A TRIO of the Australian Football League’s top umpiring officials spent Wednesday passing on their skills to local students and umpires.
Field umpire Jacob Mollison, boundary umpire James Scully and goal umpire Steve Piperno visited Kerang Technical High School and ran a training session with local umpires as part of the biennial AFL Umpires Roadshow.
Now in its ninth year, the visit aimed to promote the benefits of umpire Australian Football, as well as showing current officials what opportunities are available to umpire at a higher level.
“Like when we have the AFL players visit, it’s good to have role models visit students to give them the chance to see what it takes to be at the top of your profession,” high school sports co-ordinator, Nathan Henry said.
Mollison, who is into his ninth season as an AFL field umpire, relocated to Melbourne from Wodonga when he was 21 to pursue the dream of umpire at the sport’s highest level.
“Living in the country, you’ve really got to commit to make the move (to join the Victoria Football League and AFL squads),” he told the group of year 10 Physical Education students and teenagers who are already umpires at local organisations.
“I waited until I could get a full-time job in Melbourne before making the move.
“There were five of us who made it onto the AFL list at the same time, and it can be cut-throat, but it is rewarding.”
Scully is into his second season as an AFL-listed boundary umpire in 2016, having started his career in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
“I played football when I was younger, but umpiring can be exciting, but daunting, at times,” he said.
Like Scully, Piperno is into his second season as an AFL umpire, with the goal umpire stepping up to the top level after umpiring the 2013 VFL senior grand final.
“Umpiring is a good way to make extra money,” he said.
The roadshow continued Wednesday night, with the umpires running a joint training session at Lake Boga, attended by Central Murray Football Netball League Umpires and Northern District Football Umpires Association members.
