Pat Daniher takes out Northern Riverina’s new umpiring gong

Image: Pat Daniher (centre, left) at Northern Riverina FNL awards night and Gordon Browne (right)

The Northern Riverina Football and Netball League has this year launched the Gordon Browne award for Umpire of the Year.

Pat Daniher won the inaugural award at the Northern Riverina’s awards night on Wednesday, 10 August.

Pat is a stalwart of Northern Riverina, having started playing with Ungarie seniors in 1977. He’s been involved in the league ever since as a gun player, six-time premiership coach, Auskick coordinator, league Treasurer, league President, and dedicated umpire.

To say he is a legend of the league is an understatement.

Pat has umpired since 1997 and has won the league’s umpire of the year award in 2017 and 2018. In 2022, Pat has been Hillston’s club appointed umpire for its home games. That sounds pretty routine, but what makes it remarkable is it’s a two-hour trip from Pat’s house, one way.

When asked why he makes a four-hour return trip to umpire at Hillston, Pat said: “Yes, Hillston is a two-hour drive from home but you do what you do, we still need umpires.” Inspiring stuff, Pat.

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About Gordon Browne

The late Gordon Browne was the driving force behind a dedicated umpiring group based in the Riverina.

He umpired more than 400 games in the region from 1966 to 1992, including six grand finals in the Northern Riverina competition.

Browne’s dedication to umpiring was clear by the enormous area he covered to officiate the game. Hailing from Griffith, his primary region was the Riverina, but he was known to travel as far as Albury, Parkes, Lake Cargelligo and Hay to ply his trade.

Thanks to this award, Gordon Browne’s name will be forever etched in Northern Riverina folklore as one of the region’s most dedicated umpires.