One of the most frequent questions asked of the association is “What happened to the VFL Reserve Grade Umpires Association honour board?”
Mystery solved! A Merri Christmas…
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Member News
X-Umpires Luncheon – November 2023
Our final X-Umpires luncheon of the year saw a predictably strong turnout, with some from as far as Sydney and Albury sought to make use of the AFLUA’s celebratory Christmas bar tab. Around 40 past VFL, VFA and AFL umpires gathered at the Caulfield Glasshouse. This time, the interviewee was Roy Ferguson (Heritage number 172), who, from 1978 to 1987 umpired 134 games, including four finals. Roy shared anecdotes from his time behind the posts, detailing the extreme fitness programmes goal umpires were subject to… and how he bludged them. Another highlight was his story about the time a heckler got a deserved comeuppance when his antics backfired.
Golf Day – November 2023
On Monday this week, a group of 15 ex umpires came together at Medway Golf Course in Maidstone for the second golf event this year.
AFLW Members See Success at SANFL Awards Night
The SANFL Golden Whistle Awards night last Friday saw three of the AFLUA’s AFLW members claim trophies.
AFLW’s Josh James recognised in the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sports Awards
On the evening of Saturday November 11, many of Australia’s finest First Nations athletes, officials and administrators gathered for the reconvening of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sports Awards. AFLW Goal Umpire Josh James was among them, having been nominated for the Sports Official of the year.
‘Where Are They Now? – Michael ‘Dinky’ Dye – Heritage Number 267
This one’s a classic! Every year we see Malcom Blight kick for goal after the siren in 1976 against Carlton to win the game. The kick travelled at least 70 meters but almost 5 decades on, as legend grows and the kick gets longer and longer. Blight kicked the ball so far that it travelled over the Heatley Stand and into a tram. The ball was finally retrieved in Flinders Street Melbourne covered in mayonnaise. LOL. Now, the umpire controlling the mark is none other than my next ‘Where are they Now’ in Michael ‘Dinky’ Dye. Michael had the easy job as his partner David Levens had the dubious task of giving the all clear to Goal umpire Ted Johnson, with hundreds of fans on the ground.
Vale Ted Johnson
The AFLUA was saddened to learn that Life Member and Lifetime Achievement Recipient Ted ‘Teddy’ Johnson recently passed away.
AFLUA X-Umpires’ Luncheon – October 2023
Our X-Umpires’ Luncheons continue to provide a great opportunity for retired umpires to catch up regularly and share great yarns about their time in the game and beyond.
‘Where Are They Now?’ – DOUGLAS EDWIN LAMB – Heritage Number 210
My next ‘Where are they Now?’ profile – Doug Edwin Lamb – has spent 40 years in Football: the first 7 years as a field umpire, with the VFL and the VFLRG, and then 6 years with the Sunday Amateurs from 1954 to 1959 as a field umpire and 1 as a goal umpire; then in 1955, on the Victorian Football League Reserve Grade Umpires Board as Secretary/Manager/Advisor/Observer to young umpires for the next 30 years. During that period, Doug served as the Vice-President of the VFL Reserve Grade League.