Sharing stories: Goulburn Valley Football Umpires Association had two of the best to learn from at its Tuesday night training.
Photo by
James Kleeman
Much like the players and coaches of Euroa and Echuca football clubs, the umpires of this weekend’s Goulburn Valley League grand final have been putting in the hard yards year-round in preparation for Sunday 2pm.
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Goulburn Valley Football Umpires Association welcomed former AFL umpires Hayden Kennedy and Martin Ellis to training on Tuesday night before the day of days this weekend.
Kennedy and Ellis, in Shepparton to oversee umpires for the V/Line Cup carnival this week, said it had been so pleasing to witness such a big contingent of youth coming through the umpiring ranks.
“I think it’s fantastic to see the young umpires that are involved in the V/Line Cup giving their absolute best,” Ellis said.
“There’s a lot of intent to do well, it’s really pleasing to see how much they’ve developed in their accelerator programs and rookie programs at community level, they’re all so keen to learn and do well.”
One of the GVFUA’s brightest prospects will make his senior grand final debut on the boundary at Deakin Reserve on Sunday, with Isaac Chandler set to don the fluorescent green for the GVL decider.
“To umpire a major grand final feels pretty surreal,” Chandler said.
“I did the NCWL grand final, but this is my first major GVL final, it’s another big step.”
Ready for the big dance: GVFUA boundary umpire Isaac Chandler will officiate his first senior grand final this Sunday.
Photo by
James Kleeman
Chandler said a year off had impacted his umpiring journey, but the youngster has well and truly made up for lost time, having only taken up an umpiring gig two years ago.
“This year I really wanted to take it to a new level, it was disappointing last year for COVID to impact it,” he said.
“I wanted to get a good fitness base and work on my throws and also help bring the younger ones through to do the same sort of thing that I did.
“I’ve talked to some of the other boundary umpires that have done it and this is their fourth or fifth year.
“To be able to do it in my second year is pretty awesome.”
Chandler said a heaving Deakin Reserve crowd on Sunday would not faze him, with a year’s worth of training and games preparing him for this moment.
“I block it out and focus on my role, if I keep that focus I zone out to the crowd around me,” he said.
“I just trust the processes that I’ve worked on year-round, this is obviously another big step with a much bigger crowd — but the same processes.”
