Our next ‘Where are they now?” is boundary umpire Ray James ‘Splinter’ Prosser, Heritage number 347 who ran the boundary for 150 games in the two-boundary umpire system from 1977 to 1986.
Sixteen years in elite sport, maintaining a very high level of performance, balancing work and life are all the battles that Dan faces each week and indeed each year to keep his spot on the goal umpiring panel. Two hundred and fifty games is a mammoth games tally, indeed only 16 goal umpires have gone further than 250 games. Only one current umpire, Chris Appleton, 279 games has done more. Always the bridesmaid, never the bride is also a saying that Daniel can be labeled with. His career finals number eight, but his near misses are too numerous to note. Remember only eight goal umpires each year form the finals panel. Only six current goal umpires have umpired a grand final. Mention Dan’s name to anyone and he is regarded as one of the best. Well done Dan.
Rob O’Gorman’s quietly passed his 100thgame milestone when he took to the field for the Fremantle v Carlton game on Sunday 30thJune.
Our WA based brothers, Jeff and Brett Dalgleish just keep racking up the milestones. Jeff passed the 200-game mark five weeks ago, now Brett has notched up his last Friday night in the WCE v Collingwood tussle at Optus Stadium. Brett becomes the 144th umpire to reach 200 games but only the 50th boundary umpire. More importantly they become the first brothers in VFL/AFL history to each umpire 200 games. A truly amazing feat. Both men have featured prominently in finals as well over the last few years. Jeff has umpired 6 finals including the 2015 grand final while Brett has racked up 14 finals including the emergency grand final umpire in 2017 and 2018. Neither of them look like slowing down soon. Let’s see where to next for our brothers in arms.
Someone may be asking where the nickname ‘Dingo’ found its origin for this edition of ‘Where are they now?’ I have it on good authority it originated when John Edward ‘Dingo’ Morgan was on an umpire’s end of season trip in Sydney. It appears John went missing for most of Saturday and Sunday morning with another umpire who shall remain nameless. Allegedly John met up with a female cousin of his but was missing the umpires’ function so much that he returned on Sunday morning, leaving his umpiring mate with his ‘cousin’ on Manly Beach. It was Brian ‘Hook’ Turner who gave John the nickname ‘Dingo’. Enough said.
What a great gesture from the Bulldogs and Geelong players to form a guard of honour to recognise Shane McInerney’s record breaking game. It showed all class from two teams who genuinely respect the role of officials.
I have been extremely lucky in my time in VFL/AFL football to witness first hand the great umpires in the modern era. Make no mistake about it the dedication and perseverance required to be successful as an umpire is no less challenging than that of a player. While you don’t have the physical challenges of the continual battering player’s take you do have the mental challenges to get it right in a very demanding sport.
Our Queensland based boundary umpires, along with their coach, Randall Gibson traded their whistles and shirts to work with an organisation called “Rosies on the Street” on Friday night on the streets of Woodridge, a Brisbane suburb to meet and converse with the homeless and less fortunate in Brisbane.