Stephanie Brantz is a freelance television presenter and well known to many in the football community as one of the key anchors of a number of football and sporting events. Outside of sport, Stephanie was the host of the ABC’s coverage of the World War One commemorations from both Gallipoli and the Western Front in France, as well as the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony in Canberra. With over 20 years of experience in the media including many years at SBS TV, the Nine Network and Fox Sports, as well as on radio, Stephanie is in high demand for corporate MC roles. She has a wealth of experience in hosting events including Awards Galas, Corporate and Sports functions and running Business Conferences both here and abroad. As such, Stephanie is returning once again to lead the 2027 Football NSW Club Development Conference where she will be Master of Ceremonies.

For the last 5 years Mark has been focused on raising child safe awareness and building capability within the sport and recreation sector. He has coordinated Child Safe Roadshows across the state, which have expanded to include De-escalation and Member Protection workshops.

Previously, he worked for 25 years in the education sector, including high school teaching and developing the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. He has fulfilled most roles in his local Rugby League club, including President, MPIO, Manager and BBQ Chef. He has 3 sport mad children who keep him very busy throughout the week being an Uber driver parent.

Professor Philip Morgan is a globally recognised leader in family health, physical education, community sport and coaching, and serves as Research Lead of the Global Sport & Movement Collaborative at the University of Newcastle. He has published more than 350 research papers, secured over $26 million in research funding, and is ranked among the top 2% of cited researchers worldwide in Public Health and Education. In 2026, he was recognised among Australia’s Top 10 Social Sciences and Humanities Scientists.

Phil is internationally renowned for developing innovative, evidence-based programs that increase participation in physical activity and sport. He is the founder of the award-winning Daughters & Dads Active & Empowered program and its football-specific adaptation, Daughters & Dads Football. These initiatives have helped thousands of families worldwide by improving health behaviours, strengthening family relationships, increasing opportunities for girls in sport, and advancing gender equity.

His current research focuses on understanding how to keep adolescent girls engaged in sport. In partnership with the NSW Office of Sport, he is developing practical resources to help coaches, parents and teachers create positive sporting environments.

Alongside his academic career, Phil has coached hundreds of junior teams across multiple sports. Through his presentations, he combines world-leading research with practical coaching experience, providing actionable strategies that help organisations recruit, retain and empower more women and girls in sport.

Monica is a leadership coach, speaker and facilitator with 20+ years in elite sport, including a decade in professional football. Creator of Women Leading the Game, Football Australia’s national curriculum for female leaders, she helps sporting organisations build brave leaders and stronger cultures through Monarch Management, and has worked on sport’s biggest stages, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Hayley Conway is the CEO of Pride Cup, bringing over 15 years of experience working for LGBTIQ+ equality in Australia and overseas. Prior to joining Pride Cup, Hayley held a range of roles across the for-purpose and private sectors specialising in communications and public affairs. She holds a Masters with Distinction from RMIT, is a Leadership Victoria Williamson Fellow, and a Board Director of Equality Australia. 

Matt Sibley is a Child Safeguarding expert and the founder of Safe Sport Solutions. He delivers tailored training and consultancy services to sporting organisations. His work spans the entire breadth of the sporting industry including community-based clubs and associations, professional and pathways programs, the fitness and aquatics industry, and state and national sporting bodies.

Prior to establishing Safe Sport Solutions, Matt was the sport sector specialist at the NSW Office of the Children’s Guardian. With an understanding of the unique position of sport within the child safety space and a background in university teaching, he knows how to deliver engaging workshops and consulting that creates realistic and actionable change to not only keep kids safer but also protect organisations and their staff.

Maddy brings over 17 years of experience in community football, spanning roles as a player, coach, and administrator. With a strong passion for advancing the game’s growth, sustainability, and pathways, Maddy offers a unique perspective that bridges on-field experience and strategic development. Over the past 2.5 years, Maddy has specialised in club development and currently leads the implementation of Football Australia’s national Club Development Program, Club Changer. In this role, Maddy works collaboratively with Member Federations and clubs to enhance operations, culture, and long-term resilience, contributing to the advancement of more than 1,000 clubs nationwide.

Emma Kocbek is a FIFA Assistant Referee and full-time sports administrator, with over 15 years involvement in football through various aspects of the game including as a player, match official and volunteer.

