If this next ‘Where are they Now’ doesn’t get your attention, then nothing will. David Levens umpired seven seasons on the Senior List ’71 to ’77. In that time officiated in 36 VFL Senior matches from 1975 to 1977 until education & employment put an end to his umpiring career. As a Wool Classer David travelled extensively, this, to a degree, had some effect on his progress in umpiring. After umpiring, David has been involved in sports education, training and community development, and has written accreditation schemes for umpiring and worked with a range of sports, including cricket, football, motor sports, basketball, polocrosse & netball. With the Australian Sports Commission, David conducted mentor training programs in every state of Australia.
Born on the 3rd March 1949 in East Brunswick, the family with twin sisters Judith & Kathryn lived in South Oakleigh. In 1955 David started at Coatesville Primary School before graduating to Huntingdale High School.
Aged 17 David applied for a position as a trainee wool classer with Younghusband’s Ltd which led to wool valuing and auctioneering roles with Elders.
David a keen sportsman played cricket with Bentleigh ANA and football with the local Bentleigh McKinnon Junior League. It was during this time that a mate’s father, who was an umpire encouraged David to take on umpiring which he did. He was a good friend of Norm Price who suggested applying for the VFL Reserve Grade in 1968. This was the start of a great journey for David.
During his time on the reserve grade, David and Ian Brown were appointed to a match in the South-East Suburban Football League. Both pondered what mode of transport they would use to get to their game. Well, it turned out that they both travelled on a bike to Edinburgh Reserve Sandown. That is, they both travelled on the one bike pedalled by Ian. That would have been a sight to see.
After three years on the reserve grade David was promoted onto the VFL Senior list in 1971. His first appointment was in the Mid Murray F.L. and it wasn’t long before the umpiring coaches started to take notice of a guy named Levens. Training at Royal Park he was soon elevated onto the Olympic Park track in 1972, and with several excellent observers’ reports, August 1973 saw David receive his first VFL Reserves match; Hawthorn 16.19 d. St Kilda 15.7. 1974 saw David elected to the VFUA Executive Committee as well as President of the Umpires Cricket Club.
He umpired the 1974 season in the reserves including the Inter-league game Bellarine & Dist. v Purnim Heytesbury. 1975 looked to be more of the same. He spent most of the year in the reserves, although did earn another interleague match; Mid Murray (14.20) d. Northern Districts (12.17) in Mildura. However, it all changed late in 1975, when David received his first senior appointment. In round 17 Essendon 16.13 d. Geelong 13.16 at Kardinia Park in front of 15,012 spectators.
You may be wondering how David received his nickname, ‘Spudda’. It happened on one of his working country trips. David brought back bags of potatoes and distributed them amongst the umpires at training.
In 1976 David was again elected to the VFUA Executive. In 1977 whilst umpiring, David studied at the Hawthorn Institute of Education receiving a Diploma of Technical Teaching.
Whilst on the senior list David Umpired 65 VFL reserves, 53 VCFL games, 14 VCFL finals 11 VCFL Grand Finals in leagues such as Mid Murray, Benalla Tungamah, Bellarine (3), South-West (N.S.W.), Circular Head Tasmania, Ovens & King, Bendigo, Northern Districts and North Central.
David considers the highlight of his career was his first league game and the many friendships made over the years not to mention the enjoyment derived from the involvement. His most embarrassing moment was in a game at Western Oval when one coach came out to the centre circle at three quarter time, place a note under the ball, which read ‘11 free kicks to 4’. The following week David was sent to the bush where a similar incident happened prior to the match, all in good fun.
I asked David what he thinks of football today and he stated “all facets of the game are very closely scrutinised with media interest at an all-time high. Player skills are of a very high standard, except for goal kicking and it continues to be a difficult game to umpire, added to by high levels of congestion”.
1978 saw David take on teaching at Warracknabeal High School where he was President of the football club in 1980. The team finished on top, lost both final’s matches, out in straight sets.
