As the Riddell District Football League season ramps up, it’s not just players who are training.
Riddell Umpires Association’s pre-season training is also under way with the association anticipating its biggest year yet.
Association general manager Steven Giles said they currently have more umpires than last season, but are still on the hunt for more people of all ages to get involved.
“We need to grow as the population grows in Sunbury, Gisborne and Melton and more people want to play football,” Giles said. “We need more numbers, especially for juniors … we’ve got people umpiring from Friday nights to Sundays.”
He said the association currently has about 180 umpires, up from 165 last year, but each year umpires drop off for a variety of reasons.
The association is also likely to need umpires for the new AFL Goldfields women’s and expanded youth girls’ competitions, and Giles hopes the advent of the AFL women’s competition will encourage more females to get involved as umpires as well.
Meanwhile at home base, Dwayne Connell has been appointed field umpire coach to replace Michael O’Keefe, who has been at the helm for the past seven years.
Giles said Connell had been earmarked as a successor for O’Keefe for a number of years, knowing O’Keefe has left big shoes to fill.
“He’s been involved for 15 years and has been an assistant coach for the field umpires,” Giles said. “He’s a multiple senior grade grand final umpire. The role is a big responsibility and most people only do it for five years.
“He’s been waiting in the wings the last couple of years and, if not for family commitments, he probably would have taken it on last year.”
Giles, in his second year as general manager, said the club is planning for the next five years, with its number one aim being to expand umpire numbers as the game grows. The association also provides umpires for some Ballarat Football League matches.
He said interested people could come to training to see what it’s about.
Giles said the club is very keen to make sure umpires are educated and stay in the sport.
“They normally start doing boundary umpiring and then look at doing field umpiring,” he said. “There’s not enough umpires between 25 and 35 and that’s one of the biggest things going forward. We have to ensure umpires remain educated and the transition between roles is smooth.”
He said long term the club wants its own club rooms. It is currently based at Macpherson Park.
For more details or to sign on for umpiring, go to www.riddellumpires.com.au
