New Roar management team to be given time to lift Brisbane out of the doldrums

Brisbane Roar will follow a similar model to Adelaide United when it comes to bring emerging talent to the club.

Brisbane Roar’s new management team will be given every chance by Football Australia to rebuild the club and meet the necessary requirements to keep its A-League licence.

The Roar was widely criticised last week after deciding to scrap its academy, and instead focus on enhancing the club’s A-League side, and its teams in NPL Queensland senior and under-23 competitions.

In doing away with its academy, the club is following the FA-approved model of Adelaide United, who also don’t have an academy

Instead, United’s junior pathway comes via an affiliation with Football South Australia.

Recently appointed Roar general manager Ante Kovacevic, who previously worked for the Adelaide club, said the Reds had proven the model to be successful with the amount of young South Australian players who had been graduated to the A-League.

"Adelaide is arguably the best team to promote and play and sell their young players throughout A-League history, and they did it without an academy,” Kovacevic said.

“It’s a workable model and it gives everyone opportunities. There are a lot of good things NPL clubs are doing out there. We don’t need to compete with them.

“We want to make our more senior youth teams more professional, more elite and better resourced.

“That’s what Adelaide does, They run an enhanced program for the two older teams, and try to convert them into professional A-League footballers.”

Back on the training paddock 😤

All focus on Victory this Saturday. pic.twitter.com/opLU6OZrrN

— Brisbane Roar FC (@brisbaneroar) October 24, 2022

While the Roar aren’t linking with Football Queensland, they instead have “verbal agreements” with more than one local club to form affiliations.

“We need to have an affiliation with an entity that has junior teams playing in league football in the state, and we will have that,” Kovacevic said.

“We have verbal agreements, so it’s a matter of finalising those agreements which we supply for our licencing requirements with FA.

“That’s our pathway that we use to help players develop into professional footballers.”

FA must be satisfied that the Roar’s relationships with any affiliate clubs meet the same objectives of the previous academy.

It’s understood that the Roar’s new management team, which also includes club legend Matt Smith, will be cut some slack by FA officials who are understanding of the tough task ahead of the three-time A-League champions to repair pre-existing damage at the club.

The Roar will next week relocate their administration base to Milton, directly across the road from Suncorp Stadium, where they intend to return next season permanently for home matches.

They remain on the hunt for a permanent training base, with several options being considered.

Ahead of Saturday’s clash against Melbourne Victory at Redcliffe’s Moreton Daily Stadium, the Roar are training at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.

Roar chairman Chris Fong has also denied claims from AFL club Gold Coast that they owe the Suns $60,000 for allegedly pulling out of a deal to build a new base at Carrara.

“If there was an agreement, and we breached the agreement, I would understand, but there’s no agreement,” Fong said.

Originally published as New Roar management team to be given time to lift Brisbane out of the doldrums