Remember LAW 18 - Commonsense
GDFRA
- Supporting
Referees' Development.
Our aim is to recruit, retain and continuously develop
sufficient qualified referees to meet the current and future
needs of the game. We wish to raise the quality, status
and benefits of refereeing, for the good of Members and in the
interests of the game.
Welcome
to our website which we trust is a useful resource for not only
GDFRA members but referees world wide. Your comments and
suggestions are always welcomed and as such your webmaster would
appreciate any feedback.
Refereeing can be an
exciting and challenging position providing you with the best
seat in the game. So whether your wanting to give back
something to the sport you love, earn some extra pocket money or
have ambitions of refereeing local, State, National or
International levels, this is where you can start.
Refereeing
is not just about knowing the Laws of the Game, but also
applying them correctly, understanding how the game unfolds,
player management and your own personality. It also helps
to develop life skills and confidence, maintains and improves
fitness levels without the bumps and bruises that players
sustain. If you are interested in becoming a referee
please contact
us
by emailing
our
Secretary.
Meetings are held on the
second Thursday of each month,
during the season,
at Merrylands Bowling and
Recreation
Club,
Oxford Street, Merrylands. Next
Meeting 14th June, 2012 - Juniors 7.00 pm; Main Meeting 7.30
pm.
Proactive Educational Session -
16th May, 2012
A well organised technical
educational session
was held at the General Meeting
held on Thursday, 10 May 2012 at Merrylands Bowling
and Recreation
Club.
Over 100 members of the association gathered for the evening
which started at 7.30pm and concluded around 9.30pm. This
was by far, one of the better turnouts to a General Meeting
with only 2 other meetings in the past 10 years having such
a good turnout. Three sessions were held:
(a)
G&DSFA Director (Craig Pullen) spoke to members regarding his
vision for the football community and to detail his role as a
Director at the football association. Craig spoke in relation to
current matters and his attention to the football association’s
zero tolerance policy. In particular he made mention of the
issue that not only do referees leave the game when issues are
not dealt with, but also that players and teams do not return
either. Craig also talked about the possibilities surrounding
the implementation of a three strikes policy, and, on a show of
hands there was a good majority of members in agreement with
this idea.
(b)
The second session was a presentation from Football NSW Referees
Technical Committee members (Jenny Bray and John Bowdler).
Jenny
and John presented details on how to write reports when send
offs or incidents occur.
Click
here for a
copy
of their presentation.
(c)
The final session on the night was presented by the Granville
District Football Referees Association Technical Sub-Committee
(Steven Payne).
This
session was a presentation on dissent and how to deal with it.
Importantly, as was mentioned throughout the presentation
several times, match officials need to deal with dissent early.
Click
here for a
copy
of the Technical Sub Committee's presentation.
Members that had attended the pre-season seminar and this
session received gear to the value of approximately $25.
In addition, members were also issued with up-to-date 2012
copies of the Laws of the Game at no charge.
The referees'
association will shortly be holding another
referee's
entrance course and we look forward to support from members to
source participants, as well as support from the football
association and clubs.
Anyone
interested in attending the next referees course please contact
the
Secretary.
Young Referees Start With The Basics -
18th April, 2012
Being a junior referee can be a daunting task. So when Jimmy
Moreland and the Baulkham Hills Football Club (BHFC) identified
a growing trend in young referees dropping out not long after
becoming officials, they realised that changes needed to be
made.
In
preparation for the 2012 season, Mr Moreland – along with
Cath and Ian Hughes from BHFC – pitched an idea to the Granville
Association that would see youngsters begin their refereeing in
small sided football matches to develop their skills.
BHFC found that due to a shortage of referees, many juniors were
being thrust into senior games without experience.
“They were being put on full sided games, they were nervous and
had no confidence,” Mr Moreland said.
“Now we pay for their course and put them on small sided games
to build that confidence.”
With the idea approved by GDSFA, the first crop of junior
referees from the bridging course took to the field last
Saturday.
Among them were Harry Dawson and Christina Adzic who play for
Baulkham Hills in the Under 15’s and Under 14’s respectively.
Christina said her first match as a referee was much more
enjoyable without the pressure of being in charge of older age
groups.
“It was a good experience and it was good to start with the
Under 9’s so it wasn’t too intimidating,” she said.
“I hope to get better and hopefully improve.
“I’d like to be a linesman or even referee for some of the older
games when I get older.”
Harry says his decision to become a referee was eased along by
the support from BHFC and GDSFA.
“I never really saw myself as being a referee but my Mum saw the
chance to start refereeing with Baulkham Hills mentoring me and
from there it has been fun,” he said following his first game.
“I definitely want to ref higher games in the future.”
Rather than being sent to matches across the district, all first
time referees were scheduled at the same ground to give Mr
Moreland and Granville District Football Referees Association
appointment officer Kieran Fisher the opportunity to assess the
benefits of the initiative.
“Previously we would’ve started these kids in under 10s or 11s,”
Mr Fisher said.
“Now they’ve got something to gradually work on their skills and
it gives young referees experience in a non threatening
environment.
“We have got a mentoring program at Granville to help them out,
give them advice and get them more confident.”
Baulkham Hills have also put some of their senior members
through a referees course to ensure all teams benefit from
association approved officials.
-By Mitchell Grima (Football NSW Website)
Age No
Limit To Man In Black - 2nd February, 2012
The following article was published in
the Parramatta Advertiser
dated 1st February, 2012 and written by
Steven Deare.
Titled "Age no limit
to man in black - Filipczyk back for 33rd season as a
Referee". Wilf is one of GDFRA's longest serving
referees and it is fitting that this article has been
written about him
Age will not weary him. At 71 Wilfraed Filipczyk is
preparing to lace on the boots, take up the whistle and
referee for another soccer season.
If you're playing in
the Granville District, chances are you have had - or will
have - the Greystanes man controlling your match.
Filipczyk is not just refereeing children's games either.
"I think I might be the oldest active referee in NSW who
still does Premier League or Senior 1's", the spritely
veteran said. "I still enjoy it as much as when I
started." "I do it for the sake of the sport, as well
as my own fitness."
That long
history means players often remember "Wilf" when he arrives
at their own ground on a Saturday. "I've been doing
this for 32 years. In every team, I know somebody", he
told The Advertiser. Yet is not so easy for him to
remember all the players. "I have people come up and
say 'remember me, you refereed me when I was 16'. "I
have to say 'Sorry, I don't remember you'."
Filipczyk started
refereeing unofficially when his children, who played for
Greystanes, needed a referee for their matches. After
they stopped playing the sport, he registered to become an
official. "I could see how desperate the clubs were
for referee," he said. "I would see the under 9's
saying 'Mum we have a referee with the uniform today'.
They enjoy it."
He has gone on to
referee countless district and representative matches.
Only once was he assaulted, when a player wanted a corner
awarded instead of a goal kick. At half time the
player kicked Filipczyk in the backside. He laughed
off the incident to The Advertiser, and recalled his
standard reply to critics. "A lot of people say 'how
much money to you get?". I say 'not enough to put up
with some of you blokes'."
To read
the full article as published in The Parramatta Advertiser
click here

Latest Revision - 16th
May, 2012