The Future of Officiating: Football NSW Hosts Landmark Grassroots Ref Summit

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The inaugral conference will take place this Saturday 21st March at Valentine Sports Park.

Led by professionals, for professionals

FIFA referee, Tim Danaskos and A-League Men’s referee, Lachlan Keevers, are set to headline the conference.

Together, they will share their experiences, insights and knowledge through various presentations and discussions. They will also cover issues such as match management, making decisions under pressure, preparation for elite performance, and the pathway from officiating grassroots to professional games.

“The Grassroots Referees Conference reflects Football NSW’s continued commitment to investing in referees and recognising the critical role they play in the game,” said Football NSW via official press release.

“By equipping grassroots officials with new knowledge, tools, and inspiration, the conference aims to raise standards across the state and help build a stronger future for refereeing in New South Wales.”

As a result, by uniting referees across the grassroots game and providing a dedicated session for education and development, the conference stands as a major advancement for football officiating in New South Wales.

Why elite officiating matters

Although the conference will take place over the course of one day, it’s impact is sure to extend well into the future. Education and inspiration will collectively ensure that football across New South Wales will continue to grow and provide players with match officials who know, and love, the game as much as anyone.

By delivering workshops regarding coaching and mentoring, supporting young referees, managing challenging situations, and more, current and future referees will feel equipped with the expertise to officiate matches and stand as leaders in high-pressure situations.

Grassroots football should always be an environment for local players, coaches and fans to unite as a community and enjoy the game. Referees are key to this, as they bear a great deal of responsibility for upholding the safety and integrity of community football.

Therefore, by raising the standard of refereeing, Football NSW is ensuring that matches this season and beyond can proceed safely and smoothly for all.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Football NSW supports Female Coaches CPD as Women’s Football Surges

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Football NSW has used the platform of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup to deliver a targeted professional development workshop for female coaches, bringing together scholarship recipients for an evening of structured learning and direct engagement with elite women’s football.

Held at ACPE last month, the session was open to female coaches who received C or B Diploma scholarships through Football NSW in 2025. Coaching accreditation carries a financial cost that disproportionately affects women, who are less likely to have their development subsidised by clubs or associations operating in underfunded community football environments. Scholarship access changes that equation at the point where many women exit the pathway.

Facilitated by Football NSW Coach Development Coordinator Bronwyn Kiceec, the workshop focused on goal scoring trends from the tournament’s group stage, with coaches analysing attacking patterns and exploring how those insights could translate into their own environments. The group then attended the quarter-final between South Korea and Uzbekistan at Stadium Australia.

The structure of the evening mattered as much as its content. Female coaches in community football rarely have access to elite competition environments as a professional resource. The gap between the level at which most women coach and the level at which the game is analysed and discussed tends to reinforce itself. Placing scholarship recipients inside a major tournament, as participants rather than spectators, closes that gap in a way that a classroom session cannot.

Female coaches remain significantly underrepresented across all levels of the game in Australia. The pipeline that will change that depends not only on accreditation access but on the professional networks, peer relationships and exposure to elite environments that male coaches have historically taken for granted.

The workshop forms part of Football NSW’s ongoing commitment to developing female coaches through scholarships and structured learning opportunities.

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