Flegg during his umpiring days.
Ex-AFL Goal Umpire, current AFL Timekeeper and AFLUA Historian/Statistician David Flegg has been honoured with Life Membership of the AFL.
‘Fleggy’, who’s tremendous service to the game has already earned him a Membership of the Order of Australia and Legend Status in the AFLUA Hall of Fame, will receive his award in Sydney at the AFL season opening in March.
Of the award AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said, “Life membership of the AFL is a high honour and recognises both the quality of service across many years and an incredible love for the game and support for its growth and future success.”
Fleggy’s honour comes after a long and decorated career as a goal umpire. After breaking onto the V/AFL list in 1988 Flegg would go on to umpire 3 State of Origin matches, 19 AFL finals and 3 AFL grand finals (1991, 1993, 2006).
When he retired from umpiring in 2011, Flegg did so after 22 years and 337 games, which was then the all-time games record for goal umpires and now stands as the 2nd highest. Within Flegg’s career as a goal umpire he was named All-Australian goal umpire in 2006 (the award was introduced in 2005) and was a 7-time recipient of the AFLUA’s goal umpire of the year award, the Leigh Keen Shield.
As the curtain fell on Flegg’s umpiring career on the ground, he just as promptly commenced his work off it. In 2012 Flegg became an AFL Timekeeper, a role he continues today. As a timekeeper Flegg has amassed a further 236 games and 2 grand finals (2018, 2024) of officiating, as well as 38 AFLW matches.
With an unmatched curriculum vitae, Flegg lent his expertise to coaching, joining AFL Victoria as Goal Umpires’ Assistant Coach (2012-2016) and Fitness Coach (2014-2016).
Beyond Flegg’s gleaming record as an AFL official, his voluntary contributions off-field add an extra special lustre to his achievements.
Upon learning in 1988 that the then VFL only maintained records of all-time great field umpires and VFL grand final umpires, Flegg—a research librarian by trade—worked alongside an umpiring colleague to research, verify and record a list of every umpire (field, boundary and goal) who had umpired a VFL/AFL match since 1897.
The culmination of Flegg’s long and arduous research resulted in 1,345 VFL/AFL umpiring records being available for the first time, almost 100 years after the first VFL match was played.
The project documented every Field, Boundary and Goal umpire to have umpired a V/AFL game, including the years they umpired, matches umpired, number of matches umpired and every game’s result. The astonishing breadth and meticulousness of the research includes all V/AFL grand final umpires, all V/AFL finals umpires, all V/AFL pre-season grand final umpires, all V/AFL State of Origin match umpires, all umpire/players, and all Victorian Country Football League umpires.
The outstanding quality of Flegg’s research and record keeping is such that the AFL adopted his work as it’s official history for umpiring.
Currently Flegg maintains these databases, advising the AFL and AFLUA on approaching umpire game milestones so that appropriate recognition can be given.
Flegg receiving his Australia Medal in 2019.
Flegg’s work has enabled the vast history of umpiring to be uncovered and shared. His contributions have enabled, inter alia: the introduction of heritage number for V/AFL and AFLW umpires, the establishment of the AFLUA Hall of Fame, Umpires and the Wars—a written history of V/AFL umpires who have fought in war for Australia, and The Man in White (2009) and The Man in White Country Connections (2012)—two books on umpiring history.
Most importantly, all Flegg’s assiduous work to capture the history of V/AFL umpiring was done in an honorary or voluntary capacity.
In recognition of his incredible service to umpiring, in 2019 Flegg was presented an Australia Medal for his services to umpiring by the Hon. Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria.
Having campaigned strongly for greater recognition of boundary and field umpires, the AFLUA is extremely pleased that David has been honoured with Life Membership of the AFL.
AFLUA CEO Rob Kerr said “Few can match his contribution to officiating and none can match his contribution to the history of those who have officiated within the game.”
Congratulations Fleggy, you deserve it.
Article by Jackson Kerr