On Saturday, June 20, at J.E. Moore Park in West Preston a record will be made that will be unlikely to be broken.
Neville Coutts (pictured right, with previous record holder Terry Maher) will officiate in his 616th A Grade NFL/DVFL match.
Just repeating, we are talking A Grade games, not total games or senior games – A Grade games.
Terry Maher was the previous holder of the record (615) and prior to him Graham “Dicky” Norman held the record with 521 games.
Of the current umpires officiating in A Grade games, Craig Herman is closest to the mark at 533 with Wayne Fyffe next at 370.
To put that in perspective, let’s say you average 21 games per year – 18 home and away and three finals – that is nearly 30 years at the top of his game.
Let’s not make light of this. Neville has spent more time on the NFL/DVFL football field than any other player or official.
Neville first appeared on the scene in 1984 coming from the NMFL as a well credentialed field umpire. Unfortunately injury prevented him taking to the field in the DVFL so he took up goal umpiring.
It was tough to break in to the A Grade back then with the likes of Roy Goode, Ron Goldspink, Alan Scaiffe and “Dicky” Norman at the top of their games. However, he did get in to the A Grade and has never looked back.
Like footballers, umpires strive to achieve the pinnacle in their sport. Neville has been appointed to a record 19 A Grade Grand Finals (13 Division 1 and six Division 2), as well as eight B Grade Grand Finals and one C Grade Grand Final.
Neville’s first Grand Final (Division 2 B grade) was in 1985, so of a possible 30 Grand Finals between 1985 and 2014 he officiated in all but two. Now that is consistency.
Neville takes his role seriously and professionally, as all umpires should. He always presents at the ground in plenty of time, dressed in NUA off-field attire (it used to be a tie last century), checks out the goal areas, then heads to the pavilion to have a chat with some of the many friends and acquaintances he has made over the time.
He never speaks badly of anyone (well, not in public anyway). Oh, and as a creature of habit he MUST have his two dim sims and a coffee before the game. He WILL speak badly of any club that doesn’t have dim sims on the canteen menu!
Neville is now putting back in to umpiring what he has gained out of it. He is the official training coach of the goal umpires this year and for many years he, and a group of other senior umpires, have taken it upon themselves to mentor and advise young and aspiring umpires.
He gets great pleasure out of seeing young umpires develop their skills and improving, encouraging them to move on to the VFL. His behind-the-scenes role in nurturing and developing umpires of all disciplines cannot be underestimated.
Everyone involved with the NFL and its clubs should be extremely grateful that we have “a Neville Coutts” in our ranks to help improve the overall standard and professionalism of the umpiring group.
Without the support of his wife Heather, son Shane and daughter Kimberley, who are not football fans, Neville would not have been able to achieve what he has between the posts.
I am sure it makes Neville extremely proud to walk out on to J.E. Moore Park behind his other son, Justin, who will achieve 200 A Grade games in the next few weeks.
Neville, on behalf of the NUA, and I am sure all at the NFL, may I once again congratulate you on a magnificent achievement and may there be many more games and finals before you finally hang up the flags.
