EFNL 2024: Martien Pruysers, 76, to umpire 2000th match
If you’ve visited a football ground in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs over the past 45 years, you’ve likely crossed paths with Martien Pruysers, who officiates his 2000th match this weekend.
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It is a feat matched by few, if anyone.
But Martien Pruysers, 76, nonchalantly insists “It’s just another game of football.”
The Eastern league umpire will officiate his 2000th match this weekend.
Starting in 1979, Pruysers notched around 1400 games as a field umpire but primarily stands the goals these days.
“About 20-odd years ago I started goal umpiring – umpiring under-19s in the morning and goal umpiring in the afternoons,” Pruysers said.
“In the last six or seven years, I’ve dropped the under-19s because I’m getting too old.”
But he still officiates multiple matches of a weekend, splitting his time between seniors and juniors.
“Even now I’m out there every Sunday with the kids, I do under-8s every Sunday morning and whatever they want me to do,” Pruysers said.
First picking up a whistle as a 13-year-old, Pruysers ran the boundary at Gembrook before carving out a 224-game senior playing career with the club.
Playing “wherever they wanted me” on the ground, the Ferntree Gully resident hung up the boots at 30.
He donned the umpiring whites at open-age level soon after and hasn’t looked back.
Chalking up 302 games in the old Knox Junior Football Association, Pruysers also oversaw senior Eastern matches on a Saturday and Yarra Valley league games of a Sunday.
President of the Eastern Football League Umpires’ Association, David Parker, said Pruysers is as revered as anyone in the craft.
“Everyone has the utmost respect for Martien and everyone remembers if they’ve done a game with him throughout their career,” Parker said.
“He’s just a real, genuine person – one of those great people that you come across in life.
“We’re very lucky to have him a part of our club and our group of umpires.”
Parker started goal umpiring in 2001 and said the stalwart had only ever been too happy to offer of an honest word of advice.
Pruysers maintained there was still room for banter between players and umpires in today’s game.
“Treat people the way you want them to treat you,” Pruysers said.
“That’s the biggest thing in umpiring – don’t put yourself above anyone else but speak to people the way you would like them to speak to you.
“Don’t be stand-offish, be part of the game – if a bloke wants to have a joke with you, have a joke back – don’t ignore people.
“Straight away, you’ve got the players on your side and that’s what it’s all about.”
He said it was difficult to remember standout matches or players across his 1999-game stretch.
But a Division 4 reserves grand final in the 1990s between Forest Hill and South Waverley-Sandown at Clayton has stuck in the mind.
“After a goal was scored, someone pushed someone – well, it was on,” Pruysers recalled.
“Between the six of us (umpires) we wrote out 17 reports, we went to the tribunal, everyone pleaded guilty, and they walked away with 99 weeks of suspension.
“And we all shook hands afterwards!”
It’s all part of local footy’s camaraderie which Pruysers treasures.
“I’ve got some great friends – and a lot of them I’ve reported – but they still come and talk to me,” he said.
“That’s probably the best thing I’ve found about umpiring, is it doesn’t matter who you are.
“In the end, most people want to come and talk to you – we’re not outcasts.
“At the end of every game, I always go in and have a beer or two.”
The Pruysers family migrated to Australia from the Netherlands when Martien was just seven.
An engineering draftsman for 47 years, he’s been retired for the past 11, but juggled umpiring duties with family life and full-time work for decades.
A member of the Knox U3A, he also cycles twice a week and enjoys a hit of golf.
By his side for the journey has been wife Carol and their two sons.
“She’s never once said to me you’re not doing it (umpiring) – she washes my clothes every week so she must want me to go out and umpire,” Pruysers laughed.
He umpires in summer for the Ringwood & District Cricket Association where he’s a hall of fame member, having clocked up some 700 matches.
“I don’t like being at home on Saturdays,” Pruysers quipped.
Pruysers said he had never felt the itch to stray beyond the sporting fields of Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
“I love doing what I’m doing, where we are,” he declared.
“I’ve been asked to go (higher in cricket), but I stick to Ringwood (District) – I know everyone here and they know me.”
Grand finals, milestones and everything in between, “you don’t treat it any differently than you treated the first game of the year”, Pruysers insisted – and this Saturday will be no different.
“It’s just another game of football, and that’s what I keep saying to everyone.”
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