Emma currently works for Football NSW as a sports administrator, leading the Referees Department as the Referees Development & Education Manager. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing the administration of over 5,000 match officials and the development and training of referees across the state.

On the field, Emma is an active match official, refereeing at both a national and international level. Internationally, Emma was appointed to the FIFA International Referee List in 2024 and is a member of AFC’s Elite Match Official panel which has seen her appointed to competitions such as the FIFA U17s Women’s World Cup, AFC Women’s Asian Champions League and AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers. Nationally, Emma is an assistant referee on the A-League Men’s competition where she recently made history for being a part of the first all-female crew to officiate an A-League Men’s match. She was also appointed to the recent A-League Men’s and Australia Cup Grand Finals as an assistant referee, becoming the first on-field female official to be appointed to the prestigious fixtures.

Combining her on-field experience with her work at Football NSW, Emma is passionate about improving the experiences of grassroots match officials across the state and shift the numbers in referee recruitment and retention to make a positive impact on the game.

Paul Higgins is an accomplished football development professional with extensive experience in coaching, technical advising, and grassroots football development. Currently serving as the Grassroots Coach Development Lead at Football NSW, Paul has played a pivotal role in shaping football programs and fostering player growth and retention across New South Wales.

With a strong background in coaching, mentoring, and program development, Paul has held various leadership roles, including Football Development Manager at Northbridge FC, Technical Director at FC Five Dock. His contributions as a Technical Advisor for Football NSW and a Participation Officer for Football Australia highlight his dedication to growing the sport at all levels.

Paul holds AFC B and C Diplomas, demonstrating his commitment to continuous learning and excellence in football coaching and development. His ability to engage stakeholders, develop strategic programs, and lead teams has made a lasting impact in the football community.

Nick Amies is currently Marketing Manager at Football NSW, responsible for the creation and execution of the organisation’s marketing, communications and branding, including delivery of campaigns to support growth across various types of participation and involvement in football.

Prior to joining Football NSW, Nick spent six years working within grassroots football at the Northern Suburbs Football Association (NSFA) in Sydney as Digital Content and Social Media Manager then Marketing and Communications Manager. This included producing content and strategy for the NSFA’s grassroots initiatives, INSPIRE FC Coach Education, Northern Tigers Football Club and XLR8 Player Development.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Sports Media from the University of Canberra, Nick also attained significant volunteer media experience in the nation’s capital, including W-League fixtures for Canberra United, Capital Football’s Women’s Premier League competition and the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

Amanda Marino is the CEO of Football South Coast and an accomplished leader with more than 14 years of senior experience across banking, finance and national sales.
From the boardroom to the pitch, her journey has taken her from player and soccer mum to coach, mentor, Coach Educator with Football NSW, Female Technical Director and Men’s NPL1 assistant coach.

Having experienced firsthand the limited opportunities for women and girls in football, Amanda is passionate about breaking barriers and creating change.
Her journey inspires others to break barriers, challenge expectations and believe that anything is possible.

Natalie Gatt is the founder and creative director of Nat Gatt Brand Studio, a Sydney-based brand identity studio. She has 25 years of experience across sport, entertainment, FMCG and major events, including 15 years working in football with clients such as Western Sydney Wanderers FC and Football NSW. At this year’s Club Development Conference, she is running Drive Brand Through Story, a working session on building a brand for your club and using it to attract better sponsorships.

Andrew is a Senior Community Development Officers with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s Good Sports program. He works with community sporting clubs across NSW to build healthier, safer and more inclusive club environments. We support Football clubs to strengthen their culture, implement practical alcohol and other drug harm prevention strategies, and build strong partnerships with them, sporting associations and key stakeholders to help create positive, sustainable change through community sport. We are passionate about using the power of community sport to create positive change, supporting clubs to be places where people feel safe, included, connected and supported, both on and off the field.

Sarah is a Senior Community Development Officers with the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s Good Sports program. She works with community sporting clubs across NSW to build healthier, safer and more inclusive club environments. We support Football clubs to strengthen their culture, implement practical alcohol and other drug harm prevention strategies, and build strong partnerships with them, sporting associations and key stakeholders to help create positive, sustainable change through community sport. We are passionate about using the power of community sport to create positive change, supporting clubs to be places where people feel safe, included, connected and supported, both on and off the field.