FFA 2012 National Talent Pool

Christian Verdicchio in action. Photo by Adam Butler

Football Federation SA is pleased to announce three promising match officials have been selected in the Football Federation Australia’s National Talent Pool.

Brenna Mackay, Christian Verdicchio and Eric Ford have been selection for the Talent Pool while Daniel Elder, Daniel Faulkner, Fotis Massinis, Jarrod Muller and Rick Schneider were identified and placed on the Development List.

FFSA Referee Head Coach Craig Zetter admitted it was a fantastic achievement for SA’s match officials and acknowledged it would be a great opportunity for the emerging talent.

“The National Talent Pool is a great initiative to provide these match officials with an opportunity to progress to the top level of competition within Australia,” he said.

“Football Federation SA is well represented on the NTP listing and this is the testament to the development programs currently being delivered in SA.”

The National Talent Pool aims to identify talented officials and assessors who have the potential and attributes to officiate at the highest in Australia and internationally.

From the National Talent Pool, the match officials and assessors could then be selected for Hyundai A-League matches, Westfield W-League, National Youth and School tournaments and the annual Institute Challenge.

FFA received over 120 applicants from all over country and the standard of applicants was extremely high.

Overall, 28 male and 12 female referee and assistants were selected for the 2012 National Talent Pool and they will be viewed this year to asses their suitability for the A-League and W-League.

The match officials placed on the Development ‘watch’ List will be given the opportunity to increase their level of accreditation and will be selected for National Youth League matches and National Secondary Schools.