Casey Reibelt will become the first female referee to officiate an Isuzu UTE A-League Men 2021/22 fixture, and only the second female referee to officiate in the men’s A-League, when she oversees Perth Glory v Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday evening.
The Queenslander will be joined by Korea Republic’s Australian based Assistant Referee, Mi Suk Park, who will also receive her first Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s match appointment of the season as she runs the line for the Brisbane Roar v Central Coast Mariners clash on 3 May.
Football Australia’s Head of Referees, Nathan Magill, expressed his congratulations to Reibelt and Park on another significant accomplishment in their careers.
“The appointment of Casey and Mi Suk to the A-League Men competition strengthens our commitment to ensuring that the match official pathway is open to everyone in football,” Magill said.
“Football Australia wants to be at the forefront of removing barriers for talented match officials who aspire to officiate in elite competitions in Australian football. Both Casey and Mi Suk have demonstrated significant commitment and high performance across an extended period, and these appointments are just rewards.”
An AFC and FIFA Referee, Reibelt, this year was appointed the central referee for the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Final between China PR and Korea Republic. Reibelt is one of five Australian women currently appointed to the Isuzu UTE A-‑League Men Match Officials Panels, which includes central referee Kate Jacewicz, Assistant Referees Sarah Ho and Joanna Charaktis and Video Match Official Lara Lee.
Jacewicz, Lee, Ho and Charaktis have all featured in match appointments this year in the A-Leagues. In the 2019/20 A‑League season, Jacewicz became the first Australian woman to officiate a men’s fixture when she took the whistle in the Round 15 clash between Melbourne City and the Newcastle Jets.
All five women are currently undertaking the candidate process to officiate at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia/New Zealand 2023™. Queensland based Mi Suk Park is also a candidate for next year’s women’s football global showpiece.
“The female match officials in our panel are highly experienced and incredibly successful professionals. We are working with FIFA and the AFC to maximise opportunities for our officials to ensure they are prepared for global football competitions.”
“We are steadfast in our vision to make Australia a leader in the development of female match officials in the Asia-Pacific region. The FIFA Women’s World Cup™ is a fantastic occasion to demonstrate to women and girls that there are many avenues open to them to participate in football.”