Following the public declaration by the AFL placing umpiring on the agenda, AFL Northern Territory is pleased to officially launch a Territory-wide review into umpiring and the future strategy of umpiring. The figure 500 refers to the “north star" target to reach 500 umpires to adequately service umpiring demands across all formats of football in the Territory.
It should be noted that the Northern Territory faces many unique factors in comparison to other states and territories that should be considered when determining suitable recommendations. These factors are not limited to, but include the following:
- Approximately 30% growth in the number of community football teams over the last three years
- Extreme and varied weather temperatures across the Territory including heat, humidity and rainfall.
- High rates of diversity, including a high Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.
- Significant geographical distances between urban settings and remote communities.
- Transient nature of the Territory’s population.
The review’s purpose is to examine all facets of umpiring to best support the industry to recruit, develop and retain umpires across the Territory to best service the growth and demands of all formats of community football which has seen substantial growth the last three years.
The review will run until February 2023 which will include a range of stakeholder engagement and consultation, aiming to present review recommendations to the AFL NT executive and board to best support the future directions of umpiring.
Special Projects Lead – NT Jack Henty who's leading the review says “The future investment, support and growth of umpiring is a national priority for the AFL. Over the last three years in the Territory, we have had on average growth of 40% year on year of team numbers which is significant. To offer a quality community football product, we need to be able to facilitate all umpiring appointments across all umpiring disciplines in community football”.
Off the back of several NT umpires debuting in this year’s AFLW season the review will also provide an opportunity to look at how we create a clear pathway for talented umpires and officials to transfer to second tier and the elite competitions.
See here the PDF terms of reference for the umpiring review .
Should you have any questions regarding the review process or scope, please do not hesitate in contacting the team at AFL Northern Territory.
