Referees

Referees are one of the clearest examples of a system people notice only when it fails.

The Association had around 180 active officials, but the structure was bottom-heavy.

There were many developing referees and comparatively fewer experienced officials capable of carrying higher-level games.

Availability could be thin.

WABL Sundays were particularly demanding.

There were also cultural issues to address: accountability, professionalism, phone use while on duty and the absence of a sufficiently structured entry pathway.

I compared rates with Victoria and looked at development levels.

Pay is not the only reason people referee, but remuneration communicates value.

If you want experienced officials, you need a pathway that makes progression visible and worthwhile.

That meant clearer courses, coaching, supervision and accountability.

Again, the goal was not to criticise what existed.

It was to create something sustainable.

The broader theme was becoming obvious.

Perry Lakes had scale.

It had history.

It had people who cared.

What it needed, in my view, was stronger structure around that energy.

That was exactly what I thought I had been employed to build.