News this week that top Football Far North Coast referee Luka Taylor will soon leave the region, is another body blow to efforts to retain enough match officials to respond to the extraordinary growth in player numbers.

As player registrations surge past 7000 (since they opened on the first of February) and with competition teams at record levels, the perennial issue of not having enough referees, continues to impede the full potential of the game. 

The pending departure of Luka Taylor, while a bitter pill to swallow for the code, is a story that confirms the positive influence that becoming a referee can have on individuals, if they stay the course. Although football was a passion, Luka did not start playing until age 15. This also coincided with him doing his Level 4 referee course and Luka quickly realised that officiating would enable him to progress further in the game.

Being a quiet, even shy person, the decision that Luka made to become a referee, was not an immediately obvious one, but would prove to demonstrate his outstanding skills and depth of character.

Luka was born in Newcastle and arrived in this region as a four-year-old when his parents Brian and Julie relocated here in 2001. With Brian being a qualified mechanical engineer and Julie being a chemical engineer, it should not surprise that Luka was a very good student, with mathematics being his best subject, however he transitioned from high school at St John’s College Woodlawn, to TAFE at age 16, where he successfully completed a Certificate 4 in IT Networking.

An unexpected job opportunity arose, when Luka lodged an application with Rous Water in 2019, with Luke primarily thinking that the interview would give him valuable experience, but he was offered a position as an IT Support Officer.

His career with Rous has flourished since that time and his departure is also a loss for that organisation.

Like many top match officials, Luka was quickly identified as a person who has what it takes to be a very good referee. He is an excellent listener, diligent, respectful and with a capacity to make sound decisions under pressure. When asked about the positive side of being a match official, Luka describes the many skills that he has learned, or evolved, saying, ‘I believe that my time as a match official has helped my personal growth and there are synergies with progressing my professional career as well.’

He further says, ‘Skills learned while officiating such as people management, how to communicate effectively, understanding the importance of teamwork and decision making, are each relevant to my work life. Always having been a shy person, I am now more confident as a consequence of being a referee”

When asked about the advice he would give to inspire young match officials, Luka says, ‘Work hard, be prepared to listen and learn, be prepared to make decisions, even when it may be tough to do so and always clamp down on inappropriate behaviour.

The most important message I offer, is to be a leader and a role model’ ‘I also urge players, including former players, to step up and become a referee. While not every player makes a good referee, it can help and officiating provides a great opportunity to stay involved in the game’.

It is no wonder that Luka Taylor has progressed from being a rookie referee and will soon leave this region as one the best match officials who has ever been part of the Football Far North Coast family. His father Brian, who was encouraged by Luka to start officiating in recent years, will continue his involvement, so the Taylor family will continue to be represented in the local referee ranks.

While Luka will soon follow a path that many people from regional Australia do every year and search for a brave new world and the bright lights of a big city, he will go with the thanks and best wishes of the FFNC football community, as we wish him every success.

A new job in IT is planned in Melbourne, where Luka has many friends. He has been thinking about this move for a while, as he likes the ’vibe’ of Melbourne.

In regards to football, our loss could be Victoria’s gain, as Luka intends to continue his involvement as a football match official.

The shortage of referees there and more specifically, the absence of enough high-quality referees, will no doubt see Luka welcomed with ‘open arms’.

Football Far North Coast hopes that Luka might return to this region at some point, but if not, he leaves a legacy that will hopefully inspire the next generation of match officials.