The 2024 Winter season is memorable one with records broken the introduction of additional initiatives to ensure everyone not only has access to football in the Hills, but also enjoys it.
This season marked Hills Football’s largest-ever participation for the winter season with 14,500 (10% increase) players taking part across out competitions. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, with frequent rain dampening the excitement for many and causing numerous washouts. Despite the challenges, over 2,500 games were successfully rescheduled due to wet weather, ensuring our members played as many games as possible. A big thank you goes to our dedicated club volunteers and Hills Football Competition Manager ensuring that every player was able to get their football fix.
On the back of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, female football saw an increase by 23.17%, also seeing the launch of an additional female only (U8’s) competition. 2024 saw year two of the combined Women’s Premier League competition with BDSFA and GDSFA, which saw 10 teams enter the competition with (5 Hills Football teams), with Kellyville Kolts taking out the title. We’re looking forward to the growth of this competition for year three.2024 was a great year for Coach Education which saw a restructure of the coaching courses managed by Football Australia (FA) who introduced the Foundation of Football course. This year Clubs were active in encouraging Coaches to complete a community Coaching Course to upskill themselves and their players, with some Clubs volunteering ground space for courses to be run. The highlights of Coach Education in 2024 includes Hills Football’s first ever Foundation of Goalkeeping course hosted by North Rocks SC which saw a staggering 24 participants in attendance. 2024 also saw the return of the Female Coaches Network and the introduction of the Youth Coaches Network. 2024 also saw the return of the Hills Football Coaching Expo held which provides aspiring and existing coaches with knowledge and information on how to improve their skills. A special mention goes to Football NSW, Australian College of Physical Education (ACPE), and DEPLOY for their assistance and attendance on the day.
It was another promising year for Refereeing in 2024 with the continuation of Female only Referees Course and the Female Referee Network. This was in addition to initiatives to help encourage availability which saw the return of registration or uniform fees. Referee coverage was at 94.42%, a 7% increase from 2023. These achievements would not be possible without the support of staff and the Referees Subcommittee and we thank them for their ongoing efforts.
Hills Football Referees have also had an outstanding year within the Referee Pathway, being appointed to officiate the State Cup All Age Women’s Final and the U16 Girls Champion of Champions Final. Additionally, three Hills Football referees were selected to officiate at the FA National Youth Championships, where one was honoured with the prestigious Referee of the Tournament award. This remarkable achievement, along with the acceptance of three Hills Football referees into the Football NSW Referees Academy, showcases the high calibre of refereeing talent within the Hills Football community.
2024 was the most successful year yet for Hills Football Association Youth League (AYL) program, with three teams reaching the Grand Finals. Our Under 13s not only won their league but also made it to the Grand Final, while the Under 14s also secured a spot in the Grand Final. The Under 18s had an impressive season as well, advancing to the semi-finals. The hard work and dedication of the players and coaches in the AYL program were key contributors to this season’s success, building a solid platform for future achievements.
Player Pathways in the Hills has become more aligned this year with the introduction of Development Squads for players aged 7-9 to help ensure that players from the Hills are receiving high quality coached from both Hills United and Hills Football coaches, assisting them with their development. Currently 60% of players in Hills United programs and Hills Football AYL have come from a Hills Football Member Club, the Development Squads will help improve this number for the years to come.
On the 14th of September the Hills Football community came together to celebrate the record breaking 2024 and to recognise the volunteers who tirelessly put in many hours for their clubs and the football community.
Below are the award recipients on the night:
U21 Referee of the year – Alex Zastavnikovic
Female Referee of the year – Alana Zic
Referee of the year – Mitchell Renton
MPL Reserve Golden Boot – Jarrod Muggleton & Adam DiMartino
MPL First Grade Golden Boot – Momodou Jaiteh & Hamish Callaghan
MPL Reserve Player of the Season – Nicholas Giampietro
MPL First Grade Player of the Season – Robert Attard
Premier League Shield – Kenthurst & District FC and Kellyville Kolts
Community Award – Castle Hill United
Club Person of the year – Cameron Madden
Hills Football Champion – Volunteer – Clint Abraham
Hills Football Champion – Female Football – Kirsty Fonsdituri
Violet Nutt Ladies Award – Hills Spirit
Chairmans Award – Tristian Rimmer
Champion Club – Norwest FC
WPL Golden Boot – Grace Gibbeson
WPL Player of the season – Grace Gibbeson
In conclusion, the 2024 winter season was a remarkable one, filled with milestones, challenges, and growth. Despite weather disruptions the season saw record participation numbers and a host of exciting initiatives. The efforts of our Volunteers, Coaches, Referees and Players made this season memorable and set the stage for continued success in the years ahead.
