AFL Field Umpire Troy Pannell has recently wrapped a 3 day umpiring development visit to the Red Centre of Australia to spread the good word on Umpiring to the locals.
AFL Field Umpire Troy Pannell has recently wrapped a 3 day umpiring development visit to the Red Centre of Australia to spread the good word on Umpiring to the locals.
Troy’s Red Centre Adventure started last Thursday when he landed at the hot surroundings of Alice Springs Airport around lunchtime and then he was straight into spreading the good word with an interview for the local newspaper. Troy then joined myself and AFLCA Football Operations Manager Rob Honan in the work Ute as we all headed down the road to a local Indigenous Community of Ltyentye Apurte (which is situated around110km south of Alice Springs on a corrugated dirt road) to run some basic umpiring drills with the local school students .
Ltyentye Apurte was a buzz upon our arrival as the town was busy painting their cars and houses in the team’s colours of Red, White and Black in anticipation for the AFL Central Australian Grand finals on the Saturday as they had two teams (u/17 & Reserves) make it to the big day. The school kids were put through their umpiring paces with a Field Bouncing game and a Boundary umpiring challenge of trying to hit the top of the behind post. Then a couple of the older students field umpire the younger kids in an Auskick game on the dry red ground, this was followed up by Umpiring Development Program prizes to those who show the most potential.
We headed back to Alice Springs and straight to the AFLCA Umpires Grand Final Appointments and Awards evening were Troy presented many awards to the local umpires and was also interviewed intensively by MC Max Bennett about what it takes to be a AFL Field Umpire.
Friday morning we were up early as we had a big road trip ahead of us to a Indigenous Community of Areyonga (which is situated around 200km west of Alice Springs on a sealed road for the first 120km before going to a corrugated dirt road) as we joined AFLNT Game Development staff, Richmond players and officials as a part of the AFL Club Foster-ship Program. We joined in with Richmond’s important message of going to school, eating the right foods and a no bullying policy. Then we got into with some football and umpiring skills with the older guys before finishing up with a mini game on the school oval with some of the older students umpiring the game along side Troy.
The Friday night Troy’s worked continue as the special guest at the Alice Springs Junior Green Shirt Umpires Graduation evening. Before the Green Shirt’s graduated, I interviewed Troy alongside Samuel Nippress the winner of the NT Green Shirt Umpires Prize, which entitles Samuel to umpire an NAB AFL Auskick half time grid game on AFL Grand Final Day on the MCG.
Troy answered many questions for the keen and enthusiastic junior umpires about how he made it onto the AFL Umpiring Panel and what is involved to reaching the top level. Troy then assist myself with the presentations to the Green Shirts in taking umpiring up and successful graduating and the Mentors for the hard work and effort they all put in through-out the season to help the Green Shirts.
On the Saturday it was AFL Central Australia Grand Final day and it was hot around 34 degrees and dry. Troy gave a pre-match address to all the umpires involved in the day before their matches about the importance of work-rate, team-work and enjoying the experience of a Grand Final.
Troy wasn’t disappointed with some good umpiring across all 3 cracking Grand Finals with the u/17’s Hermannsburg Bulldogs taking the title from Ltyentye Apurte in the last quarter by 19pts and the Bulldog players celebrated with numerous running back-flips. West’s up stetted Ltyentye Apurte by a soldiery goal in the Reserves and then a 65m behind to Federals after the siren (after officials clear the oval of 1,000 spectators off the field) to force extra-time in the Senior Grand Final against Pioneers. Pioneers went onto win by 3pts after 10 minutes of extra time in one the best Grand Finals that Troy and I had ever witness.
Then Troy’s Red Centre Adventure was over as he flew back to the Melbourne the following morning. I would like to thank Troy for great efforts in promoting umpiring in Central Australia over the 3 days and the AFL for their great finically support behind these Umpiring Development Programs.
Mark Noonan
Umpiring Development Manager
AFL Northern Territory