Brisbane Roar FC facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Brisbane Roar

Full name	Brisbane Roar Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Roar, Lions, The Black ‘n’ Orange
Short name	BRFC
Founded	1957, 67 years ago as Queensland Lions FC
Ground	Lang Park
Ground Capacity	52,500
Owner	Bakrie Group
Chairman	Kaz Patafta
Head coach	Ruben Zadkovich
League	A-League Men
2022–23	8th of 12
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Brisbane Roar Football Club is a professional soccer team. They are based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The club plays in Australia's top men's league, the A-League Men.

The Roar started as Queensland Roar. They changed their name to Brisbane Roar in 2009. The team has a great history in the A-League. They have won two Premierships and three Championships. They also hold the record for the longest unbeaten streak. This amazing streak lasted for 36 matches!

The team's main color is orange. This color shows their Dutch heritage. For the 2024/25 season, they are going back to their original orange and blue colors. This marks the 20th anniversary of the A-League.

The club plays its home games at Lang Park in Milton. They have used other stadiums too, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bakrie Group has owned Brisbane Roar since 2011. The club has many loyal fans. Two main fan groups are "The Den" and the "Roar Supporters Federation." Brisbane Roar has one of the highest average attendances in the A-League. This shows how important they are in Australian soccer.

Ruben Zadkovich is the current Head Coach.

About Brisbane Roar FC

Brisbane Roar was formed in 1957. It was first called Hollandia-Inala by Dutch immigrants. Later, it became 'Brisbane Lions'. Then, it changed to Queensland Roar for the first A-League season in 2005–06. Finally, it became 'Brisbane Roar'.

Since joining the A-League, the club has won two league Premierships. They also won three Championships. They have played in the AFC Champions League five times.

Brisbane Roar holds a special record. They have the longest unbeaten run in Australian football. This record is 36 league matches without losing! They are also the first and only club to win back-to-back A-League Championships. Plus, they are the only club never to lose an A-League Grand Final.

The youth team plays in the A-League Youth. The women's team plays in the A-League Women. Since 2014, youth teams also play in the NPL Queensland. This helps young players get more game experience.

Club History

Early Years (1957–2004)

The club started as Hollandia F.C. in 1957. It was founded by Dutch immigrants. In 1973, clubs had to change their names. This was to make soccer more welcoming to everyone. So, Hollandia F.C. became Brisbane Lions.

The Brisbane Lions joined the National Soccer League (NSL) in 1977. They played there until 1988. After that, they played in the Brisbane Premier League.

In the 1990s, the club changed its name again. It became Queensland Lions. This happened after a legal talk with the Australian rules football club, Brisbane Lions.

In 2004, Queensland Lions stopped playing in the local men's league. Their senior men's team joined the new National A-League as Queensland Roar.

Joining the A-League (2004)

Queensland Lions F.C. became a founding member of the A-League in 2004. They were called Queensland Roar. The club kept its main offices and training at Richlands.

Many cities wanted to have a team in the new A-League. In November 2004, the group led by Queensland Lions was chosen. They would run the Brisbane team. Queensland Roar FC was officially announced in March 2005.

First A-League Seasons (2004–2009)

Miron Bleiberg was the first coach in 2005. He left in November 2006. Frank Farina, a former Australian national team coach, took over.

Under Frank Farina, the Roar almost made the finals in 2006–07. They did make the finals for the first time in 2007–08. They beat Sydney FC 2–0 in a big semi-final. They then lost to the Newcastle Jets in the preliminary final. Farina also led them to the finals in 2008–09. They beat Central Coast Mariners but lost to Adelaide United.

Frank Farina had to leave his coaching role in October 2009. The club then looked for a new coach.

Becoming Brisbane Roar (2009)

In 2009, the club officially changed its name. It became Brisbane Roar Football Club. This was because two other Queensland teams joined the A-League. These were Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury.

This was the fifth name change for the club. It had been Hollandia-Inala F.C., Brisbane Lions F.C., Queensland Lions F.C., and Queensland Roar F.C. before.

