From Academy To Jubilee: Officials Ready For NPL NSW Grand Final Stage

The spotlight will shine on the players at St George Venues Jubilee Stadium this Sunday, but behind every great Grand Final is a team of officials preparing to play their own crucial role.

Football NSW has confirmed the refereeing appointments for the NPL Women’s NSW and NPL Men’s NSW Grand Finals, with two talented officiating crews set to take charge of the biggest matches of the domestic season.

For the officials involved, Sunday represents both a significant honour and a reflection of years of development, education and hard work.

The NPL Women’s NSW Grand Final will be refereed by Alana Zic, with Hannah Pola and Ella McGarity appointed as Assistant Referees and Nina Cortese as Fourth Official.

Zic, from the Hills Football local branch, has established herself as one of Football NSW’s leading young referees.

A product of the Football NSW Referee Academy, Zic has already enjoyed significant success on the national stage, being named Referee of the Tournament at the 2024 National Youth Championships after previously being selected as Assistant Referee of the Tournament in 2023.

Her development has continued in 2026, with Zic making her A-League Women’s Fourth Official debut.

Now, she will take charge of the NPL Women’s NSW Grand Final.

“I feel incredibly grateful and super excited to have been appointed to this year’s NPL Women’s Grand Final”, Zic said.

“This opportunity means a lot to me and I’m looking forward to closing out the season with a great contest between two high-quality teams.”

Joining her is Pola, from the North West Sydney local branch, who has also enjoyed a breakthrough year.

Pola was selected to referee at the 2026 Emerging Matildas Championships, where she was also appointed Assistant Referee for the Under 16 Grand Final.

She also made her debut in the Hahn Australia Cup Round of 32 in 2026, adding another significant milestone to her refereeing journey.

McGarity, from the Nepean Referees Group, is another Football NSW Referee Academy product who has continued to progress through the ranks.

She was appointed Assistant Referee for the 2025 NPL Women’s NSW Under 23 Grand Final and now steps onto the Jubilee Stadium stage for another major appointment.

Completing the women’s crew is Cortese, another Football NSW Referee Academy graduate from the Southern Districts local branch.

Cortese has had an outstanding 2026, taking charge of both the Football NSW League One Women’s First Grade Grand Final and the Sapphire Cup Final.

She also attended the 2026 Emerging Socceroos Championship, where she was appointed Fourth Official for the Under 15 Grand Final.

Together, the four officials represent the depth and quality being developed through the Football NSW refereeing pathway.

The NPL Men’s NSW Grand Final will see another group of highly experienced and highly developed Football NSW officials take centre stage.

Thomas Dale will referee the decider, with Matt Harris and Liam Smith appointed Assistant Referees and Rowan Fisher as the Fourth Official.

Dale represents the Manly Warringah Football Referees Association, Harris comes from the Macarthur District Football Referees Association, Smith from the Bathurst Referees Association and Fisher from the Northern Suburbs Football Referees Association.

The four officials share a significant connection, having all progressed through the Football NSW referee development pathway.

Each joined the Football NSW Referee Development Panel before being selected into the Football NSW Referee Academy and subsequently progressing to the Football NSW Referee Branch.

Their development has been built on consistent work throughout the season, with all four regularly attending theory and practical training while becoming familiar faces across NPL Men’s NSW First Grade.

They have also performed strongly on the national stage, taking charge of Australian Championship and Hahn Australia Cup matches throughout the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

For Dale, being appointed to the Grand Final is an opportunity he is embracing.

“I feel honoured and privileged to be officiating this year’s NPL Men’s NSW Final,” Dale said.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to be involved with two high-quality teams on such a prestigious occasion.”

For all four officials, the appointment is the culmination of a pathway that began at the local level before progressing through Football NSW’s development structures and onto some of the biggest stages in the state.

It is also a reminder that the refereeing pathway is about much more than simply officiating matches.

It is about education, practical development, mentoring, preparation and providing officials with the opportunities to continually improve.

From local branches across NSW to Football NSW’s Referee Academy, the officials taking charge at St George Venues Jubilee Stadium on Sunday have travelled an impressive distance.

Now they have the opportunity to put all of that experience into practice.

With the NPL Women’s NSW Grand Final between Bulls FC Academy and UNSW FC followed by the NPL Men’s NSW decider between APIA Leichhardt and Sydney United 58, St George Venues Jubilee Stadium will provide the perfect stage for these officials to showcase their ability.

Football NSW congratulates all eight officials on their Grand Final appointments and acknowledges the hard work of the local referee branches, Academy staff, mentors and development programs that have helped them reach this point.

For the players, it will be about lifting the Championship trophy.

For the officials, it will be about delivering the best possible performance on the biggest stage.

From the grassroots to St George Venues Jubilee Stadium, the pathway leads here