“ Despite early bed for most umpires, many were still tired and sore and we entered day 2 of the Nationals. By now friendships have started to form. Riddell and USAFLUA umpires are sharing stories, swapping emails, sharing lifts and enjoying each other's company. The coaching continued today and the local umpires were so appreciate of our assistance. The improvement over the 2 days was evident. For the U.S. umpires they received more coaching in 48 hours than they would in a year. If I was proud of my Riddell Umpires yesterday they took it to a new level today. No request too small, they did extra games, extra observations and were an asset to our association.The grand finals were a highlight. They were played at a frantic pace. Riddell umpires filled in boundary appointments while the USA took up field and goals, many still wanting feedback from their games.  Read more...

Riddell Umpires RDFNL Grand Final After Party

Riddell Umpires members and their families are invited back to General Manager Steven Giles house after the 2017 RDFNL Grand Finals ( Sunday September 17th) to celebrate the end the 2017 season.

Food will be provided at a cost of $5 per person attending.

The address is 121 Aitken Street, Gisborne.

If you would like to attend, please respond to the facebook event so that we can gauge numbers for catering.

End of Year Social Events

We are approaching that time of year where the season comes to an end and we celebrate the year. Umpires are appointed to officiate grand finals and awards are handed out to a range of umpires.

This year, the Riddell Umpires are hosting the Junior Presentation & Senior Appointments Night at the Sunbury Bowling Club on Wednesday September 13th. Umpires are requested to arrive at 6PM for a 6:30 start.

This year we are proud to announce that our guest speaker will be Eleni Glouftsis, the first female AFL Field Umpire.

Tickets are $37 for Adults and $30 for U/18's (Drinks at bar prices). Attendance is compulsory for all umpires in contention for a senior grand final. 

Family and friends are welcome, however seats are strictly limited so please see Chris Stead at training or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

 

 

 

Our final social event for the year is the annual Dinner Dance on Friday September 22nd following the completion of the 2017 season. The night is a great opportunity to let your hair down and celebrate another great season. Umpires are asked to arrive at 6:45 for a 7:00PM start.

This year, the function is being held in the Premiers Room at Windy Hill Receptions. The room has amazing city views and plenty of room to dance to our amazing band - STELLAR. For those that remember, Stellar put on a great show at the 2015 Dinner Dance.

Tickets are $85 for Adults and $65 for U/18's and this includes a 3 course meal and unlimited Beer, Wine and Soft Drink for the length of the evening.

This promises to be a great night so we hope that all of our umpires will be in attendance. Family and friends are most welcome.

To put your name on the list, see Chris Stead at training or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Time to hang up the Whistle!

The first question that I always get when I mention to someone that I umpire football is ‘how did you get into that’? It’s a question that all umpires get, and their answers vary. Some say for the fitness, while others say it was for a little bit of pocket money. Me, it was simple. I was not the best footballer. After 150 games of junior football, I knew that it was not going to end well for me if I continued on to under 18’s football.