Ex-EPL official Jon Moss defends A-League quality after Bulls captain's sensational decision to quit
Football Australia head of referees Jon Moss has hit back at criticism over the standard of officiating in the A-League amid suggestions it is driving players away from the game.
Referees were placed under the spotlight after Macarthur FC captain Valere Germain abruptly quit mid-season, with the club placing blame on league officials for his departure.
The French star's exit came just a week before he was set to face a Football Australia hearing for allegedly making lewd gestures towards a match official.
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Moss brushed aside direction questions on the claims made about Germain's exit when speaking to media on Wednesday, pointing to data that showed the growth in consistency around various on-field decisions.
Valère Germain and Marin Jakoli of Macarthur FC appeal to referee CK Kawana-Waugh for a direct penalty during the round eight A-League Men match between Wellington Phoenix and Macarthur FC. Getty
Moss' team have made significant changes to officiating in the competition since his appointment in October, taking immediate action reducing on-field referee involvement.
The implemented change has seen a decrease of 47 per cent in red cards given and 21 per cent in yellow cards given.
But that decrease is just the tip of the iceberg, according to Moss.
"I think we have a lot of really good officials in Australia, we have officials with a lot of potential," Moss said.
"They've done over 50 international games, we've got two candidates for the World Cup which is unusual and we're coming to the final stages of (Asian) Champions League and our match officials are being represented either in the chair as VARs or on the field.
"Can we get better - undoubtedly. That's why I'm here, that's why we've got all these coaches on board because we are not satisfied with where we are now and we want to get better.
"We have constant feedback and the feedback right across the board from all clubs has been that they are very happy with the way that we are refereeing and what we're trying to stamp out of the game.
"We'll continue to try and develop our match officials to make them the best in the world."
Jon Moss referees the Play-Off Final between Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest in 2022. Getty
Moss, a former English Premier League official, warned that jobs will be at risk for some in the near future as he prepares to unveil a complete restructure.
Projected changes include a reduction in the size of the A-League officiating pool to 12 best referees in the nation for both the men's and women's competitions.
The 2024-25 season currently includes 27 assistant referees for the men's league and 23 in the women's league, but the groups are projected to both be reduced to 18.
Referees will also undergo additional training in the new Australia Championship league, a 16-team, eight-week long competition which is set to feature NPL clubs.
The competition will provide an extra layer to the coaching and feedback resources that have been provided to officials this season.
"It is groundbreaking for us referees because before you went from grassroots to NPL and then your next transition was into the A-League," said Moss.
"For me this Australian Championship is going to be a completely different style of referee, this is where you're going to earn all your management skills, you're going to be able to show authority in that league and we'll be able to see who can actually referee before we move them up into the A-League."
