Northern NSW Football launches Referee Academy

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Image credit: Northern NSW Football

Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) has confirmed the establishment of its first ever Referee Academy.

The two-year academy program aims to help referees build their knowledge, improve their skills, and progress in their careers.

The ultimate goal is to prepare them for opportunities to be selected for major tournaments and events, where they can perform at their very best.

Casey Reibelt, recently appointed as the NNSWF High Performance Referee Coach, will lead the NNSWF Referee Academy as part of her role.

She will oversee the education and development of the selected referees, delivering a combination of online and face-to-face workshops, coaching sessions, and other learning opportunities.

Through this support, referees will gain valuable experience, insights, and practical skills that will help them excel in officiating at higher levels.

All the referees chosen for the program have been identified as having the potential to become top-level match officials in the future.

Recognising their promise, Northern NSW Football is committed to investing in their growth and development.

Alongside the academy, Northern NSW Football has also set up a supplementary group, this group is made up of match officials who have shown strong potential and could be considered for the Referee Academy down the line.

This ensures there’s always a pathway for emerging talent to advance their careers and contribute to the game’s success.

NNSWF General Manager Referee Growth and Development Brad Carlin was excited to make the announcement. 

“The appointment of Casey Reibelt and the selection of the NNSWF Referee Academy and supplementary group are the outcome of considerable investment by the NNSWF Board of Directors and management to demonstrate their goal of developing our referee talent to the highest possible level,” he said in a press release.

“Congratulations to each of the match officials selected for the NNSWF Referee Academy and supplementary group.

“I look forward to watching them grow and develop.”

Here are the referees selected for the 2025-27 NNSWF Referee Academy and the Supplementary Group, showcasing some of the region’s brightest officiating talents.

2025-27 NNSWF Referee Academy

Tess Brumfield – NNSWF
Annie Hook – NNSWF Northern Inland
Harrison Coleman – NNSWF
Flynn Cope – NNSWF and Macquarie Football
Rory Hersee – NNSWF
Callum Hewitt – NNSWF
Caleb Low – NNSWF

2025-27 NNSWF Supplementary Group

Macy Johnson (NNSWF)
Isabella Walshe (NNSWF)
Tyson Baker (NNSWF)
Myles McCormack (NNSWF)

With the launch of the inaugural NNSWF Referee Academy, Northern NSW Football is confident these selected match officials will have every opportunity to reach their full potential and make a lasting impact on the game.

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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.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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