Leigh Fisher became the first player/field umpire to reach the 300-game milestone at last Saturday’s Gather Round clash between Carlton and West Coast.
In 2006, 22-year-old Leigh made his debut for St Kilda, playing 55 games across the next four seasons as a small defender/midfielder, including the 2006 Preliminary Final.
After being delisted by the Saints, he was approached to discuss umpiring as his next challenge. From one high-stakes environment to the next, Leigh utilised the fitness he developed through training for long-distance events (including a sub-three hour effort at the New York Marathon) to adapt to the differing demands of umpiring compared to playing. It also required a mindset shift, with Leigh sharing that “you want to remain calm and focused and don’t want to get pumped up like you are playing”.
He was appointed to the AFL List in 2013, and his debut as an AFL umpire arrived in Round 3, 2013 (Melbourne v West Coast Eagles).
Earlier this year Leigh was awarded AFL Life Membership for reaching the 300-game threshold, marking the monumental achievement of reaching the elite level of both football and umpiring.
Leigh’s contribution to the AFLUA is also to be noted, as he held the role of Field Umpire Representative on the AFLUA Executive Committee from 2015 to 2017. He was recognised with AFLUA Life Membership in 2022.
The former teammates Fisher has umpired the most are Brendon Goddard (14 Games) and Jarryn Geary (10 Games).
Most matches player/umpire combined
| Player / Umpire | As player (Years) | As player (Matches) | As umpire (Years) | As umpire (Matches) | Total |
| Wally Naismith (Fitz/Melb) | 1902-12 | 178 | 1915-28 | 216 (FB) | 383 |
| Jack Monohan (Coll) | 1897-1907 | 171 | 1913-26 | 181 (G) | 352 |
| Ernest Jenkins (Fitz) | 1897-1910 | 182 | 1920-27 | 133 (G) | 315 |
| Leigh Fisher (St.K.) | 2003-08 | 55 | 2013-25 245 | 245 (F) | 300 |
| David Rodan (Rich/PA/Melb) | 2002-13 | 185 | 2017-25 | 107 (G) | 292 |