Football SA Match Official Daniel Cook will referee his 100th RAA National Premier Leagues SA Senior Grade match when he takes charge of Adelaide Comets' clash with Sturt Lions on Friday night.
He will become only the sixth Match Official to reach a century of RAA NPLSA matches refereed, joining David Alberton (2017), Gary Mooney & Christian Verdicchio (2018), Daniel Goodwin (2020) and Daniel Elder (2021) in this exclusive club.
Daniel began refereeing Junior football in 2008 as a 13-year-old. He made his Senior Grade debut in 2013, and has subsequently controlled 165 Senior Men's matches across League & Cup competitions, as well as 24 Senior Women's matches. He was the winner of the Mike Ingham Referee of the Year award in 2018 and 2019, and has refereed three RAA NPLSA Grand Finals (2018, 2019, 2020) and two Federation Cup Finals (2016, 2018).
In addition to his achievements in South Australia, Daniel has also represented South Australia on the national stage in the A-League Men's & Women's competitions as a Fourth Official since 2019. He made his debut as a referee in the A-League Women competition in December 2019, replacing the injured referee for the closing stages of the match. Most recently, Cook controlled the 2021 FFA Cup Quarter-Final which saw eventual winners Melbourne Victory defeat Adelaide City at Marden in January this year.
When asked to reflect on reaching this milestone Daniel said:
"It has been an honour to be able to officiate in a top tier competition, such as the one we are lucky enough to have here in South Australia. The coaching and mentoring that we receive is world class, which is constantly improving the standard of refereeing and is evidenced by the young Match Officials coming through the ranks."
Football SA State Referees Committee Chair, Michelle Smith, said:
"What a fantastic achievement. Daniel joins a very special group of referees. There's one thing that you can't teach, and that is experience. 100 RAA NPLSA matches is an incredible milestone. Congratulations, and thank you, Daniel."
Football SA has an upcoming Level 4 Referee course, for anyone looking to get started as a Referee. The course is being held on 26 April, during the school holidays. It is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the game you love, challenge yourself and earn some money. You can register for the course here.