Bill Dundas

Stanley John Dundas was born 3 August 1930. Known to all as ‘Bill’, he joined the VFL Reserve Grade umpires in the early 1950s and was promoted to the Senior List in 1955.

Umpiring almost exclusively in the country competitions he became a well respected umpire throughout Victoria.

Bill’s only senior Grand Final was in the Northern Riverina Football League at Tullibigeal in 1958. In the same year he was also appointed to the Northern Districts Football League Reserves Grand Final. This match was a Grand Final replay but started at the regular reserves time thus necessitating a very early morning departure from Melbourne.

Most of his finals were in the ‘outside’ competitions to which VFL umpires were appointed only for the finals series. He umpired senior finals on and north of the Murray in the Edwards River, Northern Riverina, Barellen and Murray leagues as well as two in the Omeo and District Football League. In addition there were a number of VCFL Reserves finals.

In 1957 Bill officiated in his only VFL Reserve Grade match, Hawthorn versus Footscray, at the end of the season.There were two representative matches as well as those for premiership points. Coincidentally both were curtain raisers, both were at Bordertown and both were on Mondays after umpiring the regular Saturday Tatiara or Kowree-Naracoorte fixtures – a pleasant long weekend .

Over eleven seasons with the VFL Bill umpired in excess of 190 matches and was awarded life membership of the VFLUA in 1965.

Years later he returned to the VFL as an interchange steward and filled that role for a number of seasons.

Bill passed away on 21 June 2007, aged 76, at Betheden Nursing Home.