The merits of a conference system can be argued until you are blue in the face. What is indisputable is that two cut throat preliminary finals will be played this weekend that will determine the Grand Finalists for AFLW 3.
This weekend is a big one for Angus McKenzie-Wills who not only will be officiating his 50thAFL game on Sunday but will be keeping a close eye on the results from the NSW election, wondering if he’ll have a job at the end of it.
There is one thing to get that much awaited phone call in early October to tell you that you’ve earned an AFL contract. The next exercise is to pick up your belongings and move to the other side of the country, establish your new work environment, ensure your partner is comfortable in her new environment, start training, fly around the country umpiring preseason JLT matches but to top it all off, selection in round one, now that’s special.
One of the stalwarts of our association Peter “Pedro” Taylor passed away peacefully over the weekend. Pedro was still an active participant in our X umpire luncheons at Mornington and always had a good story or two to tell.
When you reach retirement age, you may think that you would put your feet up and relax, but this was not the case for our next “Where are they now?” Umpire.
Players have had their every move, both in games and at training, monitored and pored over by each club’s Strength and Conditioning staff for well over a decade now. AFL contracted field umpires were presented with their pre-season training toy when they hit the training track in mid-November last year.
Photo from left to right: Former professional cyclist Phil Anderson OAM, Ben Carbonaro AFLUD Property Steward and Andrew Toy, former Canberra based umpire.
The AFL has quietly taken significant yet much-needed steps to ensure its highly-scrutinised umpiring group is adequately supported and recognised as the league’s ‘19th team’.
One of the most difficult assignments for any newly contracted umpire is to come into the group and stamp their position within the group.