THIS WEEKS GAMES

OUR GREAT GAME | Umpiring is Everyone’s Business
During this round of Wrest Point State League football and across all Tasmanian football
competitions we will be promoting the ‘Umpiring is Everyone’s Business’ campaign to support
umpires at the community level of the game.
The campaign emphasises that everyone involved in
Australian Football - coaches, players, administrators,
parents and supporters - has a role to play in creating
a positive match day environment.
The AFL, AFL Coaches Association, AFL Players
Association and umpires have come together to
help deliver the message to suburban and country
leagues. AFL General Manager Football Operations
Adrian Anderson said that while participation numbers
continue to grow, the corresponding demand for
umpires is not being met. Mr Anderson said:
The Australian Football community needs to act now
to ensure football at community level continues to
flourish. In recent years, nationally there has been an
89 per cent increase in the umpiring appointments
required and only a 13 per cent growth in umpires
which places enormous pressure on community
leagues. We know people choose to be umpires for
the love of the game and we need to work together
to ensure umpires are respected and encouraged
just like players, coaches and supporters. Abuse
and intimidation of umpires from coaches, players
and spectators turns umpires away from the game.
Nationally the annual umpiring turnover is between
20 to 25 percent.
While the “Umpiring is Everyone’s Business”
campaign is being launched this month across
Australia, it will continue throughout 2011. The
activities focus on using influential figures at all levels
of the game to influence the profile of umpiring and
encourage everyone involved to take responsibility
for their behavior on match day. The campaign will
feature:
• AFL senior and assistant coaches umpiring junior
matches. Coaches who have already exchanged
the coaches box for the whistle are Paul Roos, Mick
Malthouse, Mark Neeld, Alan Richardson, Stephen
Silvagni and Leon Cameron.
• AFL senior coaches and AFL umpires shaking hands
before each match in the 2011 season. Many of the
state and community leagues across Australia have also
implemented similar initiatives.
• At community level, leagues and clubs making players
and coaches available to attend umpire training sessions
and being used as ambassadors in local media coverage
including newspapers, football records, radio and TV.
• A Poster for the campaign has been produced featuring:
Nick Riewoldt, Alastair Clarkson and Brett Rosebury
(AFL Field Umpire). These Posters have been distributed
to many outlets including Umpiring Groups, Football
Leagues/Associations as well as individual Clubs. These
Posters are designed to increase the awareness and
importance of the whole football family being involved in
assisting the match day environment for all participants.
• AFL Tasmania’s football RECORD also features an umpire
on this weekend’s cover alongside a player and coach
representative.
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