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The AFL today announced its 2013 grand final team.

Four AFL umpires will make their grand final debut in the 2013 AFL Grand Final.

The AFLUA elevated three grand final umpires to grand final legend status at its 2013 recognition dinner on Saturday night.

As footy draws to a close in many states this weekend it will become the beginning for many umpires who are looking to get an AFL contract.

By 10.30pm (eastern standard time) on Saturday there will only be two teams left in the race for the ultimate prize and one team of umpires.  The cutting of AFL officials is as ruthless as the exiting of a team from the grand final race.  While the scoreboard is there for all to see the minute the final siren sounds which instantly tells the world who the teams will be, it will take the AFL Umpiring Department many hours of reviewing performances and weighing up a season of performances that will ensure only the best officials walk onto the ground on grand final day.

The remaining field umpire rookies across Australia are also entering the pointy end of their seasons.  In WA, Justin Orr is sitting as the emergency umpire in the WAFL preliminary final, while second rookie, Scott McPhee is umpiring with Beau Wardman and scholarship winner Rob McCann.

AFL rookies have again led their respective NEAFL conferences in umpiring performance  and have been appointed to their conference finals.

Field umpire Mat Nicholls umpired his 200th AFL match last Sunday in the Richmond v. Carlton final at the MCG.  Achieving a milestone game in a final certainly makes it that little more memorable.  It was Mat’s seventh final.