Round 2 of NFNL senior men’s and women’s football marks Community Umpiring Week, recognising whistleblowers and flag wavers across the country.
The week aims to highlight the vital contribution that umpires make to the game of football, promoting umpire pathways to the top level and respect for the men, women, boys and girls who officiate matches at every level of the NFNL.
NFNL GM of Football and Umpiring Darren Bassett said the league was seeing encouraging developments in the umpiring space, with a real focus on participation.
“At a local level we’re seeing a continued interest in umpiring football. It’s particularly great to see female participation increasing – our number of registered female umpires has increased by 56% on last year already,” Basset said.
“We’re always keen to hear from people want to try their hand at umpiring, particularly people who may be retired players and have an interest in staying connected to the game.
“If it’s something you’ve wanted to get involved in, then the NFNL can provide all the resources and training to get you out there in the action.”
NFNL CEO Daniel Kelly said umpires were a cornerstone of the league.
“Ultimately without umpires, there’s no game, so this week provides a real opportunity to reflect on their contributions to our league and the game more broadly,” he said.
“A welcoming and respectful environment for our umpires ensures they keep coming back to officiate year after year and it can also help our younger umpires aspire to transition through the pathways to more elite levels of football.”
Initiatives throughout the week include:
- AFL Umpires and media attending local umpire training sessions
- AFL Umpires and Players will officiate local footy matches
- AFL Umpires will be led onto the grand during AFL Games by community umpires
