On Saturday, 5 September, the Hills Football community came together at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta to celebrate a significant milestone — 10 seasons of Hills Football — at the Annual Gala Dinner.
The Annual Gala Dinner is an opportunity to celebrate the season that was and recognise the people, clubs, teams and volunteers who contribute so much to football across the Hills. This year’s celebration was made even more special as we reflected on a decade of Hills Football.
Ten seasons is more than just a number. It represents 10 years of people, passion, commitment, friendships, challenges, achievements and, most importantly, football. It is a decade built by the countless people who have given their time and energy to grow the game and strengthen our football community.
The evening also provided an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable growth of the association over those 10 seasons. From participation and clubs to referees, coaches and volunteers, the numbers tell part of the story of how far Hills Football has come.
Hills Football Growth: 2017 vs 2026
| 2017 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Registrations (Players, Coaches and Referees) | 12,662 | 15,057 |
| Player Numbers | 11,165 | 14,116 |
| Coach Numbers | 758 | 1,268 |
| Female Player Numbers | 1,691 | 2,897 |
| Male Player Numbers | 9,474 | 11,214 |
| Leagues | 75 | 100 |
| Teams | 732 | 1,132 |
| Age Groups | 23 | 29 |
| Clubs | 19 | 20 |
| Referee Numbers | 247 | 407 |
| Female Referees | 34 | 58 |
| Referee Coverage | 84.60% | 97.92% |
Throughout the evening, a number of awards were presented to recognise outstanding contributions both on and off the field. From referees and players to volunteers, club contributors and major award recipients, the night was a chance to celebrate the people who continue to make football in the Hills what it is.
U21 Referee of the Year – Faryan Kouchaki
Celebrating the outstanding referee in the 18–21 age bracket, Faryan has enjoyed a remarkable season, balancing commitments across Hills Football and Football NSW while reaching exciting new heights. Their standout year included debuts in North West Sydney Premier League First Grade as a referee and as an NPL NSW Men’s First Grade Assistant Referee. Their impressive performances, dedication and continued growth have earned them the U21 Referee of the Year award.
Female Referee of the Year – Amber Taylor
Celebrating the best performing female referee across the season, this year’s recipient has been one of real growth, debuting as a referee in both the combined U21 Women and Women’s Premier League Competition, appointed as part of an all female referee crew officiating the Match of the Round for the Hills Football Men’s Super League during Female Football Week. Amber was also rewarded with an appointment as an assistant referee to the Women’s Hills Cup Final, making them a worthy recipient of the Female Referee of the Year Award.
Referee of the Year – Gavin Lee
Across both Hills Football competitions and the North West Sydney Football Premier and Super League competitions, Gavin made a significant contribution to referee development. From delivering technical training sessions and facilitating entrance courses to coaching referees and supporting a debuting Premier League referee as an Assistant Referee, they led by example throughout 2026. A remarkable season of contribution and leadership culminated in their appointment as referee for the Hills Football Men’s Super League Grand Final as well as being named Referee of the Year.
Player Awards
On the night Premier league and Super League Player Awards were given out with ties in both the Women’s and Men’s Premier League Golden Boot for Hills Football Clubs.
| Award | Recipient | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s Premier League Golden Boot | Kevin Opia (Kellyville Kolts) & Lindsay Wise (Rouse Hill Rams) | 14 |
| Men’s NWSF Premier League First Grade Golden Boot | Eoin Montford (Castle Hill United) & Hamish Callaghan (Kellyville Kolts) | 19 |
| Men’s NWSF Super League First Grade Golden Boot | Momodou Jaiteh (CHRSL Rockets) | 20 |
| Men’s Hills Football Super League Golden Boot | Luke Maddalena (Rouse Hill Rams) | 19 |
| Men’s Hills Football Super League Player of the Season | Luke Maddalena (Rouse Hill Rams) | — |
| Women’s Premier League Player of the Season | Stephanie Romeo (Kellyville Kolts) | — |
Violet Nutt Award – Rebecca Treacy (Hills Knights FC)
Named in honour of Violett Nutt, who throughout the 80s, 90s and 2000s played an instrumental role in expanding female participation, serving on the North Rocks Committee and later as Vice President of the Granville Association. This award honours those who go above and beyond to foster participation, create welcoming environments, develop programs, and champion the continued progression of the female game. Through Rebecca’s leadership she has helped create an environment where young players can develop, feel supported and enjoy the game, while also recognising the importance of developing the coaches and volunteers who guide them. It is this passion, leadership and commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation that makes this recipient a truly deserving winner of the Violet Nutt Award.
Community Award – Baulkham Hills FC
The community award celebrates a club or an individual who has made a meaningful impact on the wider community through the power and connection of football. This year’s recipient as a club has established a Trust in the name of two founding members (Keith and Connie Vallis). The Keith and Connie Vallis Trust provides financial assistance of up to $500 to help junior families with registration fees, club uniforms and and other circumstances where a helping hand can make a genuine difference. This is a wonderful example of creating opportunities for the next generation ensuring that every member of the community is able to partake in Football.
