The AFLUA presented game record holder former goal umpire David Dixon with his retirement caricature last week. Never one for wanting a fuss made about him, David was happy to receive the retirement gift in person. David is spending his time coaching the AFLW goal umpiring and working in the VFL as the goal umpires’ fitness coach.
With the split rounds commencing, the AFL trialled four field umpires with Jeff Dalgleish umpiring twice, once in Adelaide on Thursday night and in Perth on Sunday. The four umpire system will continue this weekend with four more field umpires scheduled for double-headers.
Chris Gordon is the 132nd umpire to officiate in 200 VFL/AFL matches (45th boundary). He achieved it in the equal fastest time – 8 years 65 days – with Mark Foster though, based on match times, Mark was fastest by 10 minutes. It is the second occurrence of identical times to 200 – Matt James and Brett Rosebury are tied on 10 years and 113 days!
Chris Kamolins became the 133rd umpire to officiate in 200 VFL/AFL matches (39th field). He is the 33rd fastest amongst the field umpires – 12 years 32 days.
The AFLUA hosted its Annual Queensland lunch at the Pineapple Hotel in Brisbane on Sunday. Forty-three members, former members and guests attended including special guest Tom McArthur, who is one of only 13 umpires in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Life membership was presented to Tristan Symes and those in attendance took time to celebrate Aaron Deckys’s 300th AFL game achievement.
Prior to the lunch, three goal umpires ran in the Brisbane City2 South Fun Run, a 14 kilometre run, all running very respectable times – Tristan Symes – 1:03:37, Alistair Meldrum 1:07:04 and Shaun Apted 1:10:20. Some budding boundary umpire perhaps?
Written by: AFLUA Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Peter Kelly