Round 9 (May 6 - 12) of the 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership Season will celebrate Community Umpiring Week with the aim to encourage people to get involved in umpiring Australian Football at the community level.
Community Umpiring Week highlights the integral role umpires play at all levels of the game, encourages people to consider getting into umpiring and promotes the importance of respect for umpires.
Initiatives throughout the week include:
- AFL Umpires, commentators and media attending local umpire training sessions
- AFL Umpires and Players will officiate local footy matches
- AFL Umpires will be led onto the grand during AFL Games by community umpires
- AFL Captains messages to be shared supporting CUW
There are currently more than 17,000 registered community umpires across Australia – pleasingly up 21 per cent compared to this time last year – and as footy continues to grow, the AFL needs more people to pull up their socks and pick up a whistle.
AFL Executive General Manager of Game Development, Rob Auld, said he was looking forward to celebrating Community Umpiring Week.
“Community Umpiring Week is a terrific initiative and provides us with an opportunity to celebrate, recognise and promote the invaluable contribution umpires at all levels make to Australian football,” Auld said.
“This week we’re also able to provide experiences for our community and junior umpires to connect with the elite game, enabling them to learn from the best, participate in AFL match-day experiences and help develop their skills and further their career.
“As the game continues to grow, we need to ensure we’re attracting more people to get involved in umpiring. We’re pleased to see a 32 per cent growth in women and girls’ registrations compared to this time last year, however we need to keep pushing and ensuring once they’re in, we’re supporting our umpires in the best possible way.
“We know there are many benefits of umpiring spanning from health and wellbeing to social, and it offers a great opportunity for anyone to be involved in our game regardless of age, gender and football experience.
“On behalf of the AFL I would like to thank the more than 17,000 registered community umpires across the country who head out each weekend and officiate thousands of games – without their dedication and skillset, the ball wouldn’t be bounced.
“I also want to recognise and thank the AFLUA and all the AFL/AFLW listed umpires who provide fantastic support and their time to supporting and growing umpiring at all levels.”
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