When actions are needed to speak louder than words we turn to the quiet achievers and Troy Mavroudis from Queensland is certainly one of those men. He has stood the test of time, twelve years to be precise, as an AFL umpire who cares passionately about the game and umpiring.
Troy made the AFL panel as a goal umpire after a two-year apprenticeship, one year in the Eastern Football League in Victoria and one on the Gold Coast in Queensland. He made the AFL panel in 2001 and got his first game when his mentor and close friend, the late Glen Dryburgh, was suspended a few weeks later.
“They were tough years. The Queensland panel comprised Neil O’Brien, Glen Dryburgh, Katrina Pressley, David Morris and myself, we shared 12 games per year. As the young guy on the panel I certainly knew where I sat. I probably only did a dozen games in my first four years.”
Troy made up for that doing the 2002, 2003 and 2004 QAFL grand finals and getting a lot of experience behind him.
Troy shaped his goal umpiring on two great umpires. “On Glen Dryburgh because of his speed, fitness and preparation and on Mark Canning because of his longevity in the game, the success he has achieved and the fact that he has many of the same personal characteristics as I have, he is quiet, unassuming and simply gets the job done.”
Today Troy has a very open and honest relationship with his goal umpiring team mates in Queensland.
“We train together and umpire together every week. We work well as a group with open and honest feedback. Add goal umpires coach Nick Abbate and they form a solid group intent on self improvement. Never one to take a backward step Troy demands a very professional approach from all involved in AFL umpiring in Queensland and he leads by example.
Troy has stood the test of time with 130 games of involvement including a pre-season Grand Final, two finals panel selections and an exhibition match in London. By any other measure if Troy lived and umpired in Melbourne he would have over 180 games under his belt. He walks out on Metricon Stadium to umpire on Sunday for the last time. So what will Troy do in 2014?
“I can’t throw away 20 years of umpiring involvement I will sit back at the end of the year and see what comes.”
Troy, congratulations on your career as you now focus on family and friends.