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Bill Terrill’s most memorable moment as a VFL umpire didn’t come on the field, it came in 1955 after a Farrer League final.  Bill was sitting in the kitchen of the Gloucester Hotel in Albury about 7.30pm after the final eating his dinner when he was introduced to a most attractive young lady, Adeline Lester.  “I married her in March 1956.  Some old aunties said it would never last.  Sixty one years later we are still going strong,” said Bill with a great smile.  Jim Rowe, also an AFLUA life member was best man at their wedding.

“Lucky undies”? “Listening to music”……….these are two of the pre-game rituals WA based Rookie umpire Trent McPhee follows before taking the field each week.

Following in his father Gavin’s footsteps, Cameron ‘Dorey’ Dore is quickly rising through the umpiring ranks with two impressive years at the VFL, after a successful beginning at the Victorian Amateurs. In 2016, in his first year with the VFL, Cameron umpired the TAC Cup Grand Final and was the winner of the VFUA’s Frank Leverett Shield for best first-year umpire across all disciplines. 

Becoming a rookie umpire and being part of the AFL Accelerated Development Program are career highlights for South Australian based Rookie Umpire Jamie Broadbent, who joins the rookie program in 2018.

Many umpires have started their careers on the promise of earning some pretty handy cash during their early schooling days and Sean Moylan was no different when he commenced umpiring as a field umpire with the East Fremantle District Junior Umpires in 2010.  He umpired two years as a field umpire before transitioning to a boundary umpire at the WAFL where he’s been for the last six seasons.  Sean has umpired in three WAFL grand finals (2015, 2016 and 2017), two state games (2016 and 2017) and was the recipient of the John Devine Medallion in both 2016 and 2017.

For a man new to umpiring, Grant Williams knew many of the umpire’s at last nights first meeting.  While waiting to be ushered into the coaching room, Grant greeted many well known faces that he had encountered across the breadth of his football journey.