The Postecoglou Era (2009–2012)

Ange Postecoglou became coach during the 2009–10 season. His first season was tough, with the team finishing near the bottom. But Postecoglou turned things around in the 2010–11 season. He changed many players. He brought in a mix of young talent and experienced players.

Under his attacking style of soccer, the team won their first Premiership. They then won their first Championship in a memorable Grand Final. This was in front of over 50,000 fans. The club then went on an amazing 36-match unbeaten run. This is an Australian sporting record! It started in 2010–11 and continued into the 2011–12 season.

In the 2011–12 season, the Roar had a tough time. They lost five games in a row. But they recovered and lost only one of their last 14 games. They finished second in the league. Postecoglou led the club to win back-to-back Championships in 2012. This was in front of another record crowd. He also led the Roar into the 2012 Asian Champions League.

Ange Postecoglou left the club in April 2012. He is known as the most successful coach in the club's history.

The Mulvey Era (2012–2014)

Rado Vidošić became coach after Postecoglou. But he was only coach for 13 matches. Mike Mulvey took over in December 2012. In the 2012–13 season, the Roar finished 5th. Striker Besart Berisha scored 14 goals. The team reached the semi-finals but lost to Western Sydney Wanderers.

The 2013–14 season was fantastic. The Roar won 8 of their first 10 games. They continued this great form and became dominant premiers. Players like Ivan Franjic, Luke Brattan, and Dimitri Petratos played very well. Former captain Matt McKay also returned. Brisbane won the Grand Final 2–1 in extra time against Western Sydney Wanderers. After this, key players Besart Berisha and Ivan Franjic left the club.

Coaching Changes (2015–2024)

After some poor results, Mike Mulvey left in 2015. Frans Thijssen became caretaker coach. The team finished 6th and made the finals. But they lost to Adelaide United.

John Aloisi became head coach in May 2015. In his first season, the Roar finished 3rd. They almost won the championship. In 2017, Brisbane played in the Asian Champions League. They won one match but lost four. One loss was a big 6–0 defeat. This was called a "darkest day" for Australian club football.

The 2017–18 season was also tough. The Roar lost 1–5 in an FFA Cup game. They had their worst season start ever, without a win after 6 matches. They slowly improved but finished 6th. They lost in the finals to Melbourne City.

John Aloisi resigned in December 2018. The team was second-last in the league. He was the longest-serving coach but the team's performance had declined.

Darren Davies became interim coach. He coached 18 games. The team finished 9th that season.

Robbie Fowler was appointed head coach in April 2019. Many players left the club. Fowler's first game was a surprise 2–0 win against Sydney FC in the FFA Cup. Fowler left in June 2020 during the COVID-19 crisis.

Warren Moon became the next coach. He guided the team to 4th place in his first full season. But they lost in the elimination final. In his second season, the club finished 11th. He was sacked in February 2023.

Nick Green was interim coach for 9 games. Then, Ross Aloisi, John Aloisi's brother, became Head Coach in May 2023. He led the team to their first Australia Cup final, but they lost. Ross resigned in December 2023. After him, two more coaches, Luciano Trani and Ben Cahn, coached for short periods.

Ruben Zadkovich Era (2024–)

Ruben Zadkovich became interim coach. The team finished 9th. In April 2024, he was offered the Head Coach position full-time. After an early Australia Cup exit, the team played in a tournament in India. They won two games and reached the semi-finals.

Club Colors and Crest

Orange is Brisbane Roar's main color. It shows the club's Dutch background. Since separating from Queensland Lions, the main colors have been orange with black shorts. But for the A-League Men's 20th anniversary in 2024/25, the club will return to orange and blue. This is a nod to their past.

The main fan group, The Den, sings a popular song: ‘Follow you for ever more’. It honors "the Black and Orange."

Roar's first kit

How Club Colors Changed

In the first two seasons, the Roar wore orange home shirts with blue shorts and maroon socks. The orange and blue colors honored the club's Dutch roots.

In 2007, the home kit changed. It was still orange but had maroon sleeves. The shorts became maroon, and socks were orange.

