From NSW Pathways to the Big Stage: Isabella Mossin Earns Referee of the Year Honour

Leading NSW born Referee Isabella Mossin has capped off a remarkable rise through the officiating ranks, being crowned Ninja A-League Referee of the Year and earning appointment as the lead match official for this Saturday’s Grand Final between Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park.

At just 25 years of age, Mossin becomes the youngest recipient of the Referee of the Year award in the competition’s history, recognising an outstanding season that has firmly established her among the league’s elite officials.

Her journey began in the grassroots system with the North West Sydney Football Association, before progressing through the Football NSW Referee Academy, where she continued to develop the composure, consistency and decision-making that have become hallmarks of her refereeing style.

Since making her Ninja A-League debut in 2023, Mossin has rapidly climbed the ranks of Australian officiating. This season alone she has taken charge of 14 matches, earning widespread recognition for her control of games at the highest domestic level.

Her performances have now been formally acknowledged with the league’s top individual refereeing honour, awarded by Football Australia Head of Referees Jon Moss and A-Leagues CEO Steve Rosich, based on assessments across the regular season.

Mossin’s achievements have been further highlighted with confirmation she will take charge of the 2026 Ninja A-League Grand Final, marking the biggest appointment of her career to date.

She will lead an all-female officiating team, with Lucy Hungerford and Claire Green named as Assistant Referees and Caitlin Williams appointed as Fourth Official.

The Grand Final will also make history as the first Australian domestic women’s fixture to feature Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, with Casey Reibelt leading the VAR team alongside Lara Lee as Assistant VAR and Maddy Allum as Offside Assistant VAR, further underlining a landmark moment for the women’s game in Australia.

A-Leagues CEO Steve Rosich praised Mossin’s rapid development and impact.

“This award is testament to Isabella’s hard work and dedication to refereeing, and a great reflection of the next generation of referees coming through the system in Australia,” Rosich said.

Football Australia Head of Referees Jon Moss also highlighted the significance of her rise.

“Isabella’s appointment as the Ninja A-League Women’s Referee of the Year is thoroughly deserved and reflects the outstanding progress she has made since her debut in 2023,” Moss said.

“This award and her appointment to the Ninja A-League Women Grand Final is also symbolic of the exciting future of female refereeing in Australia and the strength of the pathways now in place to support emerging talent.”

Mossin will officially receive her Referee of the Year award following the conclusion of Saturday’s Grand Final at AAMI Park, capping off a defining week in her officiating career.

Football NSW would also like to congratulate the following match officials, who featured during the A-League Women’s 2026 Finals Series:

Sophie Allum (Canterbury Referees Association) appointment to the finals panel marked a milestone for Allum, who made her A-League Women’s debut in Round 5 of the 2025/26 season. She featured across three finals matches which included refereeing the semi final leg one match between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City, fourth official for the elimination final between Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United and fourth official for the semi final leg two fixture between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory.

Mikayla Ryan also featured in her first ALW finals match as a referee this year when she whistled the second leg semi final fixture between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory. An experienced match official from Central Coast Football Referees, Mikayla make her debut as a referee on the national stage in 2024 and her consistent performances this season saw her rewarded with the semi-final decider between the two Melbourne teams.

Maggie Price (Canterbury Referees Association) is no stranger to finals football having previously featured in two A-League Women’s grand finals. The 2026 finals series saw Price appointed to both legs of the semi-finals; at AAMI Park for leg one and Porirua Park for leg two.