Magic milestone for Villagra

From growing up in the Chilean city of Vina Del Mar to weaving his magic between the goal posts at the SCG and ANZ Stadium there is no denying how far Sergio Villagra has come in his life.

Villagra and his family were among the million or so Chileans forced into exile, either for political or economic reasons, during the 17-year military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

When he moved to Australia he instantly fell in love with AFL and always had a fascination for umpiring.

This Sunday will mark a significant milestone not only for Villagra but for the entire umpiring community. Villagra will become the first NSW/ACT based umpire to officiate in 100 AFL matches.

Whilst NSW/ACT have had locally based umpires officiating at AFL level for over 30 years, including Mike Heinrich who officiated in an AFL Grand Final in 1995, never has a locally based umpire had the required career longevity to mark such a milestone.

Click here to watch a video on Sergio Villagra on Ten News.

When one looks at Villagra’s background and personal circumstance, it is hard to imagine that he would be selected as one of the top umpires locally, let alone become one of the elite umpires in the country on the AFL panel.　

This has been achieved through his determination to succeed, his willingness to learn, honest self-appraisal and openness in taking on coaching advice and guidance throughout his career.　

Villagra still has goals to achieve at the highest level and does not intend giving up on his dreams anytime soon. Furthermore, he always has time to offer words of encouragement to his fellow umpires, which once again highlights the sort of role model he has become.

Sergio’s achievement, and the great strides being made by the other five NSW/ACT listed AFL umpires on the national panel, gives great hope and inspiration to all those umpires officiating each weekend.

With the advent of the NEAFL competition this year the pathway is even stronger now for umpires wanting to make it through to the AFL.