Before the 2009–10 A-League season, the club's logo changed. "Queensland" was removed, and "Brisbane" was added. New kits were also shown. They kept maroon and orange.

Before the 2011–12 A-League season, maroon was removed from the kits. Black replaced it. The home kit became orange with black diagonal shoulders. The away kit was mostly black with orange shoulders.

In 2014, Umbro started making the kits. The club also changed its logo to a more traditional shield shape. The new home kit was all orange. It had white piping on the collar and white stripes on the shorts. The socks had two black bands.

Club Anthem

Brisbane Roar does not have one official club anthem. This is often talked about by fans. A club song is usually played when the team walks out on game days.

Many local clubs in Queensland have a victory song. They sing it in the locker room after winning. Fans wanted an anthem after seeing other A-League clubs succeed.

Roar's management tried different popular songs. These included Katie Perry’s "Roar" and "My Happiness" by Powderfinger. They also tried "You're the Voice" by John Farnham. But none of them became the official anthem.

The supporters groups have their own common song. It is called "Follow you for evermore."

Sponsors

Period	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor (AL)	Shirt sponsor (AFC)
2005–2006	Reebok	—	—
2006–2007		Jayco
2007–2011		The Coffee Club
2011–2013	Puma		The Coffee Club
2013–2014			—
2014–2015	Umbro		Griffith University
2015–2016		Steadfast	—
2016–2017			16Visa.com
2017–2018		Central Home Loans	—
2018–2021		Actron Air
2021–2022	New Balance
2022–2023		Cars4Us
2023–2024		Outkast
2024–2025	Cikers Australia

In 2007, the club signed a deal with The Coffee Club cafe chain. They became the main shirt sponsor. The Coffee Club continued to sponsor the Roar for many years. This made it one of the longest sponsorship deals in the A-League.

In 2011, Puma became the club's first kit manufacturer. They signed a three-year deal. Puma made the official kits for all Brisbane Roar teams.

Before the 2014/15 A-League season, Umbro replaced Puma. Umbro became the club's kit and apparel partner for four years.

In 2015, Griffith University became the main kit sponsor for the 2015 AFC Champions League campaign.

Later, Steadfast became the "Principal Partners" and "Front of Shirt Sponsors" for the 2015/16 season. Their logo was on all three Brisbane Roar team shirts.

In 2017, the Roar featured the Starlight Children's Foundation on their shirts. This was because they did not have a formal sponsor at the start of the season.

In 2018, Central Home Loans became the main partner. Then, Australian company ActronAir became the principal partner. Their logo was on the men's and women's team shirts.

In July 2023, Outkast, a design and construction company, signed a three-year deal. They became a major sponsor.

AFC Competition Sponsorship

Year	Kit Manufacturer	Shirt Sponsor
2012	Puma	The Coffee Club
2013
2015	Umbro	Griffith University
2017		No sponsor (preliminary round 2) 16Visa.com (qualifying play-off and group stages)
2018		No sponsor

Stadium and Facilities

The Roar Men's Team usually plays at Lang Park in Milton. This stadium can hold 52,500 people. The club has played home A-League Men games at five different grounds.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the club played games at Dolphin Oval. They returned to Brisbane for the 2023/24 Season. Roar also played games at Cbus Super Stadium during floods in 2011. They played one game each at Ballymore and Cazalys Stadium in Cairns.

The Women's team plays at Lang Park, Ballymore, and Perry Park Brisbane.

Dolphin Oval

The Roar had played home games at Dolphin Oval in Redcliffe before. This included FFA Cup and W-League matches. The stadium holds 10,000 people. After three years, the Roar moved back to Lang Park.

Potential New Stadium

In 2020, the Roar announced plans for a new $60 million stadium. By 2024, ideas for a joint project with Football Queensland and a new Perry Park came up. The club chairman said owners might invest $7–10 million to start the project.

Alternative Stadiums

The Roar has played games at other stadiums. These include Cbus Stadium and Perry Park. These are usually for FFA Cup and ACL matches.

In 2010, there were talks about moving home games to Ballymore Stadium. But the club decided to stay at Suncorp Stadium. They signed a new contract.

