The AFL umpiring department has selected six first time finals umpires to take to the field over this weekend.

Goal umpire, Brodie Kenny-Bell has created a 20 year record for a goal umpire by being selected in a final in his first year on the list.  

According to our statistician, David Flegg, Brodie becomes the 43rd umpire (6th goal umpire) since 1931, where an independent board and an assessment process was introduced to be appointed in his first season.  The last goal umpire selected to umpire a final in his first year was Neil O’Brien in 1995.  *See the table below of umpires who achieved a final in their first year on the list since 1931

Brendan Hosking is the only field umpire making his debut.  Hosking has umpired 20 games this season taking his career total to 60.  He joins Jeff Dalgleish, Scott Jeffery and Shane McInerney who return to the finals panel after missing finals last season.

Boundary umpire Chris Bull  (97 games), along with Shane Thiele, (130 games), Chris Esler (83 games) and Matthew Jenkinson (83 games) all debut this weekend. 

There are always tough stories to be told come finals selection but spare a thought for boundary umpire Drew Kowalski and Mark Thomson who both had to pull out injured on the eve of round 23.  Rumour has it that both boys were a good chance for finals selection.

Percy Ellingsen Field 1931
Norman Batty Boundary 1933
Vincent Baker Boundary 1933
John Lancaster Boundary 1934
Arthur Sims Boundary 1942
James Bull Boundary 1942
George Harrison Boundary 1943
Cornelius Delaney Boundary 1943
Reginald Watson Boundary 1944
Archibald Campbell Boundary 1944
William Quinn Boundary 1946
Brian Downie Boundary 1949
William Treloar Boundary 1951
Robert Haughton Boundary 1952
John Geggie Boundary 1954
Desmond Fitzgerald Boundary 1955
Lance Perkins Field 1966
Kevin Mitchell Boundary 1968
Geoffrey Lee Boundary 1969
Brian Pratt Goal 1975
Graham Carbery Boundary 1975
Stephen Donohue Boundary 1976
Leigh Paterson Boundary 1976
Barry Farrow Goal 1976
Douglas Langham Goal 1977
Adrian Ryan Boundary 1978
Andrew Kovess Boundary 1982
Bill Pryde Goal 1982
Alan Rigby Boundary 1986
Matthew Starr Boundary 1991
Sam Leslie Boundary 1994
Darren Fletcher Boundary 1994
Chris Macdonald Boundary 1995
Neil O’Brien Goal 1995
Mark McKenzie Field 1995
Michael Hane Boundary 1996
Shane Jansen Boundary 1996
Matthew Bellizia Boundary 1996
Jason Smith Boundary 1999
Mitchell Lefevre Boundary 2008
Jace Collingridge Boundary 2010
Patrick Tongue Boundary 2011
Jordan Bannister Field 2012

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