds are currently down by 75 per cent.

“What we’re doing aligns with legal advice and the ACCC,” he said.

“The football registration fees supplied to Football Gold Coast apply to the competition services they provide so those competition services haven’t taken place.

“They’re refunding competition services that they are yet to provide.

“The fees paid to Football Queensland are the cost of accessing the game for a year in Queensland and the cost of insurance and the six policies that cover players, participants and clubs that you are required to have access to in order to participate in football.

“Those fees are sunk costs which is why they’re non-refundable.”

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A source told the Bulletin that “it will be a struggle” for anyone within the Gold Coast football community to achieve a successful refund of the Football Queensland component of playing fees this year.

“I know for a fact, prior to COVID-19 coming into place, there were parents who have asked for refunds and they haven’t been processed or don’t look like being processed,” they said.

“They’ve hit a brick wall.

“I can assure you that Football Gold Coast has done the right thing concerning footballers but it’s the bigger bodies you have to worry about such as Football Queensland and the FFA.”

Another source suggested the only way to achieve a successful refund would be to deregister players despite the possibility of football competition resuming later this year.

“To me, that’s a form of blackmail,” they said. “If I do get money back and a new comp comes up I want to play in, they’re charging me the same as what I just got back.

“I think Football Queensland and the FFA are doing the wrong thing.”

Football Queensland said its refund policy was one of 26 updated in March and the changes weren’t in response to COVID-19 but rather legal advice they had received.

“The eligibility criteria required to apply for a refund of FQ fees was frequently misunderstood by clubs and participants as being a guarantee of a refund,” a spokesperson said.

“In most cases, eligibility usually leads to a refund, however eligible applications are also assessed against several other factors including outstanding fees, payments, participation, injuries etc.

“A change was made to better align both the eligibility and refund criteria. The circumstances under which a refund can be approved by FQ have not changed.

“Football Queensland updated the policy to make it clear that a refund of governing body fees must be processed by the governing body and not by the club.”

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THE FEES

Football Queensland fees account for $38 for juniors and $85.50 for seniors in the overall sum of player payment.

The FFA fee component range from $14 in junior football, to $33 in senior football.

Southport Soccer Club president Gary Hugo worried that those withheld fees could quickly add up for desperate families.

“It’s a business I suppose and everyone has to keep their business viable but like anything, if people need the money back and they are in a desperate state, the money needs to be given back,” he said.

“Every dollar counts and some families have got three or four kids playing sport so it adds up very quickly.”

Southport have already processed one fee refund for a family in financial distress due to the global pandemic.

Palm Beach president Michael Hanns said his club was also committed to assisting struggling families.

“Anyone who’s been in financial hardship, we’ve done our bit to make sure we help out,” he said.

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Football Queensland expressed empathy for those suffering hardship but maintained there was still a refund process to follow for families and individuals.

“The ongoing of the COVID-19 crisis has deeply affected our football community and we are highly sympathetic to families and individuals who are facing financial hardship,” a spokesperson said.

“We are working hard with FFA and all levels of government to prepare for a return to football which we know is important to our clubs and the health and wellbeing of our participants.

“However, if a participant is seeking a refund of FQ registration fees, in the first instance they should proceed through the initial process of obtaining a refund of fees from their local club.

“Subsequent to this and for the FQ component of their fees, the follow on process for participants to apply for a refund of governing body fees can be found in Football Queensland’s Refund Policy.”

Broadbeach president Michael Doyle said he understood the situation some families and individuals found themselves in but that an instance of mass refunds would put local clubs under immense pressure.

THE FUTURE

The Gold Coast Premier League had already played two rounds before the compulsory season shutdown but junior leagues were yet to kick off.

“If the juniors all asked for registration back, it would be a bit of a bloodbath I believe,” he said.

“We’ve been going since mid-December and you’ve got the running of the clubs, all the lights, playing pre-season games.

“We’ve probably spent in the range of $40,000 on uniforms and the club is shut to all players so far.

“We’re out of pocket so if they all ask for the regos back, we’ve lost in the region of $40,000 which we can’t afford to do.

“I don’t think a lot of parents have asked for their money back at this stage because most of them are fairly certain that we’ll get back again soon.

“If they had to take back all of the registration as well, that would create a lot of work, and who’s going to pay for that, it wouldn’t be an easy process.”

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Coomera Vice President of Football Tony Roach and Nerang president Brad Davies said they hadn’t heard from Football Queensland regarding their updated refund policy.

“We’ve heard nothing back from Football Queensland regarding their refund policy at this stage,” Davies said.

“I believe, at this stage, last I heard, no one has asked for a refund on their fees.

“We might give people some money back, or give some back or roll it over to next year, there’s a lot to decide but we’re all new to this.”

Roach added: “We’re all still chasing up what portion of a refund will they be providing.”

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