This week we feature one of our community umpires, Jeff Hunter. Jeff is passionate about his football and is an enthusiastic participant of the South Brisbane community group.






How did you first become an umpire?
I was the boundary umpire for Sandgate & one game I was talking to Wayne McGuinness and he said "Why don't you come & join us? You getting ripped off here." So I did.
 
What do you do outside of umpiring?  
I play and umpire with the Ferny Grove Falcons, and I also play guitar and bass in various music projects as well as write songs. I call myself a non-singer songwriter.
 
What was your first game like?  
I had to overcome a lot of ableism (the disability equivalent of racism) from some people who thought I couldn’t join the umpires. But I did the game which was really cool and the guys welcomed me to the Association. Ableism is their problem not mine.
  
What has been your most memorable moment as an umpire?  
The 1999 U/18 Grand Final Alex Hills v Morningside. The panthers got home by a point. I now call it the "Chelsea" Grand Final (who I did the game with). After the match the nerves & excitement of the week took its toll and I shed a tear... Or a 100. I also must mention the U/18 game two years later when a 7 point half time margin turn into an 86 point win.
I told my mother in 2012 that I would quit umpiring, but she did not want me to. She said "Oh you can umpire next year…& the next…Don't worry about me.” When she passed away I decided to continue for mum and when I got the 2013 women Grand Final it was the perfect way for me to honour her. Mum was the reason I did that season.
 
How do you prepare for each game?   
I make sure my bag is packed, drink plenty of water and play some music if I got time. At the ground I go and see the umps for the day get to know the ones that I haven't met before. I don't care who wins I only care about us having a good game.
 
What’s a typical training session like for you?
I do my laps warm up take time to do extra stretches and I like do some throw ins to see if I can improve that.
 
What challenges do you face as an umpire? 
Discrimination and ableism.  I have had players and officials refuse to shake my hand and trainers passing me on because they don't want to treat me. Sometimes even fellow umpires refuse to look at me or patronise me in front of the players but some players noticed this was going on and after the game they came straight away and congratulated me on my game. The out pouring of support was overwhelming by all other umpires which made me feel better.
 
Any advice for younger umpires?
Yes, don't let any personal clashes get in the way of your umpiring. It frustrates me when I hear kids giving up just because someone rubbed them the wrong way. Some kids get overwhelmed when they umpire with adults. I say don't be, there no need to be. Allow yourself to be mentored by more than one person. Make your decisions with conviction as a lack of it will make you look unsure and will spark arguing.

Gareth is one of our AFL listed boundary umpires​ who can frequently be seen running the track at Coorparoo with finesse and speed. He also likes to throw a lot of chat.

How did you first become an umpire?
I didn’t come from either a football or running background like most of our boundary umpires. My dad is a community field umpire and for years tried to convince me to take up boundary umpiring to improve my fitness for other sports I was playing. I finally said yes one year and the first session I attended was the Mt Coot-The Handicapped Invitational.  Dad threw me under the bus and suggested to Matthew McKenzie that I should start near the back of what ended up being a 14km loop due to the usual route being closed following a street-luger crash.  I came dead last by probably 20-30 minutes.   Thankfully things have improved slightly!
 
What do you do outside of umpiring?
Outside of umpiring I’m quite involved with university where I’m studying medicine.  I find medicine and umpiring provide a good balance as they place very different demands upon my faculties and it means I’ve always got something to take me away from the other when needed. 
 
What was your first game like?
If I’m honest I can’t remember much about my very first game at all other than it was at Yeronga.  I remember my first NEAFL game very well though.  I was quite fortunate to get an opportunity to umpire NEAFL football early in my first year and debuted at Morningside in torrential rain.  I came off covered in mud but thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
 
What has been your most memorable moment as an umpire?
I’ve been extremely lucky to experience a number of fantastic games and moments already in my umpiring career however the one that stands out the most is umpiring the curtain raiser to the 2014 AFL Grand Final at the MCG.  To be able to run around on such iconic Australian sports ground on AFL Grand Final day was incredible.  Add in the fact we got to stay for the main game and head down to the umpires’ rooms afterwards and it was a very special day. 
 
You’ve just been selected onto the AFL panel for 2016, congratulations! What have you had to do up to this point to gain selection? Walk us through the process.
Thanks!  The long-term process has been to work my way up through QAFL/NEAFL football and participate in development experiences such as U16 and U18 national championships.  Additionally, umpiring the State League grand final of your home state is a generally accepted prerequisite for AFL selection.
 
What’s a typical training session like for you?
It varies quite a bit between shorter interval sessions at high intensity and long continuous runs at a much slower pace.  My current week usually consists of three shorter, hard sessions and three medium to long continuous runs with one rest day. 
 
Any advice for younger boundary umpires?
Fitness is always the predominant factor with boundary umpiring and it’s something that is relatively easy to achieve providing you’re willing to put in the time and commitment.  Otherwise, don’t be afraid to ask questions and try learn as much as possible from coaches and fellow umpires.  I was very fortunate to build strong bonds with some of the more experienced umpires early in my career who took me under their wings and helped my progression.