2022 State Referee Conference agenda locked in by Football Queensland

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Football Queensland has released the agenda for the 2022 State Referee Conference, which will be delivered online this Saturday, February 5. 

The conference will be free to access for all referees from all levels of the game across the state via a new interactive virtual platform. Login details will be supplied to all registered participants prior to the commencement of the conference.

In addition to acknowledging the achievements of the 2021 season including referee award winners, graduating Referee Academy members plus retiring and new FIFA Panel members from Queensland, the 2022 State Referee Conference will feature three main sessions.

Participants will be split into two breakout rooms for a Laws of the Game update delivered by special guest presenters and highly respected match officials Eddie Lennie and Renae Coghill.

Lennie, a Football Australia Hall of Fame member and FIFA Referee Instructor for Oceania, will deliver the Laws of the Game update for senior referees, while the session for junior referees will be delivered by Coghill, a member of the FIFA International Panel of Referees for seven years and elite coach for match officials in the Liberty A-League. 

Following this will be a referee wellbeing session, featuring guest presenters Ash Synnott, Managing Director of Officiating Collective and Diana Sheehan, Executive Director of Daly & Ritchie Consulting.

The third and final session will include important information for the 2022 season on team sheets, the referee pathway, Strategic Plan and more. 

Football Queensland requests that each attendee is to check in on arrival using the QR code embedded in each presentation. 

To register, you can do so here.

Full details of the sessions are below:

2022 State Referee Conference Agenda 

Session One: 9.30am – Welcome & Acknowledgements  

  • Housekeeping / Welcome to Country (MC) 
  • Acknowledgement of 2021 Referee Award winners 
  • Acknowledgement of 2021 Graduating Referee Academy 
  • Acknowledgement of Renae Coghill retirement 
  • Acknowledgement of Adam Kersey FIFA Badge 
  • Nathan Magill from Football Australia

Session Two: 10.00am – Laws of the Game Update by Football Australia (60 minutes) 

  • Junior Referee Update – Renae Coghill 
  • Senior Referee Update – Edward Lennie 

Session Three: 11.30am – Referee Wellbeing 

  • Part A: 11:30am: Professional Debriefing – Diana Sheehan (45 minutes) 
  • Part B: 12:15pm: Officiating Collective – Ash Synnott (45 minutes)  

Session Four: 1.30pm – Match Day Process 

  • FQ Team Sheet 
  • Pathway – Upgrades 
  • Code of Conduct / Expectations 
  • Strategic Plan and Structure 2022 
  • Response to Survey 

Session Five: 3.00pm – Closing Remarks (inc. door prize winners) 

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Fowler and Paulsen win 2024 PFA Young Footballer Awards

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Image credit: PFA website

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) have confirmed Matildas star Mary Fowler and New Zealand goalkeeper Alex Paulsen have been named the 2024 Austraffic PFA Young Footballers of the Year, as voted by their peers.

The pair were recognised by PFA members as standout performers from a competitive shortlist that included Kyra Cooney-Cross, Charlotte Grant, Kaitlyn Torpey, Nestory Irankunda, Jordan Bos, and Alessandro Circati.

This marks Fowler’s second time winning the award, while Paulsen becomes the third New Zealand international to claim the honour, following Marco Rojas and Liberato Cacace.

The award recognises the performances of players in the A-Leagues and Australian players abroad between June 2023 and June 2024, for those under 23 at the time.

Austraffic PFA Young Women’s Footballer of the Year: Mary Fowler

Fowler had an impressive season in the English Women’s Super League, scoring four goals and providing six assists as she helped Manchester City to a second-place finish, just behind champions Chelsea on goal difference.

Internationally, the 21-year-old shone for the Matildas, playing in six of their seven matches at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and playing a key role in the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she scored four goals in five Olympic qualifying matches.

Having previously won the award in 2022, Fowler joins Alex Chidiac (2017, 2018) and Ellie Carpenter (2020, 2021) as a two-time winner of the PFA Young Women’s Footballer of the Year.

Mary Fowler spoke on the award win and how much it means for her to be recognised by the PFA.

