AFLNT junior umpires had great success in Perth at the 2017 School Sport Australia Under 15 Australian Football Championships recently.
Five talented student umpires from the AFLNT Junior Umpiring Academy travelled west to officiate after being selected at the School Sport NT Under 15 trials back in April.
Congratulations to Callum Betteridge (field - Alice Springs), Jessica Phelan (boundary - Katherine), Matthew Rawsthorne (boundary - Darwin), Ethan Spiritosanto (field - Darwin) and John Trott (goal - Palmerston/Rural) on representing the NT proudly.
The participants had a busy 10 days, which included training and education sessions, umpiring two to three games per match-day all week and finished with umpiring play offs on Saturday.
Trott officiated the goals in the Under 15 boys grand final between Victoria and South Australia, while Betteridge and Spiritosanto field umpired the Under 15 girls grand final between Victoria and NSW. Phelan and Rawsthorne boundary umpired for the fifth-place playoff in the boys' division.
The participation of the NT umpires at this year's Australian championships was possible thanks to the Northern Territory Government's grant program which assisted with levy payments via the NT Institute of Sport.