NSW Match Officials Earn A-League Men’s Grand Final Appointment
Football NSW is proud to acknowledge three of its match officials who have been appointed to the A-League Men’s Grand Final between Auckland FC and Sydney FC this Saturday.
Kearney Robinson, Brad Wright and Sam Kelly have all been selected as part of the officiating team for the season decider, marking a significant recognition of their consistency and performance throughout the 2025/26 campaign.
Alex King will take charge of the Grand Final as referee, with Robinson appointed as Assistant Referee 1. Wright will serve in the role of Reserve Assistant Referee, while Kelly has been named as the Offside Support Official for the high-profile fixture.
The appointments reflect another strong year for Football NSW officials on the national stage, reinforcing the depth of refereeing talent within the state.
Football NSW would also like to congratulate the following match officials, who featured during the A-League Men’s 2025/26 Finals Series:
Ben Abraham’s (originally from Eastern Suburbs Football Referees Association) successful A-League season saw him appointed to two fixtures during the recent finals series including the elimination final between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC as fourth official, and the semi final leg one match between Auckland FC and Adelaide United as the referee.
Tim Danaskos (St George Football Referees Association), who became a FIFA match official at the beginning of 2026, was rewarded for his year with appointment to the final series panel. He featured in two finals matches being appointed as fourth official in both the elimination final in Auckland, and the semi final leg two at McDonald Jones Stadium.
In her second season in the A-League Men’s competition, Emma Kocbek (Nepean Referees Group) was again selected as part of the panel of match officials eligible to be appointed to finals fixtures. Emma was appointed to the elimination final between Auckland FC and Melbourne City as Assistant Referee 1, the semi final leg two match between Adelaide United and Auckland FC as Assistant Referee 2 and both semi final leg one matches as a Video Match Official.