“It means a lot to me,” Fowler said.

“I think it’s one of the best awards I can receive because getting something from the players I play alongside, and play against, it means a lot to me to see that they think I’m doing well and give me that kind of recognition. I just feel super grateful for that.”

Austraffic PFA Young Men’s Footballer of the Year (PFA Harry Kewell Medal): Alex Paulsen

Alex Paulsen has been awarded the prestigious PFA Harry Kewell Medal following an impressive breakout season with Wellington Phoenix in the A-League Men.

The 22-year-old cemented his position as Wellington’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 2023-24 pre-season and went on to play a key role in helping Giancarlo Italiano’s team secure a spot in the finals with a series of outstanding performances between the posts.

Paulsen’s stellar form earned him multiple accolades, including A-League Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year and the Fan Player of the Year award. He also shared the A-League Men’s Young Footballer of the Year title with Nestory Irankunda.

His impact throughout the season saw him selected for the 2023-24 PFA A-League Men Team of the Season, where he was named captain after receiving the highest number of votes from his peers.

Alex Paulsen spoke highly on his award win.

“I’m proud to receive such a prestigious award,” Paulsen said.

“Only two Kiwis have won this award (previously) so to be up in that bracket is amazing and I’m really proud of receiving such an accolade.

“It means more to be voted by my peers and my teammates. I feel very honoured to receive this award. Twelve months ago, I wasn’t really – with regards to Wellington Phoenix – in the picture to be considered the No.1, and to be given an opportunity by ‘Chiefy’ (Italiano) to be involved with the Wellington Phoenix and to be the No.1 was fantastic.”

At the conclusion of the terrific 2023/24 campaign, Paulsen signed with English Premier League club Bournemouth but returned to the A-League Men on loan to join new expansion team Auckland FC, the city where he was born and raised.

Paulsen becomes the third New Zealand player to win the Young Men’s Footballer of the Year, following Marco Rojas (2013) and Liberato Cacace (2020). He is also the third goalkeeper to receive the honour, joining Socceroos Mat Ryan (2012, 2014, 2015) and Mitch Langerak (2010).

Austraffic have been the sponsor for the PFA’s Footballer of the Year Awards since 2009 and the traffic engineering and information technology specialists have been in business since 1983 undertaking thousands of traffic, transport and pedestrian studies in all states and territories of Australia and New Zealand.

The PFA will confirm the 2024 Austraffic Men’s and Women’s Footballers of the Year next week.

Football Australia leads nationwide academy program

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Image credit: PxHere website

Football Australia (FA) in collaboration with member federations will operate an academy program initiative to nurture youthful Australian talent.

The Football Australia Academy will start its maiden campaign in October 2024. It will collaborate and be subsidised with Football South Australia, Football Tasmania, Football Victoria, and Football West.

The program is a three-tiered system focusing on refining the technical skills, tactical understanding, and high-performance behaviours of promising young male and female players nationwide.

The academy will draw its talent pool from individuals identified through the FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS), a joint initiative between Football Australia and FIFA confirmed earlier this year.

Football Australia Chief Football Officer, Ernie Merrick, championed the initiative and its goals for player and coaching prospects.

“We’re delighted to be partnering with the pilot group of Member Federations to bring the Football Australia Academy to life, which marks a significant step forward in our efforts to create a clear pathway to our Subway Socceroos and CommBank Matildas for Australia’s best and brightest young footballers,” he said via press release.

The TDS will broaden the scope for discovering promising players by increasing scouting opportunities and establishing multiple talent ‘capture’ points throughout the country. By the end of 2024, the TDS aims to have provided up to 3,000 young players the opportunity to be identified from schools, local clubs, and elite programs nationwide.

At the heart of this program is the commitment to provide budding talents with access to highly skilled, qualified, and experienced coaches throughout their developmental journey. The FA collaborates with FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to elevate Australian coaching certifications to globally recognised standards.

This initiative marks a significant step forward in Australian football, promising to create a robust pipeline of skilled players and coaches that could elevate the nation’s standing in the global football community.

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