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AFL umpires Ian Burrows and Luke Walker will be officiating on Grand Final day. They chat to Paul Kennedy about selection and fading into the background.

The AFL umpiring department has backed in its experienced umpires to take charge of the 2014 grand final.

HISTORY will be made in the WAFL Grand Final on Sunday at Patersons Stadium as Lauren French and Sally Boud become the first female goal-umpiring duo to officiate in a senior Grand Final.

GRAND Final umpire Matthew Nicholls says the next frontier for the game is to have female field umpires officiating at AFL level.

THERE he is. On the edge of the frame. But no one is looking at him. Instead 50,000 sets of eyes are on the Crows player with No. 19 on his back who is about to kick a miraculous goal from deep in the pocket at the Adelaide Oval.

To be named on the AFL “rookie list” clearly indicates to all that you are taking the next step towards becoming a AFL-listed field umpire.  You have spent the summer trialing to get a contracted place on the list, attending coaching sessions, teleconferences if you are interstate, following a rigorous training program, but like everything else in footy you are only as good as your last performance which for many of our rookies has been their state league grand finals.

Spare a thought for the umpires and the umpiring department today.  As Hawthorn decides if Cyril Rioli is fit enough to play or whether Sewell or McEvoy can force their way back into the team, Campbell, Kennedy and their fellow selectors are putting ticks and crosses next to names that will determine the third team that walks onto the MCG this grand final Saturday.