Celebrating Excellence: 2025 WPQ Referee Award Winners Announced
Water Polo Queensland is proud to recognise the outstanding achievements of our referee community through the 2025 Referee Awards. These awards celebrate the individuals who have demonstrated excellence, growth, and professionalism across all levels of officiating in our sport. From first-year referees showing promising development to experienced officials leading on the national and international stage, this year's winners and nominees reflect the strength and depth of talent across Queensland.
Congratulations to all nominees, finalists, and this year’s winners. Your commitment to continuous improvement, education, and the spirit of water polo does not go unnoticed.
Premier League / Premier League Reserve Referee of the Year
This award recognises excellence in refereeing across Queensland’s top domestic competition — the Premier League (PL) and PL Reserves. The recipient demonstrates consistent high performance, strong rule knowledge and application, professional conduct, and effective communication with players and coaches.
Congratulations to James O’Brien, the 2025 Premier League Referee of the Year. James stood out for his consistency, leadership, and high-quality officiating throughout the Premier League season.
This year’s finalists included Lorena Turco and Matt Singer, with nominees Blake Jennison, Jordan Sheterline, and Zoe Smith also recognised for their outstanding contributions.
BMJC Referee of the Year
Awarded to a referee in the Brisbane Metropolitan Junior Competition who has demonstrated growth, consistent performance, rule application, and a commitment to referee education and development.
The 2025 BMJC Referee of the Year was awarded to Blake Jennison for his steady improvement, engagement with education, and his leadership within the junior competition.
Finalists included Aidan Drew, Demetrio Alati, Mia Byrne, and Olivia Mattiske, while other nominees were Angus Cope, Dylan Jennison, Lorena Turco, Nick Mattiske, and Zoe Smith.
Regional Referee of the Year
This award celebrates a referee from outside South East Queensland who has consistently delivered strong performances while showing great dedication to improving their skills and supporting water polo in regional areas.
The 2025 Regional Referee of the Year is Remi MacDougal, whose professionalism and rapid growth have made a real difference to regional water polo officiating.
Joining Remi as finalists were Amelie Cox and Gary MacDougal, with Claire McCulloch, Giacomo Hernandez, and Lizzie Koch also recognised for their important contributions to the regional water polo community this season.
Encouragement Award – Community Referee of the Year
This award celebrates first-year referees who have made a positive impact within their local water polo communities. It recognises those who have shown genuine growth, a solid understanding of the rules, clear and respectful communication, and a strong willingness to learn and develop alongside their fellow referees.
Congratulations to Ava Sherer and Sophie Moten, joint recipients of the 2025 Encouragement Award. Both impressed their openness to learn, their positive communication, and willingness to improve week after week
We also acknowledge finalists Alice Vidler and Annabelle Spall, along with nominees Isabella Kearney, Lara Nel, Phoebe Cranitch, and Rylan Watson, for their commitment and promising contributions to their local clubs and competitions.
Rising Star – Development Referee of the Year
Presented to a referee in their second or subsequent season who has shown strong improvement, consistency in more challenging games, and active engagement in education and development.
The 2025 Rising Star award was presented to Aidan Drew, who impressed with his confidence, professionalism, and growth in higher-level games.
The other finalists were Amelie Cox, Blake Jennison, Demetrio Alati, Maddy Lewis, and Zoe Smith, with Angus Cope, Dylan Jennison, and Lizzie Koch also nominated for their ongoing development.
High Performance Referee of the Year
This award recognises a highly experienced and accredited referee who consistently delivers excellence at the elite level and contributes to the broader development of the sport through mentoring and education.
Ash Kaesler was named the 2025 High Performance Referee of the Year for his consistent performance, leadership, and strong presence across national and state-level competitions.
The finalists—James O’Brien, Jordan Sheterline, Lorena Turco, and Matt Singer—each made significant contributions to the strength and professionalism of Queensland’s officiating community throughout the season.
WPQ State Titles – Encouragement Award
Awarded to a referee under the age of 18 who officiated at their first WPQ State Titles and demonstrated eagerness to learn, improvement across the tournament, and strong on-deck conduct.
The 2025 award went to Sienna Heidke, who made a strong impression through her maturity, attitude, and growth during the event.
Other finalists—Alice Vidler, Annabelle Spall, Ava Sherer, Emily Cope, Georgia Green, and Sophie Moten—also demonstrated great potential and commitment throughout the tournament, making valuable contributions to the success of the event.
WPQ State Titles – Referee of the Event
This award is presented to a returning referee at the WPQ State Titles who displayed strong leadership, consistent performance, and commitment throughout the tournament.
Amelie Cox was recognised as the 2025 Referee of the Event for her standout contribution and ability to manage key matches with confidence.
Finalists in this category included Aidan Drew, Maddy Lewis, Maeve Hansel, Mia Byrne, and Olivia Mattiske, each of whom delivered strong performances that contributed significantly to the success of the tournament.
WPQ Referee of the Year
The highest refereeing honour in Queensland, this award recognises a referee who has gone above and beyond across all levels of the game in all aspects — delivering high performance officiating, mentoring emerging referees, involvement in educational opportunities and actively contributing to the growth of water polo in Queensland.
Lorena Turco was named the 2025 WPQ Referee of the Year for her leadership across the community, education, and high performance spaces, as well as her consistent officiating throughout the season.
Finalists included Ash Kaesler, Matt Singer, and James O’Brien, with Jordan Sheterline and Zoe Smith also nominated for their continued contributions to refereeing in Queensland.
Water Polo Queensland extends its sincere thanks and congratulations to all referees across the state. Whether you’re just starting out or officiating at the highest level, your dedication ensures a strong, fair, and professional environment for all players. We are incredibly proud of this year’s nominees, finalists, and winners.
