Veterans go back to the future

Aug 30, 2019 | News

A few months back I made a few discrete enquiries as to the health and fitness of some of our veteran umpires when I was formulating a plan for selecting umpires to officiate in the 2019 version of the EJ Whitten match.  Justin Schmitt (calf), Scott Jeffery...

Round 23 shorts: Mark Thomson – 400 of the best

Aug 27, 2019 | News

The boundary umpire factory of South Australia has produced another outstanding athlete, boundary umpire and more important, a great person.  Stand and applaud, 400 AFL games, Mark Thomson. Mark is only the second boundary umpire in the history of the game to...

Round 22 shorts – The problem of being in the wrong place at the wrong time

Aug 21, 2019 | News

Spare a thought for second year field umpire, Alex Whetton who weighs 60kg ringing wet when he inadvertently collided with Lachie Schultz weighing in at 78kg running at full pace.  Alex was knocked unconscious and had to be assisted from the field.  While he did not...

Round 21 shorts: Where has 2019 gone?

Aug 13, 2019 | News, Umpire Shorts

Photo courtesy of: Grant Case Here we are with the blink of an eye on the brink of another season ending finale to match all finales.  When did a season go down to the wire like this one? Snow fell on Canberra’s Manuka Oval during Friday night’s clash between the...

Where are they now? Roland Glanville ‘Roly’ Caird – Oldest AFLUA member

Aug 8, 2019 | Where Are They Now?

It is with great pleasure that l introduce our next ‘Where are they now?’ member. Our oldest AFLUA member is Roland Glanville ‘Roly’ Caird, affectionately known as Roly is currently 99 years of age and will turn 100 on the 23rdof June 2020.  Roly was born to William...