When October 31 comes around each year all current AFL contract holders roll over to 2017 unless they have been told their time is up and so it was on the day before Cup day last week.
There are two changes to the field umpires list. Nick Brown (17 games) and Jack Edwards (11 games) will make way for WA Rookie Nathan Williamson, who umpired the WAFL grand final in 2016 and VFL umpire, Hayden Gavine who umpired his second senior grand final. Both Nick and Jack will go back to the VFL with a view to staking a claim for another spot on the list in the next few years.
Two new goal umpires, Dylan Benwell and Matt Maclure umpired the VFL grand final this year, replace David Dixon (retired) and Canberra based Dale Puren (36 games) who was delisted following an injury and illness riddled 2016, where he didn’t umpire a match. Perth based goal umpire, Dale Edwick has not been replaced following his retirement with discussions ongoing about putting on a rookie goal umpire, who can sit on the bench but not be appointed to umpire which will give the three listed umpires more games.
The boundary umpire list remains unchanged at this stage with no further umpires delisted following four retirements. Darren Wilson, Jonathan Creasey, John Morris and Gerard Large retired. There remains a list spot available in NSW, SA and Vic. Those appointments will be made over the off season.
We will introduce you to the newly listed umpires over the coming weeks as we learn more about them and their AFL aspirations.