After floods in 2010–11, the Roar had to move two home games. They played them at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast. These were the first 'home' league games not played at Suncorp Stadium.

Largest Crowds

In the 2011 A-League Grand Final, 50,168 fans watched. This was the largest crowd for the Roar and a soccer match in Brisbane at the time. This record was broken in 2012. 50,334 people saw Brisbane beat Perth in the Grand Final. The record was broken again in 2014. 51,153 fans watched the Roar beat Western Sydney Wanderers in the Grand Final.

Training Ground

The Roar has moved between many training places. They first trained at Lions F.C. Then, they moved to share Ballymore with Queensland Rugby Union in 2008.

In 2015, Griffith University became their new training base. In 2016, Brisbane Roar announced a permanent training facility. It was the $9 million Logan Metro Sports Park. This would also be home to the club's academy, youth, and women's teams.

In 2017, the Roar announced a deal with QUT. Their U12-U16 Academy teams would train there. In March 2018, the club opened its new Logan Center-of-Excellence.

In October 2020, the Roar moved their training base. They went to the Gold Coast Sports Precinct. This was due to a disagreement.

In March 2023, the club announced they would return to Ballymore for training. But in October 2023, they left Ballymore. They moved back to QSAC due to concerns about the training field.

By October 2024, the future of a new facility in Brendale was unclear. Both men's and women's teams still trained at other places.

Club Connections

• Queensland Lions – This club founded Brisbane Roar. They still work together today.
• Academy Partners – Roar works with local clubs for its Academy. These include Souths United, Gold Coast City, and Olympic FC.
• Gareth Edds Soccer Academy – This academy in Townsville represents the BRFC Academy.
• Player Development Project – In 2018, Roar joined this project. It helps clubs create a good learning environment for coaches.
• East Coast Futsal Academy – In 2019, Roar partnered with this academy. It focuses on players aged 13–16.

Ownership

Current Owners (2011–Present)

The club is currently 100% owned by Bakrie Group.

In March 2011, the FFA (Football Federation Australia) took back the club's license. They agreed to fund the club until new owners were found.

In October 2011, the Indonesian company, Bakrie Group, took over the club. They bought a 70% share. The FFA kept the other 30%. Later, in February 2012, the FFA announced that Bakrie Group had bought 100% of the club.

Previous Owners (2004–2011)

Brisbane Roar was started and owned by Queensland Lions SC in 2005. They were the team to represent Brisbane in the new A-League.

Queensland Lions owned most of the club until 2008. After that, new Brisbane-based investors took over the club. These investors were Emmanuel Drivas, Emmanuel Kokoris, Claude Baradel, and Serge Baradel. They owned 100% of the club.

Fan Support

Brisbane Roar has one of the highest average attendances in the A-League. By the end of the 2023–24 season, almost 3 million fans had watched Roar home games. The average attendance for all seasons is 11,656.

In the 2018–19 season, the Roar welcomed their 2,500,000th A-League fan.

Supporter groups are separate from the club. Sometimes, fans and club management have disagreements.

Brisbane has two main fan groups. The oldest is "The Den." This is the "Active Support Group." They sit in Bay 332 of the Northern stand at Suncorp Stadium. They have been there since the first A-League season.

In 2016, the "Roar Supporters Federation" (RSF) was formed. This group gives a voice to all fans.

In October 2017, the RSF started a group for the women's team. It is called "The Roar Corps."

A third group is on Facebook. It is called the Brisbane Roar Supporters Club (BRSC). This group has almost seven thousand members.

Fan groups also exist in other cities. These include "Roar Fans in Melbourne" and "Roar Fans in Sydney."

Dispute with Active Support

In January 2019, the Roar had a disagreement with their active supporters. The club stopped supporting "The Den" steering committee. The rest of that season was played without formal active support.

Rivalries

• The Roar does not have any clear rivals right now.
• Gold Coast United – This club no longer exists. Their games were called the M1 Derby. This name came from the main highway between the two cities. Gold Coast United only won one more game than Brisbane (4 to 3). The rivalry ended in 2012 when Gold Coast United was removed from the league. There was also a rivalry with North Queensland Fury. But this was seen as a regular match due to the long distance. The Fury was also removed from the league.

