Victorian referees gain valuable experience as part of the Elite Referee selection process.
Jess Adams (Assistant Referee) and Shab Roshan (Referee) were both chosen to take part in the National Talent Challenge (NTC) at the AIS from October 3-7.
Football Victoria head of referees Tony Peart said the pair's selection to the NTC was a reward for the "dedication and hard work" they have illustrated across multiple seasons.
"They have really impressed me during my time here in Victoria with their willingness to go above and beyond with their training and accept to take on advice feedback," he said.
"These traits will be essential as they continue to develop over the next few years."
Shab Roshan was “rapt” when she received a phone call from Tony Peart informing her, she was selected to participate in the Selection process for potential candidates identified by member federations for the A-League season.
“I thought it was great, I definitely wasn’t expecting it,” she said.
“When I got the phone call, I started taking it more seriously than ever before.”
This was Roshan’s second time invited to the NTC, however time after taking a hiatus from the game she was successful, and was added as a 4th official for the upcoming A-League W season.
“I actually lost interest in football just before COVID-19, I wasn’t going to come back,” she said.
“I thought that was the end of it for me, I kind of lost passion.”
Upon returning to the pitch, Roshan realised how much she enjoyed being involved in football.
“I did it more for the fun of it before the pandemic as a hobby then a couple of years later here I am on the ALW panel,” she said.
“It just shows that age isn’t a factor, and you can always achieve your dreams.
“I lost hope because of my age, I thought I wouldn’t be looked at again.”
Roshan explained she didn't realise how beneficial refereeing would be for her off the pitch.
“For me, I find happiness on the pitch, it is my time,” she said.
“It is my meditation I like to have full control of the pitch. It is me, the players, and my whistle.
“I would encourage people to start refereeing because it didn’t help me with just football, it assists you long term, with confidence, performance, and your professionalism at work.
“The way you can manage yourself in a game and the way you have to make split-second decisions has definitely helped me in my professional career as a prosecution officer.
“It really molds you into a person, not for just football but also your professional career.”
Jess Adams, who has been refereeing for eight years said she was “a bit shocked” when she was invited to the NTC.
“I wasn’t aware of the tournament,” she said.
“Having all of these high-level referees watching us was pretty intense.”
Adams said she was very grateful to have the opportunity to learn from A-League standard referees at the NTC.
“I learned heaps to be honest,” she recounted.
“To be given feedback from A-League referees gave me a whole new perspective on the game, as it is definitely a big goal of mine to make it there.
“We were pushing pretty hard we had to be switched on for the whole day, having multiple games a day.”
Her refereeing journey started when she volunteered to help her brother's team, however she soon realised she had a major passion for the role.
“I love having some responsibility within the game,” Adams said.
“The big games or the grand finals the adrenaline gets to me and I really like that feeling of the big moments.
“Being involved in the game, it’s a whole different perspective on the game. I think it is one of the best skill sets to have.
“It’s not always the same day in and day out which I think I like most about it and there is always something new to learn.”