ORGANISERS of the district’s two major football competitions are confident there will be sufficient registered field umpires to officiate in senior games on Saturday.
Central Murray Football Netball League chairman, John Brookshaw and Golden Rivers Football League counterpart, Daryl Billing both believe umpire numbers would be sufficient for the opening round of the season, despite serious concerns expressed by AFL Central Rivers Umpires director, Danny Fraser.
Club representatives from both leagues received an update on the new umpiring group’s membership numbers during league meetings held last Tuesday night at Swan Hill and last Wednesday night at Barham.
Speaking at both league gatherings, Fraser said there were not enough umpires’ within the new body to cover all appointments for the nine games – five in the CMFNL and four in the GRFL – that will start the season.
“It has been a nightmare to say the least,” he said.
Brookshaw said yesterday field umpire numbers were sufficient, while a small numbers of boundary and goal umpire positions would need to be filled by club umpires.
Brookshaw also confirmed there are enough field umpires to run Colts games, although some umpires may be required to run two games in one day, with numbers expected to improve after Easter.
“It will be tight but we’ll have enough umpires for round one for the Central Murray and Golden Rivers seniors,” he said.
AFL Central Rivers Umpires was formed after an AFL Central Murray-backed review into umpiring standards and management across both leagues.
The review – conducted by a working party consisting of AFL Central Murray, CMFNL, CMFNL Umpires, GRFL and Northern District Football Umpires Associaiton representatives – found that the formation of a single body covering both competitions would improve the sustainability and quality of umpires across both competitions.
The boards of both leagues backed the recommendations in December, however the NDFUA rejected the proposal following a presentation from AFL Central Murray and GRFL representatives in late December.
A number of former NDFUA members have chosen to join the Bendigo Umpires Association and officiate in the Bendigo, Loddon Valley and North Central competitions, with the move expected to severely impact umpire numbers for the Golden Rivers and Central Murray leagues.
But Brookshaw said only four central umpires had been lost to the BUA, and he expected two of those to reverse their decision and join AFL Central Rivers Umpires.
“We’re slowly retrieving those from the NDFUA and we have new recruits coming on board after Easter,” he said.
Billing declined to comment at length until after a meeting of AFL Central Murray occurred yesterday, but said the issue of umpire numbers was “still on the table, still being dealt with”.
“I firmly believe we’ll have enough registered umpires for the start of the season,” he said.
“We have plans in place and we’re working through those plans at the moment.”
Billing acknowledged that the formation of the AFL Central Rivers Umpires group had been problematic.
“It’s just one of those things that didn’t work as well as what everybody hoped it would,” he said.
