THE Northern Fury’s place in the National Premier League (NPL) will be under serious threat in 2018 with local governing body North Queensland (NQ) Football set to launch a bid for the license.

NQ Football plans to take over the license for the region and if successful the group will move ahead with a community run model owned by all of the clubs in the region and with revenue split equally between them.

Former banker and business consultant Declan Carnes is heading up the bid on behalf of NQ Football, alongside a board of prominent local businessmen determined to shake things up in the local football scene.

Carnes serves as chairman of NQ Football and he said he had high hopes for a more community minded club to represent the region and interact with local clubs better than the current Fury set-up.

“We have found that clubs in NQ believed the Northern Fury were actually in competition with them, and as a result they did not support the current model,” he said.

“Under the new model being submitted by the zone the main point of difference is clubs will all technically have ownership and share in profits from the community owned NPL Licence.

“Currently some clubs believe they are losing players to the Fury whereas it should be seen as these players are gaining a chance at being recognised at the next level.

“We want players to play for Australia and to come from North Queensland and this model will encourage clubs to let the good players go to the community NPL model and then return to club football if they don’t make it.”

NQ Football aren’t expecting major opposition from current Fury management, with the board explaining that current Fury chairman Rabieh Krayem knows of their plans for the 2018 NPL season and beyond.

“Rabieh has indicated to us all year that he won’t rebid on the new license when it expires at end of 2017,” Carnes said.

“We are grateful of the opportunities the Northern Fury and in particular Rabieh Krayem have provided to local players at the NPL level over the past five years.

“The NPL model sits perfectly for the zone to manage going forward for 2018 and the only way for our bid to work is to start putting bums on seats.”

The bid for the NPL license is just one part of wholesale changes the group are putting in place as they look to completely overhaul football in the region, including moving away from the Northern Fury name and finding a new nickname team and colours.

They are also hoping to turn Brolga Park into the true home of football in the region, with an LED light grant works $140,000 on the main field in the works.

Significant changes have also been made to the senior club competitions, with a six team premier league and a promotion/relegation system to be implemented for next year.