Field umpire, Justin Schmitt became just the 19th umpire in VFL/AFL history to umpire 300 AFL games on the weekend in the traditional Carlton v Collingwood clash at the MCG. Justin, who joined the AFL panel from South Australia in 1997 has had to overcome significant injuries to post this great milestone. His 300 game tally includes 9 finals, one of which was the Hawthorn v Pt Adelaide preliminary final last season. We will hear more from Justin later in the week.
Fifty game milestones are not recognised by the AFL. They consider multiple of 100 games deserve real celebration and recognition.
Ex St Kilda player and now AFL field umpire, Leigh Fisher hit his first milestone last weekend umpiring his 50th game in the Geelong v Brisbane clash. Leigh was the 85th player to take the plunge into umpiring following a playing career.
Ahead of his 300th game, AFL Field Umpire Justin Schmitt spoke with SEN’s breakfast show Morning Glory this morning.
Life member Allan Cook has recently been selected to compete on the world athletics stage again, this time in the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China in late August.
Ask anyone involved in boundary umpiring whom the “bridesmaid” will be come finals time and the universal response will be “Jonesy.”
It was a tough week all round for the umpiring group if the media was right about performances. However, spare a thought for the group when three senior umpires were missing through injury and illness. Troy Pannell and Shaun Ryan were out this week with adductor strains and Brett Rosebury was a late withdrawal with the flu.
You are immediately captured by his unbridled enthusiasm, his contagious smile and passion for the game. Field umpire, Simon Meredith may have just umpired his 250th AFL game but he could well be that same youthful rookie who first stepped onto an AFL ground in 2004.