Boundary Umpires
Darren Wilson finishes his 23rd year on the AFL list with 392 AFL games to his name including 48 finals and 12 grand finals. Darren holds all three records for boundary umpiring, all time games holder, finals and grand finals record holder. Darren forms part of a very strong South Australian contingent of boundary umpires with Mark Thomson sitting on 315 games including 26 finals and 5 grand finals coming in next on the experience table. John Morris (Vic) has now accumulated 305 games including 20 finals. Jonathon Creasey (SA 289 games), Aaron Deckys (Qld 272) Rob Haala (Vic 262) and Adam Coote (Vic 245) round out the elite experience.
Darren Wilson aside, Ian Burrows moves ahead of Mark Thomson and Adam Coote with 6 grand finals. Nathan Doig comes in next with 4 grand finals.
The list of 42, Australia wide contains the following experience, 3 umpires with 300 plus games, 6 have 200 games and 11 have 100 plus games to their credit. The remaining 22 umpires have less than 100 games experience. Eleven umpires on the current list have AFL grand finals and another 12 have umpired a final.
Field Umpires
Shane McInerney has moved into second place on the all time field umpire list with 422 games, surpassing Rowan Sawers (410) and Stephen McBurney (401). Shane umpired 21 games this season including one final taking his finals tally to 26 including 2 grand finals.
The next most experienced umpires include Brett Rosebury (331 games) including 36 finals and 7 grand finals. Brett moves into equal 3rd place for grand finals umpired with Brett Allen, Robert Scott and Henry Crapp. Justin Schmitt has umpired (304 games) including 10 finals, Scott Jeffery (284), Matt Stevic (279), Dean Margetts (264), Simon Meredith (260) and Mat Nicholls (253).
The current list has one 400 gamer, 2 with 300 plus games, 8 with 200 games or more and 9 with 100 games. The remaining 13 have less than 100
Nine umpires on the current list have at least one AFL grand final to their name and another 9 have finals experience.
Goal Umpires
David Dixon finishes the 2015 season with 335 games including 32 finals and 6 grand finals. He is now only two games behind our all time games record holder, David Flegg (337). A long way back in terms of total games comes Luke Walker with 221 games but Luke has 33 finals and 6 grand finals included in that total games tally. Retiree, Jason Venkataya has 211 games, Chris Appleton (208). Daniel Wilson (186), Chelsea Roffey (184) and Steve Axon (164) round out the elite experience of our goal panel.
Of the 27 listed goal umpires we have one with more than 300 games, 3 with 200 games experience, 8 with more than 100 and the remaining 15 with less than 100 games experience.
In terms of finals there are 6 who have achieved grand final status and a further 7 with finals experience.
The lists are healthy with a good combination of youth and experience. No doubt there will be some who will be tapped on the shoulder and told it is time to give another young aspiring umpire an opportunity to join the ranks.