MPFNL premiership player Brad Wakeling joins umpiring ranks

Nerves, jokes and team spirit were all part of Brad Wakeling’s umpiring debut this season. The former MPFNL player talks about his leap into officialdom.

Oscar Wakeling and his dad Brad before their umpiring debut this season.

Nerves, jokes and team spirit were all part of Brad Wakeling’s umpiring debut this season.

After a fine playing career, in which he played in premierships at both Frankston YCW and Langwarrin, the 42-year-old made the leap into officialdom, as a field umpire in the Mornington Peninsula league.

It came about when Wakeling’s 13-year-old son Oscar wanted to earn some pocket money as a boundary umpire.

“I thought rather than sit in the car and watch him run around, I may as well do it myself,” Wakeling said.

Wakeling junior and senior have been umpiring together in the first five weeks of the season, and loving it.

Brad Wakeling in his playing days with Langwarrin.

Ironically, Wakeling’s first game with whistle in hand was between Langwarrin and Frankston YCW, his ex clubs (he played over 100 games at each).

“So it was perfect because no one could have accused me of being biased,’’ he laughed.

The nerves started early. Then came the light-hearted ribbing from his ex teammates.

“When we went out to meet the captains and get the forms off the team manager so many people were saying hello and knew me by name, and then also there was a fair bit of s… being thrown on me because I was in an umpires uniform,” Wakeling said.

“The other (field) umpire was like, ‘you don’t have to cop that’. I said ‘nah, it’s fine mate, this is all good fun’.

“I think it was good for him to see that you can umpire and still be part of it.’’

Wakeling said for him umpiring was just a different way of staying involved in community footy on a Saturday afternoon.

“You still get to hang out with and say g’day to all the familiar faces,” he said.

Brad Wakeling takes a kick for Langy.

Brad Wakeling and son Oscar.

Wakeling said ex players had a certain feel for the game and were suited to umpiring. He hoped others would also take up the whistle.

“I think so. I was a bit nervous to begin with because I thought, ‘what’s it going to be like’,” he said.

“It’s interesting because it’s just like another team environment.

“I’m so competitive but I love just being around other people who are passionate and still keen on footy. It’s been good to be out in the middle where you can still have that involvement.

“I always liked playing when you knew that the umpires were good, like Hughesy (Jason Hughes) and (Jeff) Jones and Brett Chard and all those guys, back in the late 90s, early 2000s, you knew they would umpire fairly but they weren’t going to be paying stupid 50 metre penalties or tiggy-touchwood free kicks and stuff. That’s why I feel it’s important players have that feel for the game, you can tell when things are going to get a bit agro or you can tell when people are trying to pull the wool over your eyes, things like that.

“It’s given me a different appreciation for the game you’ve played for so long and it’s like I haven’t actually seen it from this perspective before.

“So that’s been fun.”

AFL South East senior football and region umpire manager Haydn O’Connor said former Bonbeach player Rohan Murphy and his sons Tom and Eli were also umpiring together this season.

He said football umpiring gave families an opportunity to do a sport together, while getting paid.

“We certainly want more (ex players), because the knowledge that they have equates to better umpires,’’ he said.

“And the family aspect is something we’re really striving for.

“It’s something they can share together. I don’t think there are many sports where parent and child are out on the ground together. For them to experience that is quite unique and something umpiring can provide.’’