Wye River was the base for the AFL Field Umpires 2015 preseason camp conducted last weekend. In pretty surrounds about 20km past Lorne, the beach and steep hills made it the perfect place to test the physical capability and strength of the squad, whilst also providing a great opportunity for the newly listed umpires and rookies from around the country to bond with the group.
On Friday night we were privileged to listen to guest speaker Johnny Van Wisse. Johnny is an exceptional triathlete who smashed the Enduroman world record, an event from London to Paris comprising a 140km run, 33km swim across the channel and 250km ride. This inspired us across the weekend to set and maintain high benchmarks for our physical training.
Separated into four competitive teams, we completed numerous events over the weekend including an army commando beach session, a 6km mountain bike time trial ascending the hills of Lorne, a 15km run as part of an Amazing Race taking in the sites of Lorne and a beach surf session at Wye River including swimming races, paddleboard races and beach sprints.
Whilst all the events were physically challenging, the teamwork, encouragement and camaraderie amongst the teams was exceptional to ensure that everyone got the best out of themselves. And for the record, it was the Caviars who won the tightly contested teams events from the Vengaboys, Backpackers and Commandos.
Written by Field umpire, Andrew Mitchell
Pictured from L-R (back row) – Shaun Ryan, Liam Rowe, Nick Foot, Jacob Mollison, Andrew Talbot and Andrew Stephens
From L-R (front row) – Matt Clarke, Shane McInerney, Dean Margetts, Scott Jeffery and Andrew Mitchell