Players

First Team Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Macklin Freke 2 DF Scott Neville 3 DF Corey Brown 4 DF Ben Warland 5 DF Marcus Ferkranus 6 MF Joe Caletti 7 FW Rafael Struick 8 MF Walid Shour 10 MF Florin Berenguer 11 FW Néicer Acosta 12 DF Lucas Herrington (scholarship) 14 DF Pearson Kasawaya (scholarship) 15 DF Hosine Bility (on loan from Mafra)

No. Position Player 16 FW Thomas Waddingham (scholarship) 17 DF Harry Van der Saag 18 FW Jacob Brazete (scholarship) 19 DF Jack Hingert 21 DF Antonee Burke-Gilroy 22 FW Alex Parsons 23 MF Keegan Jelacic (on loan from Gent) 26 MF Jay O'Shea (captain) 27 FW Ben Halloran 29 GK Matt Acton 30 MF Quinn MacNicol (scholarship) 35 MF Louis Zabala 43 FW Adam Zimarino

Youth Players

These players have been part of the first-team squad for a competitive match:

No. Position Player 24 MF Sam Klein 31 GK Lachlan Duke 42 DF Dylan Meinicke

No. Position Player 49 FW Ivan Ozzi 55 DF Nathan Geyer

Players on Loan

No. Position Player 13 FW Henry Hore (on loan to Gangwon until 31 December 2024)

Club Officials

Management

Position	Name
Chairman & chief executive officer	Kaz Patafta
Vice-chairman
Director	Faisal Arief Subandi
	Helmi Rahman
Director and company secretary
Sporting director	Shane Stefanutto

Football Department

Position	Name
A-League Men Team
Head coach	Ruben Zadkovich
Assistant coach	Chris Coyne
Head Goalkeeping coach	Dale Hill
Head Analyst	Prashim Bhandari
Head of High Performance and Physiotherapy	Brad Moore
Head of Rehabilitation and Reconditioning	Jasraj Sidhu
Head of Strength and conditioning	Daniel Favier
Kit and Equipment Officer	Lloyd Cabilan
Youth Development Coach	Sekou Jomanday
A-League Youth Team
Head coach	Karl Dodd
Assistant coach	Gabriel Hawash
A-League Women Team
Head coach	Alex Smith
Assistant coach
Team manager

Administration

Position	Name
Executive chairman
General manager
Commercial manager	Charlie Mann
General manager – club services	Rizka Laya
Marketing manager	Sean Nicoll
Media officer	Sonia Emanuel
Digital & design coordinator	Armando Cacace
Memberships manager	Franklin Crescent
Memberships officer	Scott McCormick
Chief operations officer	Zac Anderson
Finance director	Damien Moffrey
Finance manager	Novita Dumais
Finance officer
Academy administrator	Klui Lapun

Captaincy History

Brisbane Roar has had eight captains in its A-League history. Matt McKay was captain twice.

Dates	Name	Notes	Honours (as captain)
2005–2006	Chad Gibson	First club captain, 14 games as Captain
2006–2007	Stuart McLaren	15 games as Captain
2007–2009	Craig Moore	44 games as Captain	Player of the Season both years
2009–2012	Matt McKay	First time as captain	2010–11 A-League Premiership 2010–11 A-League Championship
2012–2014	Matt Smith	Most successful captain, 37 games	2011–12 A-League Championship 2013–14 A-League Premiership 2013–14 A-League Championship
2014–2019	Matt McKay	88 games as Captain & most A-League appearances (272)
2019–2024	Tom Aldred	First foreign captain, 104 games as Captain. Longest serving Captain	Player of the Season 22-23
2024–	Jay O'Shea

Club Honours

A-League Titles

Brisbane Roar

• A-League Men Championship
  • Winners (3): 2011, 2012, 2014
• A-League Men Premiership
  • Winners (2): 2010–11, 2013–14
  • Runners-up (1): 2011–12

