AFL umpires pass on wisdom in Shepparton

By Daniel Webb

May 9, 2022

It is not everyday that an AFL umpire heads up a training session in Shepparton, but last Thursday that’s exactly what happened.

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AFL field umpires Jamie Broadbent and Nick Brown visited Kialla Park Reserve on Thursday night to pass on wisdom to some of the region’s young umpiring prospects.

As part of the AFL’s Community Umpiring Week, umpires were sent out into the community to run clinics, with Broadbent and Brown choosing Shepparton as their destination.

The duo explained that there was a big push from the AFL this year for umpires to head into the regions, with country football heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As part of Community Umpiring Week we like to get out into the community,” Brown said.

“Every umpire goes to a local community group and we decided to come up to Shepparton to support the Shepparton umpires.

“I love it, this is probably one of the highlights I think, getting to come out to the local groups and just any sort of speaking gig where you can have an influence on younger umpires.”

Broadbent followed Brown’s point by explaining that the clinics were also a good way to promote umpiring.

“A lot of the kids at training play football too and it’s not about choosing one or the other, it’s about being at an age where you can do both,” Broadbent said.

Both umpires work part-time along with their AFL duties and have been involved in some exciting AFL games.

For Broadbent, the recent Brisbane vs Gold Coast Q-clash stood out, while Brown said his first ever game was memorable.

“It’s always a big one your first one, but since then, where you get showdowns or derbies in the west, the towns are always buzzing,” Brown said.

“If you’re thinking about getting involved, get involved, the opportunities that it can present are amazing. I’ve been lucky enough to see all different parts of Australia and I was appointed to the China game as an emergency back when they were running that.”

“It’s really rewarding, it not only keeps you involved in the game but it actually develops a lot of other traits within your own personality, like confidence and speaking and management and things like that, it does a lot for you personally,” Broadbent said.