EDFL Junior Umpiring Coach Mark Volich was last week recognised at the 2016 AFL Victoria Community Football Awards Night.
Some of Victoria’s best coaches, volunteers and umpires were honoured for their contribution to community football this season.
Volich was recognised as this year’s Umpire Coach of the Year (Metro).
“It was a huge surprise,” he said of the award.
“I felt extremely humbled and very privileged to win the award.
“Umpiring for me is not about winning awards, it’s about my passion and love for umpiring and the development of young umpires, so it was a huge surprise and I’m very fortunate.”
Volich is a dedicated junior coach who is committed to the improvement of the league’s young umpiring group and is a deserving winner.
“I’ve been involved with the EDFL since 2004 and it’s all tied up with the Junior Program,” he said.
“Umpiring’s been good to me and in a small way I feel I’ve been good to umpiring.
“We probably face a bit of a challenge recruiting young umpires – but I think AFL Football is the greatest game in the world and I think we need to be able to bring young people into umpiring ranks who feel that they’re going to be operating in a safe and welcoming environment.
“We need every club in the EDFL to recognise that and to support what we’re doing.”