Domestic Cups

Brisbane Lions

• NSL Cup
  • Winners (1): 1981

Brisbane Roar

• Australia Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2023

Brisbane Premier League (BPL)

Brisbane Lions and Queensland Lions

• Brisbane Premier League
  • Winners (7): 1987, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2004
  • Runners-up (3): 1989, 1994, 2000
• Brisbane Premier League Finals
  • Winners (5): 1987, 1991, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2004
  • Runners-up (1): 1990

Club Records

Most Consecutive Games Without Defeat

Brisbane holds the Australian record of 36 games without losing. This was from September 18, 2010, to November 26, 2011.

Most Consecutive Away Games Without Defeat

They also hold the A-League record of 16 away games without losing. This was between October 3, 2010, and November 19, 2011.

Biggest Win

Brisbane Roar beat Adelaide United 7–1 on October 28, 2011.

Biggest Defeat

Their biggest loss was 1–8 against Melbourne City on December 28, 2023.

Fastest Goal Scored

Florin Berenguer scored a goal in just 32 seconds. This happened against Wellington Phoenix on November 4, 2023. It is the fastest Men's goal ever.

Fastest Goal Conceded

Aaron Calver scored for Sydney in 40 seconds. This was in their 3–1 win over Brisbane on March 29, 2019.

Most Appearances

Matt McKay has played the most games for the club, with 272 appearances.

All-Time Top Scorer

Besart Berisha is the club's all-time top scorer. He scored 50 goals in 84 games between 2011 and 2014.

Fastest Hat-Trick

Besart Berisha scored three goals in just 6 minutes. This was against Adelaide United on October 28, 2011.

Highest Attendance

Brisbane's highest attendance was 51,153 fans. This was for the 2014 Grand Final against Western Sydney Wanderers.

Most Games Coached

John Aloisi coached the most A-League games, with 95 matches. He won 38 of those games.

Youngest Player

Jordan Courtney-Perkins became the youngest player for Brisbane Roar. He played at 16 years, 9 months, and 1 day old. This was in an FFA Cup game on August 7, 2019.

Youngest Goal Scorer

Tommy Oar is the youngest player to score a goal. He was 17 years and 18 days old. This was against Wellington Phoenix in 2008–09.

First Father-Son Duo

Rylan Brownlie and his father, Royce Brownlie, became the first father-son duo for the Roar. Royce played in the club's first A-League season.

Hall of Fame

Thomas Broich

In May 2017, Thomas Broich was the first person added to the BRFC 'Hall of Fame'.

Broich played 181 games for the Roar from 2010 to 2017. He won many awards. These include the Johnny Warren Medal twice and three A-League Championships. He is seen as one of the best players in A-League history. He has 21 goals and 66 assists, making him the top assister in A-League history.

Michael Theo

In May 2017, Michael Theo also joined the Hall of Fame. He played 159 games from 2010 to 2018. Theo won two A-League Premierships and three Championships with the Roar.

He was also voted 'Goalkeeper of the Year' in 2010. He holds the record for the most minutes (876) without letting in a goal in an Australian League.

Matt McKay

In May 2019, former Captain Matt McKay was added to the 'Hall of Fame'.

McKay played 272 games for the Roar in two different periods. He also played 59 times for the Australian national team. McKay won two championships with the Roar.

Academy

In July 2020, the club announced a partnership. They would build an $18 million training facility. This would be for the W-League team and the club's Academy.

The Roar Academy has three main paths for young players:

Brisbane Academy

The Club started its Academy in January 2018. It helps boys develop their skills. This is for age groups from Under 14 to Under 19.

Pre-Academy

The Pre-Academy is for players aged Under 10 to Under 13. It is run through a network of partner clubs.

Pathway for Girls

The Academy does not currently include girls. Instead, BRFC and Football Queensland work together. They use the National Training Center (NTC) program. Girls' development teams play in the National Premier Leagues (Queensland). They are called "Brisbane Roar NTC." This partnership was made stronger in September 2024.

Images for kids

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  Brisbane Roar FC logo