Setting a future course for coaching and officiating in Australia

As part of the Australian Sports Commission’s (ASC) dedication to supporting and upskilling the nation’s coaches and officials, today two new advisory groups have been named to chart a course for the future.  

Selected from hundreds of highly competitive applications, the 22 members come from multiple sports with deep knowledge of the sector, diverse skillsets, and great enthusiasm to collaborate. 

Each group will lead the co-design and development of a future focused Action Plan that details a national approach to engaging, supporting and developing coaches and officials in the community, while recognising their critical role in shaping positive sporting environments.  

Joining the 12-member Coaching Advisory Group is three-time Commonwealth Games lawn bowls gold medallist Ellen Falkner MBE. 

As the current Workforce Development General Manager at Bowls Australia, Falkner is excited to bring her global insight, coaching expertise and strategic leadership to the advisory group. 

“I look forward to collaborating with others to raise the profile and visibility of coaches and coaching, and to strengthen the leadership capability of coaches through better support, connection and empowerment,” she said. 

Nathan Magill will work alongside nine others in the Officiating Advisory Group.  

Magill has held national leadership roles in referee development across Australia and England and now leads referee education and development at U.S. Soccer. 

“I want to help create environments where officials are better educated, better supported, and have clear, transparent pathways to progress,” he said. 

The Coaching Advisory Group and Officiating Advisory Group will meet next week to start developing their action plan.  

Throughout this process there will be opportunities for all in the sector to collaborate and contribute to this critical work. 

The ASC’s Director of Coaching and Officiating Katie Foulkes will chair both advisory groups. 

For more information, head to our coaching webpage or officiating webpage, and if you would like to receive updates on the progress of the Action Plans, sign up here, opens in a new tab 

Coaching Advisory Group 

• Lisa Alexander AM, Former Australian Diamonds netball coach 
• Andrew Bennie, Associate Professor, Health and Physical Education/ Sport Development, Western Sydney University 
• Ellen Falkner MBE, Bowls Australia Workforce Development General Manager 
• Michelle Hemley, Queensland Academy of Sport High Performance Coach Advisor 
• Robert Hillard, Senior Asia Pacific Consulting Businesses Leader, Deloitte 
• Cliff Mallett OAM, Professor of Sport Psychology and Coaching, University of Queensland 
• Ross Pinder, Australian Institute of Sport Learning Design Lead 
• Dave Reynolds, SANFL State Coaching Manager 
• Ashley Ross, Founder & Head Coach at Coach Learning Solutions 
• Steven Rynne, Associate Professor of Sport Coaching, University of Queensland 
• Kate Thomas, Welcoming Clubs Acting Manager 
• Lawrie Woodman, OAM, Coach Developer/ Sport Development 

 Officiating Advisory Group 

• Penelope Barr, Transition strategist, author, speaker, board director 
• Nick Hunter, Principal at Nick Hunter Consulting and Equestrian Australia Para Equestrian High Performance Lead 
• Pete Ingram, recently retired Protective Services Lead at Queensland Police Service 
• Jacqui Jashari, Western Australia Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport Executive Director of Sport and Recreation 
• Robert Kerr, AFL Umpires Association CEO 
• Nathan Magill, U.S. Soccer Director of Referee Education and Development 
• Deepali Mistry, Judo Australia Referee Director and Chair Referee Committee 
• Delfina Shakespear, Sport integrity Australia National Program Manager and Women’s A-League Football Referee 
• Ash Synnott, Founder and Managing Director of the Officiating Collective 
• Peter Wroblewski, Tennis Australia Competition Workforce Development Lead