Referees Shine At Inaugural Football NSW Association Championships
The inaugural Football NSW Association Championships provided a significant opportunity for emerging referees from across the state, with 54 match officials representing 17 referee branches taking part in the historic tournament in Mudgee.
The three-day event saw more than 120 matches played, with every fixture supported by a full team of three match officials, providing referees with valuable experience in a high-performance tournament environment.
Community referees were nominated by their local referee branches and selected by Football NSW to take part, with the initiative designed to recognise talent, support development and provide a pathway for match officials looking to progress through the NSW refereeing system.
Ahead of the tournament, referees participated in online information and technical sessions to prepare for the competition, while throughout the event they were supported by 11 referee coaches who are actively involved across the A-Leagues and NPL NSW competitions.
All match officials were based at the Mudgee Team Training Village, with access to recovery facilities and meals throughout the tournament, helping create an environment focused on performance, learning and development.
Football NSW also supplied all referees with a Markka uniform for the tournament, alongside customised tournament coins produced in partnership with Process Sports.
The Association Championships will now become an important part of the Football NSW referee pathway moving forward, providing grassroots officials with greater exposure, support and identification opportunities as they look to progress into development programs such as the Football NSW Referee Development Program and beyond.
Football NSW Referees Development and Education Manager Emma Kocbek praised the performances of the match officials throughout the tournament and highlighted the importance of providing development opportunities at this level.
“We were extremely impressed with the match officials and their performances during the tournament, and proud of the way the referees represented their branches and Football NSW,” Kocbek said.
“Tournaments are a great way to accelerate the development of match officials in a supportive environment, and the referees who were selected to attend the Association Championships showed the great work being done at the grassroots level by our community branches.”
Kocbek believes many of the referees involved will play important roles in the future of the game across NSW and beyond.
“In the next five to ten years, these are the match officials who will be moving into senior competitions; either their local premier league, or some of them into the NSW NPL, Australian Championships or A-Leagues.
“We want to give them every opportunity to succeed in these goals, and this tournament is the first step in that.”
The tournament also provided a platform for standout officials to take charge of the Grand Finals, with the following appointments made:
U13 Boys Final
Referee: Brayden Bennett – Blacktown City Soccer Referees Branch Inc
Assistant Referee 1: Nicholas Yfantis – Canterbury Referees Association Incorporated
Assistant Referee 2: Lilly Martin – North West Sydney Football Referees Association
Referee Coach: Cameron Duck
U14 Boys Final
Referee: Connor Hokin – North West Sydney Football Referees Association
Assistant Referee 1: Ethan Napper – St George Football Referees Association Inc
Assistant Referee 2: Logan Chapman – Bathurst Football Referees Association
Referee Coach: Eric Saba
U14 Girls Final
Referee: Georgie Calleia – Manly Warringah Football Referees Association
Assistant Referee 1: Amirah Sergas – Manly Warringah Football Referees Association
Assistant Referee 2: Tessa Goddard – North West Sydney Football Referees Association
Referee Coach: Mikayla Ryan
U15 Girls Final
Referee: Dominique Ashton – Hills Football Referees
Assistant Referee 1: Ivy Nguyen – Sutherland Shire Football Referees Association
Assistant Referee 2: Kaylah McMahon – Bankstown District Referees
Referee Coach: Chloe Gray
The success of the Association Championships reinforced the important role community referee branches play in developing the next generation of match officials and strengthening the future of football across NSW.
*Photo by Cameron Callaghan
