Northern NSW Football is delighted to announce the recipients of its 2026 NNSWF Indigenous Scholarships.
The scholarships are designed to reduce barriers by supporting and increasing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, coaches and referees from across northern NSW to develop in their respective pathways.
Reef Archibald, Henry Armstrong, Lillianah Skaines, Payton Sharp and Alysha Langford were awarded player scholarships.
Matthew Bates, Ashtyn Ferguson and Joshua Bates received referee scholarships, while Tallon Convery and Dylan Hugo were awarded coach scholarships.
Recipients were selected by a diverse panel made up of NNSWF General Manager Participation and Women’s Football Allana Neeve, NNSWF Technical Director Ryan Doidge, NNSWF General Manager Referee Growth and Development Brad Carlin and NNSWF Indigenous Advisory Group Co-Chair Andrew Higgins.
Archibald is based in the Mid North Coast region and was part of the Talent Support Pathway (TSP) program in 2025. He also represented NNSWF at the NAIDOC Cup in the under-14s boys champions side.
Armstrong hails from the Northern Inland region and was a proud member of the NNSWF under-14 boys squad at the 2025 NAIDOC Cup. He also participated in the 2025 TSP program.
Skaines is based in Newcastle and was part of the inaugural NNSWF Indigenous side at the 2025 Community State Youth Championships. She also represented NNSWF at the NAIDOC Cup in the under-14s girls side in 2024 and 2025.
Sharp is from the Northern Inland region and is a regular participant in NAIDOC Cup, representing NNSWF in 2024 and 2025 in the under-14s girls side.
Langford resides in the Hunter Valley and is a regular face in the NNSWF NAIDOC Cup sides, playing in the under-14s in 2023 and 2024, and most recently the under-16s squad in 2025.
Convery is a dedicated goalkeeper based in the Hunter Valley and has taken part as a coach and player in the NNSWF NAIDOC Cup squad, Women’s State Cup Indigenous team and the Community State Youth Championships Indigenous team.
Hugo is based in Lake Macquarie and is a continual presence at NAIDOC Cup tournaments having coached multiple NNSWF sides at all four NAIDOC Cups.
Matthew Bates is a Hunter Valley referee who also officiated at the NAIDOC Cup in 2024.
Ferguson is a referee who officiates on Northern NSW Premier Competitions with a focus on the Premier Youth League.
Joshua Bates is a Northern NSW Premier Competitions and Hunter Valley Football referee. He officiates across the Premier Youth League and community football competitions.
NNSWF Participation Officer – Schools and First Nations Micheal Hugo said the purpose of the NNSWF Indigenous Scholarships was to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, coaches and referees in progressing their football journey.
“These recipients are role models for the next generation of Indigenous players, coaches and referees and we hope they inspire others within their communities,” Hugo said.
“Our goal is to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants across all areas of football including playing, coaching and officiating, while creating meaningful pathways for professional development. These scholarships allow us to identify, support and showcase the next generation who have the potential to achieve at the highest levels of the game.
“Congratulations to all scholarship recipients. We wish them every success as they continue their journey in football.”