Shortage of umpires puts local footy under pressure

The VAFA was unable to unable to supply boundary umpires from the Premier C section down when it kicked off 2021.

Veteran local umpire Sean Lowe in his 500th match.

Community football has been hit by a shortage of umpires as it resumes from a year off.

Victoria’s largest league, the Victorian Amateur Football Association, was unable to supply boundary umpires from the Premier C section down in last Saturday’s season-opening round.

And it could not appoint field umpires for the bulk of women’s matches and the men’s Thirds.

The Southern league’s umpire numbers are down 30 per cent since 2019.

Southern umpires coach Peter Marshall said umpiring ranks in local football faced a “process of recovering, rebuilding and reconnecting’’ after COVID-19.

Apart from boundary umpires in two grades of reserves, the Southern umpires supplied full panels in Round 1 last Saturday.

“We did field, boundary and goal in all our games bar reserves football in Division 3 and 4,’’ Marshall said.

“But it’s very tight. It’s a rebuild year because a lot of people haven’t come back. They’ve lost interest or have found other things to do.

“We’re encouraging people to take up umpiring and earn some pocket money and stay fit.

“For the young ones it beats flipping burgers at McDonald’s, it gets them fit, teaches them discipline and gives them some lifelong skills.’’

Southern umpires chief Peter Marshall.

He said the return of women’s football in May would “really challenge’’ the Southern umpires.

Marshall, 63, was a field umpire in a senior Division 2 match last Saturday, alongside an 18-year-old rookie.

VAFA clubs were told about the shortage last Friday morning and had to scramble to find volunteers willing to pick up the whistle.

Boundary umpires were allocated only to the senior Premier and Premier B men’s matches, two senior Premier women’s games and six Under 19 fixtures.

Only one field umpire controlled three of the four women’s Premier matches and they also doubled up to do the women’s reserves.

VAFA umpires manager Matt Dervan said in an email to clubs that “in the ideal world we would have at least one VAFA field umpire appointed to your games, this is just not possible at all with the current climate and scope of our competition.’’.

“The umpiring team will do what we can, but please have it known that with the large unavailability of our umpires, plus trying to cover the largest metropolitan football competition in the country, we are going to require great help from our clubs and club volunteers to ensure the games are covered by umpires in all disciplines,’’ Dervan, an AFL grand final goal umpire, said.

“This is just the reality! The priority is getting football up and running again, and we hope clubs can see past missing VAFA-appointed umpires to worry about the major focus, your players getting back on the field once again. I am sorry for the burden that this will place on clubs.’’

Referring to the Thirds and women’s divisions, Dervan said the VAFA was “going to need some serious club volunteers through your club umpiring/volunteer pool to look after these games’’.

“We don’t know how long this will be for, but this month just hasn’t been kind to us umpiring-wise. And while our coaches are apologetic for this, it’s just something we are going to have to live with in the short-term.

“I apologise for the extra inconvenience this will cause but I hope all clubs can work together to ensure the games run smoothly.’’

Southern CEO Lee Hartman said Melbourne’s six metropolitan leagues – Southern, the VAFA, Eastern, Essendon District, Northern and Western Region – discussed the issue on Tuesday.

He said the shortage of umpires was “right across the board’’ but the leagues were hopeful numbers would improve after school holidays.

Boundary umpires are thin on the ground this year.

An AFL Victoria spokesman said umpiring numbers were “slightly behind where they were pre-COVID, down just over 10 per cent’.

He said the football authority was working to “get numbers back to ensure football can get played across the state at all levels’’

“AFL Victoria is working hard to attract more people to umpiring. We have systems in place to support umpires, including pathway programs, free training and mentoring.

“Umpires play an important part in our game and it is a great way for people to get involved, get paid, get fit and be part of a community of people who love footy.’’