The AFL finals umpiring panel for 2024 has been released.
The list of 16 field, 13 boundary, and 8 goal umpires includes four finals debutants.
Field umpires Cameron Dore and Brent Wallace will appear in finals for the first time in their respective careers. Dore hails from strong umpiring stock, his father being 302 game and 1996 Grand Final field umpire Gavin Dore. After completing his 100th game in round 20, he seems primed for finals, having umpired a full 24 home and away games this season.
For Wallace, earning a finals appointment may be particularly sweet. Having begun his career nine years ago in 2015, a regular battle with injury means that at 138 games, he’s managed relatively few. However in the last two years he’s found reliable fitness and stamina, umpiring 24 games in 2023 and 20 home and away games in 2024. Son of ex-Hawthorn player Terry Wallace, Brent is a graduate of the AFL’s player to umpire pathway, having originally played for the Box Hill Hawks in the VFL before making the swap to umpiring.
Nick Phillips appointment to finals seems a fitting conclusion to his swift rise in the AFL umpiring ranks. After demonstrating his excellence running the boundary first in the VFL, earning him the 2019 VFL Grand Final, then proving his ability in the AFLW, running in the 2019 and 2021 AFLW Grand Finals, he broke onto the AFL list in 2022. In his second year Phillips was awarded the Bill Sutton Medallion, the AFLUA’s reward recognising the most promising first or second year boundary umpire. Now, 65 games into his career, he’ll have his chance again to prove his ability to excel at the highest level.
Matthew Maclure will make his finals debut 103 games into his career. Taking to goal umpiring at the age of 13 in the Ovens and Murray league, Maclure made the move from country Victoria to Melbourne in 2008 to pursue umpiring with the VFL. After a long stint in the VFL, including a two year hiatus to recover from a knee injury, he was offered a contract by the AFL for the 2017 season following his appointment to the 2016 VFL Grand Final.
AFL Finals Umpiring Panel
Field:
Jamie Broadbent, Curtis Deboy, Cameron Dore, Rob Findlay, Craig Fleer, Nick Foot, Hayden Gavine, Andre Gianfagna, Brendan Hosking, Simon Meredith, Jacob Mollison, Brett Rosebury, Andrew Stephens, Matt Sevic, Brent Wallace, Nathan Williamson
Boundary:
Jordan Andrews, Michael Barlow, Chris Bull, Ian Burrows, Nathan Doig, Daniel Field-Read, Josh Furman, Matthew Jenkinson, Matthew Konetschka, Ben Macdonald, Damien Main, Michael Marantelli, Josh Mather, Nick Phillips, Jordan Russell, Matthew Tomkins
Goal:
Michael Craig, Matthew Dervan, Matt Maclure, Angus McKenzie-Wills, Steven Piperno, Sam Walsh, Stephen Williams, Adam Wojcik
Emergency Field:
Leigh Fisher, Andrew Heffernan, Matthew Nicholls, Martin Rodger
Emergency Goal:
Matthew Bridges, Alex Chisholm, Brodie Kenny-Bell, Tom Sullivan