David returned to Melbourne at the end of 1980 to take up an instructor’s role at the Melbourne College of Textiles in 1981. He was running around the Tan when he caught up with John Sutcliffe who encouraged him to return to VFL Umpiring. He was given a contract for the 1981 season, umpiring mainly in the VFL Reserves that year. His last game on the Senior List was the 1981 North Central Grand Final played in Charlton where Wycheproof/Narraport (20.16) defeated Boort (14.13), partnered on the day with Peter Howe.
At the end of the 1981 season David was appointed with Glenn James to a coaching role with the VFL Cadet Squad for the 1982 season advising young umpires. In 1983 David left Melbourne to take on a Field Officer role with the Country Education Project working across Far East Gippsland – Dargo to Mallacoota. In 1986 he returned to Melbourne and became the State Director, Country Education Project, a busy boy one might say. At the end of 1987 David received a Graduate Diploma of Education Administration.
In 1988 David was appointed the V.A.F.A. Umpires coach a role he held for one season prior to his appointment as the VFL appointed NSW State Director of Umpiring. For three seasons David travelled across N.S.W., including ACT, setting up umpiring structures where his work enabled the professionalism and performance of the groups to improve. Recruitment, training and retention of umpires was his main goal. In N.S.W. he was able to assist with the increase of umpiring numbers.
At the end of the 1992 season an Interview with AFL Umpires Director Bill Deller OAM, saw David appointed to the full time AFL Umpires Coach role. At that time the creation of a National Talent Acceleration program occurred which allowed promising umpires the opportunity to meet regularly and discuss umpiring with AFL Umpires. David was also responsible for allocating numbers to umpires asking them to nominate three numbers between 1 & 39 with preferences given to finals experience and after that number of games.
It was during his time as AFL Umpires Coach that David met his wife Tania at AFL Headquarters and today have one child, a boy Ben aged 23 years.
Unfortunately, at the end of 1997, David’s services were terminated by the A.F.L. David sought legal advice, but an agreement was reached before action was taken.
In 1998 David and a business partner John Stafford established a company called Glenlyon Rural Education and Employment Services, which became Glenlyon Consulting undertaking programs in Education and Training, Community Development, Sports Development and Research & Development in rural areas. The company still exists today. Shortly after David and Tania moved to Glenlyon just out of Daylesford on a 16 hectare property where they remained for 17 years. It was during this time that they purchased the Glenlyon General Store which was closed and they developed it to be a meeting place for the local community and visitors alike. David and Tania returned to Melbourne in 2014.
From 2006 to 2013, David was also in a part time role as Match Referee with Cricket Australia where he acted as a representative of Cricket Australia at various cricket matches and tournaments, assessed umpire performances at the national level and provided coaching feedback and acted in the role of umpire selector.
In 2013 David joined the International Cricket Council (ICC) as an Umpire Coach. The ICC is Cricket’s Governing Body organizing International Cricket tournaments like the Cricket World Cup, pathway events, and promotes the sport worldwide. The ICC headquarters are in Dubai which meant David travelled the world attending cricket series and conducting courses for Umpires and Umpire Coaches. During a Test series in England one umpire, Joel Wilson standing in his 14th test at Edgbaston was subject to 15 of the 20 reviews, eight of his decision were overturned. In the wake of the match Wilson is understood to have spent time reviewing his performance with Umpire Coach David Levens who was responsible for mentoring ICC Umpires from Australia, New Zealand and West Indies. David held this position for 11 years striving to develop the Best Cricket Match Officials across the Globe.
In 2024, David finished his full-time role as ICC Umpire Coach and has become the ICC Match Referee, Trainer/Coach a part time role. During his Cricket involvement David has travelled through South East Asia, France, Italy, UK, New Zealand Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, South Africa, England, West Indies, Netherland, Fiji, United States and Oman. One could say he has travelled the world. David is also involved with Cricket Victoria as a part time Umpire Coach.
David was asked to name one thing about himself that most people would not know, and his reply was that he lived on a boat on the Gippsland Lakes for 9 months.
To sum it up, coaching requires good teaching and communication skills, so it seems to David that good coaches get the best out of their people, but talent does need to be there in the first place.
Lovely to chat David, good luck for the future.
Graeme ‘Wizzer’ Fellows