Our coaching panel has now been finalised for the upcoming season, and we are extremely pleased to announce the following appointments:
Boundary Umpire Coach – Ian Green
Ian is a former AFL boundary umpire who officiated 236 AFL games, including 14 finals and the 1993 and 1995 AFL Grand Finals. After retiring from boundary umpiring in 1999, he spent five years in observer and coaching roles. Following a break from umpiring, Ian recently returned to the NFNL as a goal umpire. Ian is now eager to share his knowledge and to coach and develop our young, talented boundary umpires at the NFNL.
Goal Umpire Coach – Craig Herman
Craig commenced umpiring in the VFA in 1980 and moved to the DVFL in 1985 as a field umpire. He has umpired over 650 NFNL senior games as a field and goal umpire, including numerous senior men’s and women’s grand finals. Craig’s passion for umpiring extends off the field, where he has held numerous positions on the NUA executive and is a life member of the association. Craig has coached goal umpires at the NFNL for several years and has also been an assistant development squad coach at the VFL.
Assistant Senior Field Coach – Andrew Mills
Andrew has been an umpire with the DVFL/NFNL for the past 26 years. Throughout his career, he has officiated in more than 300 senior games and has been selected to umpire numerous junior and senior grand finals. In addition to his on-field experience, Andrew has contributed to the Northern Umpires Association in several leadership and support roles. He now looks forward to the next chapter of his involvement in football, transitioning into a coaching and mentoring role to help develop the next generation of umpires.
Female Development Coach – Amanda Mowlam
Amanda began her field umpiring journey in 2006 and has proudly officiated across both junior and senior levels in men’s and women’s competitions. A key early highlight was umpiring her first senior men’s Division 2 match between Diamond Creek and Lalor, a milestone that strengthened her passion for the role. Since then, Amanda has umpired the Division 3 Women’s Grand Final, followed by the Division 2 Women’s Grand Final the next year—both memorable achievements in her umpiring career. After a short break from umpiring to pursue coaching and playing football, Amanda has returned with renewed drive and clear aspirations: to umpire a Division 1 Women’s Grand Final and to actively grow female umpiring within the NFNL. She is passionate about creating strong pathways and opportunities for girls and women in umpiring, helping to build confidence, capability, and representation at all levels of the game.
Fitness Coach – Luke Richardson
Luke began his umpiring journey in 2008, bringing dedication and passion to every game since. Alongside his commitment to umpiring, Luke’s interest in health and performance led him to work as a Fitness Adviser for the Northern Football League Netball in 2013 and 2014. He also holds Certificate III and IV in Fitness from Victoria University, demonstrating a strong background in fitness and athlete support.
These final appointments complement the earlier appointments of Grant Joyner (Senior Field Coach), Adrian Pekin (Junior Field Coach) and Matt Edwards (Umpire Development Mentor).
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