WAFC Umpiring has recognised the outstanding contribution of four umpires by naming the WAFL Umpire Talent Academy and three Junior District Talent Squads in their honour.

Mike Ball (pictured left), Dean Margetts, Craig Hendrie and Geoff Hayes were all recently announced at Ernest Johnson Reserve, the home of umpiring in WA, to receive the honour this season. WAFC Umpiring Junior Manager, Paul Pitchers sincerely acknowledged the professional efforts of the selection committee in the nomination and final selection process.

Ball’s name is now attached to the WAFL Talent Academy, while Hendrie, Margetts and Hayes have the North, South and Peel District Talent Squads named in their honour after being nominated and selected by their peers.

Ball, who umpired 301 games including 45 AFL matches, said it was a humbling experience, but also a thrill to be recognised by his fellow umpires.

“It is nice to be rewarded and something I’ll definitely cherish,” Ball said. “The Talent Academy has been a really positive step for umpiring so it’s great to be associated with. It helps with the overall professionalism and gets the most out of umpires by adding to their skills on and off the field.”

“Identifying talent and providing that pathway is very important.”

Ball also congratulated Hendrie, Margetts and Hayes, saying all three were highly deserving of having Talent Squads bearing their names.

“These guys have been outstanding umpires – two of them at AFL level and Geoff, who has been involved at Peel for so many years. It is great to recognise someone from the area.”

Margetts, who has umpired 122 AFL games, also congratulated his colleagues on receiving the honour and described it as: “another positive step forward for umpiring in WA.”

“It was a bit of a surprise for me but a great thrill to think the Talent Squad could be named after someone still active. I think that still being involved makes it even more tangible for the younger guys to relate and allows me to pass on advice that is still very relevant,” Margetts said.

“Developing these Talent Squads is critical for the future of umpiring. There certainly wasn’t anything like this around when I started out so it’s good to see more focus being placed on helping young umpires develop.

“It not only helps them on the field, but helps build overall life skills and make them better people,” he said.

HONOUR ROLL

Mike Ball - WAFL Talent Academy

WAFL Games - 301 (45 AFL)

Grand Finals: 4 (83, 84, 86, 89)

AFL Finals: 1

Committee: 8 years, with 2 years as President

Other: WAFL Field Umpire Coach (2003-04)

AFL MDC (2003-04)

WAAFL Umpires Coach (1997-2000)

WAFC Umpire Development Manager (2003-2006)

WANFLUA Hall of Fame 1996

WANFL UA Life Member 1990

Dean Margetts - Junior District Talent Squad - South

WAFL Games - 224 (122 AFL)

Grand Finals: 2 (00,08)

Other: AFL Pre Season GF 2008

WANFLUA Life Member 2008

Craig Hendrie – Junior District Talent Squad - North

WAFL Games - 286 (69 AFL)

Grand Finals: 4 (01,02,03,09)

Committee: 2 years

WANFLUA Life Member 2005

Geoff Hayes – Junior District Talent Squad - Peel

246 Peel FL League Games

President PFUA 6 years

Peel Development squad coach for 5 years

Coordinated Umpire training programs at Mandurah Senior College

ONE of the WAFL’s longest serving and most dedicated field umpires has announced his retirement heading into the 2010 WAFL season after struggling through his 15^th pre-season.

David Panagopoulos, 32, also steps down as president of the West Australian National Football League Umpires Association (WANFLUA), after serving with distinction for the past two seasons.

“Umpiring for 14 years has been a fair stint and I have really enjoyed it but my body just isn’t standing up to it anymore. I decided to assess it pre-season but after a few weeks it wasn’t working out and the decision was made,” Panagopoulos said.

Umpiring AFL can be an extremely rewarding experience and with high demand at all levels of the game in WA, it can be financially rewarding as well.

With the huge 91% growth in football participation rates over the last six years, WA football is in need of new umpires to keep up with the expanding competitions right around the State.

Last season, more than 7500 goal, field and boundary umpires were required each weekend to officiate in games, while 1000 club appointed umpires were also utilised.

NEDLANDS cricket umpire Chris McCann, who also umpires WAFL, became the youngest first-grade umpire in WACA history when he stood in the game between Claremont-Nedlands and Midland-Guildford this month.

The 19-year-old said he was a little nervous but had umpired half a game a few weeks before so he was confident.

“It was a cracker of a game. Claremont won outright, which is pretty rare, and the standard of the game was high,” McCann said.

A TOTAL of 125 first year umpires and mentors were recognised for their efforts at the 2009 Umpire Mentoring Program Awards, held at EFTel Oval.

 

The AFL’s Umpire Mentoring Program (Green Shirts) is an umpire education and development program that aims to use experienced umpires to mentor new and inexperienced umpires during the early stages of their development.

The program takes in new umpires, places them with a mentor within the umpiring group who is there to give feedback and advice to the new umpire.