Bruce Fraser Award for Club Person of The Year – Daniel Lucas (Hills Knights)
The “Club Person of the Year” is an honorary award given to an individual within a club who has demonstrated exceptional dedication, outstanding contributions, and exemplary service to the footballing community. Each year there are many nominations for club person of the year and there can only be one winner. Below are the nominees:
| Club | Nominee |
|---|---|
| Box Hill Rangers | Bryan Macklin |
| Castle Hill United | Daniel Pallier |
| Hills Knights | Daniel Lucas |
| Hills Pumas | Nicola Phelan |
| Hills Spirit | Dallas Richmond |
| Kellyville United | Callum Price |
| North Kellyville FC | Karly Diewald |
| North Rocks FC | Ian Lawson |
| Norwest FC | Aria Sindyan & Geneva Porter |
| Rouse Hill Rams FC | Andrew Hampton |
| St Bernadette’s FC | Owen Mormul |
| Winston Hills FC | Jeremy Carauna |
This year’s winner exemplified everything that community football represents, their unwavering commitment, exceptional work ethic and selfless dedication to both Hills Knights Football Club and the wider Hills Football community made them an outstanding and deserving recipient of this award. From being on the ground at 6am, being the club referee coordinator, a senior referee, head coach of his U15’s team, age coordinator for the U13 age group as well as a committed player in their O35 men’s team. Daniel’s unwavering commitment to not only Hills Knights but the wider Hills Football community makes him worthy recipient of this award.
Volunteer Champion Award – Peter Enahoro (Castle Hill United FC)
Every year in May we celebrate National Volunteer and Female Football Week, each year Hills Football collected profiles of people within the community who exemplify fantastic commitment to their respective space. For Volunteer Champion Hills Football recognises Peter Enahoro from Castle Hill United.
As Competition Secretary, WPL Coach, and U21’s Coach, Peter dedicates countless hours to supporting players, teams, and the wider club both on and off the field. From overseeing competition secretary role, to developing players and leading teams each week, his commitment and passion play an important role in the running of the club. Peter’s willingness to give back, support others, and help create positive football experiences for players of all ages embodies the spirit of community football and the importance of volunteers within our game and deserved winner of the Volunteer Champion Award.
Female Football Champion – Sherri Jarrett (Kellyville Kolts FC)
For Female Football Champion Hills Football recognises Sherri Jarrett from Kellyville Kolts. Sherri plays an incredible role across the club, serving as Competition Secretary, Club Registrar, coordinating Instructional Referee appointments for U8–U11s, and even lending a hand in the canteen on weekends. Her tireless commitment behind the scenes ensures players, families, volunteers, and officials can enjoy a welcoming, organised, and enjoyable football experience every week, making her a deserved winner of the Female Football Champion Award.
Chairperson’s Award – Belinda Waddington (Winston Hills FC)
The Chairperson’s Award is one of the most meaningful awards we present because it recognises something that sits at the very heart of community football: service.
Everyone knows that football does not run on fixtures, registrations and results alone. It runs on people — on volunteers — who turn up when nobody is watching, do the jobs that often go unnoticed, and create clubs that players, families and communities are proud to belong to.
This year’s recipient is one of those people — the kind of person every club hopes to have, and the kind of person who always seems to be there, no matter what needs doing. But her contribution does not stop at administration. She supports junior referees, plays an active role in her club’s referee program, and steps in wherever she is needed.
One story captures this person’s spirit beautifully.
One of her club’s Premier League players arrived at a photoshoot in Bella Vista without their uniform. It is the sort of moment that could easily become stressful, especially when time is short and people are waiting. But for this person, it was simply a problem to be solved.
They made arrangements for their children, dropped what they were doing, travelled back to the club, searched through the lost and found, found a uniform, found a pair of boots that would hopefully fit, and then made the trip back to Bella Vista so that the player could take part.
That is community football. Not the spotlight. Not the applause. Just someone seeing what needs to be done and caring enough to do it. It is the quiet, practical generosity that keeps our clubs moving and makes people feel looked after.
Belinda is also heavily involved in her club’s charity and community days, helping bring people together at the ground and raising much-needed funds for organisations beyond football. That willingness to use the club as a place of connection and kindness says a great deal about who they are.
This award recognises people whose commitment reflects the spirit of so many volunteers across our football family and Belinda is a well deserved recipient of this award!
Champion Club – Rouse Hill Rams FC
The criteria for being awarded the Champion Club of the Year is based on the season’s achievements and performance in competition and for outperforming all its peers. The eligibility for this award includes:
- A club must have a minimum of five (5) competition teams.
- A club must have a minimum of three (3) small sided football teams.
- A club must have a minimum of three (3) female teams
- A club must have a minimum of two (2) players who are also official referees
- A club must have a minimum of two (2) players who are also dedicated SSF referees
There’s also a number of items that can limit the eligibility of a Club such as the number of red and yellow cards received, judiciary matters, the number of qualified coaches and more.
It was a very close winner this year based on the eligibility criteria, most of which is based on an average number, with other key factors included. Rouse Hill Rams take out the champion club award deservedly.
Life Member Recognition – Craig Gough
With it being the 10th season anniversary of the Hills Football Association, it was great to have many important people in the room who have been integral in the history of Hills Football. However there was one extra special person who present on the night, and that is Craig Gough. Craig like many others started out as a volunteer at his local club and became the inaugural Hills Football Chairperson and was awarded Life Membership in 2020. As it was Covid when he received life membership and Craig not being available to attend other Gala Dinners it was great to have him in the room on the night to present his Life Membership award.
Success in community football is built on the people who give their time, passion and commitment, often behind the scenes and without recognition. Nights like these are an opportunity to celebrate those people and acknowledge the contribution they make to our game, our clubs and our community.
