Local umpires elevated to AFL and AFLW panels

There will be 11 more AFL NSW/ACT Umpires running around in the AFL and AFLW in 2018.

Boundary Umpire, Michael Barlow (Canberra) has been evelavted to the AFL’s National Umpiring Panel following his officiating 85 NEAFL matches, including the 2016 and 2017 NEAFL Grand Finals. Joining him on the national stage will be Goal Umpire, Alex Chisholm (Sydney) who has umpired 36 NEAFL matches.

Rookie listed AFL Field Umpires will be Sydney’s Cameron Barr and Matthew Baigent. Barr’s achievements which have seen him elevated include overseeing two NEAFL Grand Finals in 2015 and 2017, and 80 NEAFL matches overall.

Baigent will join as a Supplementary Listed AFL Umpire, and will sit on the bench for Sydney Swans and GWS GIANTS matches, ready to take over in the unlikely event of an emergency. Baigent has overseen 73 NEAFL matches since he began umpiring at the NEAFL level in 2012.

Joining the AFL Women’s panel as Field Umpires will be Nic McGinnes (Canberra) David Newell (Sydney).

As Boundary Umpires, Ben Fely (Canberra) and Ben Russell (Sydney) will too, join the AFL Women’s panel.

Rounding out a strong representation of AFL NSW/ACT Umpires on the AFL Women’s national panel, Kim Schultz (Canberra), Taylor Mattioli (Sydney) and Victor Petrovic (Sydney) will join the panel as Goal Umpires.

AFL NSW/ACT’s State Umpiring & Elite Programs Manager, Damian Anderson says these elevations on a national level are fantastic news for umpiring in New South Wales and the ACT.

“To have three umpires elevated to a senior list is a great outcome for umpiring in New South Wales and the ACT,” says Anderson.

“It shows the that our talent programs are working well and producing AFL standard officials, in the same way as the state and territory produce elite players.”

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