THE launch of the AFL Diversity Umpire Academy at the Australian International Academy’s King Khalid Campus in Coburg and the game’s biggest names were on hand for the event.
The Umpiring Academy initiated at the Australian International Academy was an idea created by Adam Nahal and EDFL Director of Umpiring, Rowan Sawers.
EDFL Umpiring Coach Mark Volich has mentored and coached the students to become EDFL Umpires for the past two seasons.
The AFL Diversity Umpire Academy Launch was an event that aimed to promote the Umpires Academy that is run at the senior campus.
Significant guests & media outlets attended as well as parents the school community.
The idea of these academies is to introduce people from multicultural backgrounds into umpiring, giving them a 10-week course in umpiring basics and then linking them with a local umpiring group.
For example the AIA is linked with Essendon District Football League and after they went through the course, five of the participants ended up umpiring on the weekends.
The program is kindly funded by the Peter Scanlon Foundation.
Guests:
Gillon McLachlan (AFL CEO)
Peter Scanlon (Scanlon Foundation – Head of the Scanlon Foundation. Former original AFL Commissioner 1985-92.
David Rodan (former Richmond, Port Adelaide and Melbourne player)
Andrew Carazzo (former Carlton player)
Rowan Sawers (former VFL/AFL Grand Final Umpire)
AFL Umpiring Department
- Neville Nash (AFL Victoria Umpiring Development)
- Wayne Campbell (Umpiring Development)
Mark Volich (EDFL Umpiring Coordinator)
