Rob O’Gorman’s quietly passed his 100thgame milestone when he took to the field for the Fremantle v Carlton game on Sunday 30thJune.
Whilst Rob’s first official game was the Hawthorn v St Kilda game in round 7 in 2014, he did come on for a quarter in the GWS v Melbourne game in round 3 after he replaced Ben Ryan who sustained an ankle injury. The Hawks ended up beating St Kilda by 145 points in wet conditions at the MCG.
In 2016, Rob was appointed to the Anzac Day clash between Essendon and Collingwood in front of 85,000 screaming spectators at the MCG. He recalls it being an awesome opportunity when he umpired alongside Justin Schmitt, who was also doing his first Anzac Day game even after 300 games.
Rob went on to umpire his 50thgame in round 4 (2017) at Manuka Oval in Canberra in a closer match between the Giants and Port Adelaide.
With 100 games under his belt, Rob continues to enjoy the experience of umpiring at the elite level. He loves the camaraderie of the umpiring group and working with his teammates to achieve the best result on match day. He also loves the physical and mental challenge that tests your capacity to concentrate, execute skills and stay composed in a pressure environment.
His biggest learning so far from doing 100 games is to really enjoy the moment and the opportunity of being involved at AFL level because it’s easy to focus on the weekly ups and downs across the year and forget that it’s a great job with a supportive team of people who really make it worthwhile.
Rob’s most enjoyable game(s) was when he teamed with Chambo and Troy Pannell for the first three games of 2018. They were all really close games and they developed a great team rapport and enjoyed their time together.
In preparing for each match, Rob ticks off his weekly running sessions, does an off legs session, reviews the coaching vision, looks over team sheets but more importantly spends time away from footy with family and friends. He is particularly proud of his on-field communication with players which he believes is clear, concise and respectful.
Congratulations Rob on your 100thgame and we wish you continued success for the remainder of the season.