There will be a familiar name on the A-League refereeing roster this upcoming season after it was confirmed that the Association’s very own, Maddy Allum, will be running the line in the nation’s top tier competition.
The 2021/22 A-League Women’s campaign will cap off a rapid rise to the top for Allum who only began her refereeing journey with the Canterbury Referees Association (CRA) just six years ago.
The up and coming assistant referee played her junior football for Leichhardt Saints and Balmain before deciding to enter the refereeing world and follow in the footsteps of her older sister.
Rising through the ranks: CRA to the A-League
Allum boils down her rise through the refereeing ranks to the fact that she immersed herself in the new environment and took advantage of all that the CRA had to offer.
“If you went to training, did all your appointments and took in those resources it put you in a good place,” Allum said.
“The people there (CRA) pushed for me to have those opportunities and initially to get seen by Football NSW for the state titles.”
Image: Maddy Allum alongside sister Sophie and mentor and fellow A-League referee, Maggie Price. Credit: MMS Sports Photography
Numerous high-profile appointments soon followed: “The grand final for the NPL Women’s in 2019. That was quite a big appointment for me while there was also my first match Bill Brackenbury Cup (BBC) match that I refereed.”
“I never thought I would in the middle for a BBC match, luckily it went well.”
From there, she went on to referee in the National Youth League before eventually earning the call up to the A-League Women’s League.
The news that she had been selected as part of the elite panel was something that she was half-expecting but there were still plenty of nerves in the lead-up.
“I got the call a few weeks ago. I sort of knew that the call was coming. It was a pretty anxious time leading up to it but it was very satisfying to hear that I had got it, knowing that all that had work had paid off.”
“But, at the same time you’re very aware that it’s a bit of a transition and the expectations are higher.”
The step up in quality does not mean she will forget some of the straightforward strategies she has collected in her career to date.
“As an assistant referee, I try and be friendly but not over-friendly. You always have to communicate with players and give an answer to their questions. You want to be on the same level as the players, you want the game to be about them, not you.”
Looking ahead to the future
Well, there are no doubts that Allum has her sights set on a long and steady career in the refereeing fraternity.
“It’s [refereeing] quite addictive. As soon as you stop, you just want to keep improving and get better, I just want to see how far I can go
“A-League Women’s is not the ceiling. There are definitely opportunities overseas that I would like to pursue.
However, for now, it’s a matter of great time management on and off the pitch as she combines her refereeing aspirations with an architecture degree which she is set to complete next year.
“I’m training almost every day, sometimes twice a day. So just managing my time and study is quite hectic.”
Feature Image Credit: MMS Sports Photography
By CDSFA Communications Officer – Samuel Greco Schwartz
