This week across all levels of AFL competition is Community Umpiring Week. The McDonald's Ballarat FNL celebrates our community umpires - there is no game without you.
Community Umpiring Week coincides with Round 7 of the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season and is aimed at encouraging people to get involved in umpiring Australian Football at the community level.
Some of the activities underway this week include:
- AFL Umpires attending community club training sessions
- Umpires at each AFL match this weekend will be led onto the ground by community umpires
- AFL Umpires will officiate in junior community matches (Sunday, May 2, 2021)
AFL Community Umpiring Development Manager, Damian Anderson said with more than 1.4 million people playing Australian Football, umpire numbers have never been more important.
“There are over 15,000 umpires officiating in community football matches each week and over 12 per cent are female - a significant increase in line with the expansion of female football."
He said Community Umpiring Week is designed to increase awareness of umpiring as both an additional activity to playing and umpiring as a sport of choice and an alternative way to participate in the game.
“Over 94 per cent of umpires currently play or have played junior football. You can play and umpire on the same day or on alternate days. It is a great way to keep fit, earn money, develop life skills and make life-long friends.”
For more information or to register your interest in umpiring community football visit https://umpire.afl.
