Albany Rovers duo Paxman and Whitelaw celebrated with gongs at the Football West Female Football Week awards

Coach Cassie Paxman and young referee Georgia Whitelaw have been honoured at Football West’s Female Football Week Awards.

Albany Rovers coach Paxman was awarded the coach of the year gong while Whitelaw was named referee of the year at a ceremony in Perth last Friday.

Paxman was at the helm when the Great Southern Soccer Association women’s team won on debut at 2025 senior country week and is also the Rovers’ women’s football co-ordinator and coach in the GSSA.

She said the award reflected the growing strength of women’s soccer in the region.

“The recognition doesn’t just belong to me, it belongs to the incredible women’s football community we have in the Great Southern,” she said.

“I feel lucky to be a part of Rovers where we have volunteers, players and coaches that genuinely care about creating opportunities for girls and women.

“But it’s also supported right across the region through the work of the Great Southern Soccer Association, Albany Junior Soccer Association and Football West.

“I am stoked to have won the award, not for my own accolade, but because it gives me the opportunity to keep talking about the sport I love and promoting women’s involvement in every level of the game.”

Whitelaw was named referee of the tournament at senior country week, and she regularly controls up to six GSSA matches a week.

She also plays for Rovers at senior and under-18 level, as well as being a stand-out Australian Rules player and basketballer.

Still only 16, Whitelaw had a stellar 2025 both on and off the field.

A talented player she said that of the two options, playing and reffing, it’s the officiating she would like to take further.

“We need more referees and also it fits in better with my studies than playing professionally would,” she said, adding that she hopes to become a sport teacher.

Whitelaw was delighted with her award as she said referees get little acknowledgement.

“I took up reffing because I wanted to know more about the game I was playing,” she said.

“I like the community around it; I like being involved.

“When I heard I’d been nominated, I was really pleased.”

However, she’s not perfect on the pitch as the North Albany Senior High School student got booked when playing for Rovers last Saturday.

“I mistimed my slide tackle,” she said.

“A different ref and I reckon I could have got away with it.”