The Bishop Shield is named in honour of the late Barry “Bishop” Sheen who throughout his short career typified the criteria against which this award is judged. Achieving on field success, actively contributing to and supporting the AFLUA and role modelling the attributes of commitment, loyalty and dedication. The award is peer voted which makes it very prestigious among the group.
The “Bishop” as he was nicknamed was appointed to the VFL list in 1967, umpired his first AFL match in 1971 but was killed in a motor vehicle accident in 1973.
Our award recipients this year have both achieved outstanding on field success.
This is Matt’s 2nd Bishop Shield. Matt Stevic umpired his 5th AFL grand final and was named All-Australian field umpire for the 5th time. Off field Matt was a very good contributor to the AFLUA collective bargaining process and worked with young umpires in a mentor capacity. He was also part of the field umpires’ leadership group.
Chris Donlon is a first-time recipient of the Bishop Shield. Chris finished the 2017 season ranked in the top 12 field umpires, umpiring one final. Chris is the glue that binds our Fiona McBurney Match Day Experiences for people with Down Syndrome. He is passionate about the success of the program and is a strong advocate for Sport and Ability, bringing those two key components to the table and celebrating what people can do, not what they can’t do. Every listed umpire, coach and trainer across the country love being involved in the program.
Congratulations to both worthy recipients.