Umpires go above & beyond to ensure matches go ahead

With illness and a lack of availability leaving a huge hole in the umpiring ranks this weekend, ten dedicated Umpires stepped up to ensure that all eight matches in the Senior Competition were covered on Saturday’s Pride Round.

Several of these Umpires pushed aside their own illness and injury concerns to front up, one Umpire played a match earlier in the day before grabbing the whistle, and a number of the Umpires officiated more than one match back to back.

With the Junior Competition also experiencing a similar shortfall in Umpires, several of the Senior officials backed up on the Sunday to make sure the Juniors didn’t miss out.

Paul Taylor, Community Football Manager, acknowledged a huge effort by the individuals involved.

“Clubs rightly celebrate the efforts of their players who played injured, or who back up for multiple grades in a day. Over the weekend our Umpires did this and more in what was a super human effort,” Taylor said.

“In a season that’s already had so many disruptions and postponements, our Umpires have gone significantly above and beyond to make sure that a shortage in their numbers didn’t result in Senior or Junior players missing out on a match this weekend. We owe these dedicated individuals a huge debt of gratitude.

“It’s also a great reminder as we head into the back end of the season that we’re just one COVID outbreak away from having to postpone or even cancel important matches if we don’t have enough Umpires. We can always do with more match officials and it’s never too late in the season to get started.”

Anyone interested in starting umpiring should contact either Paul Taylor (paul.taylor@afl.com.au) or Emily Brown (emily.brown@afl.com.au). The accreditation course and ongoing training are online, new umpires start out with more experienced personnel, and can begin with younger age groups to find their feet before progressing through the ranks.

Umpiring is the best seat in the house – get in the game, stay fit, stay connected to footy, and earn money!