UMPIRING Report - Darren Holt Well what a year 2020 turned out to be with our active umpiring communities forced to sit idle due to the cancellation of football following the impact of Covid-19. A total of 537 umpires had registered for the 2020 season, all unaware at the time that the competition would be impacted like never before. Working through the situation was tough for all, especially considering the great build that we were experiencing to the 2020 season. While it was a tough experience, it was very much made easier by the patience and support of our umpiring community who showed typical resilience and the ability to adapt to an ever-changing landscape. I would like to personally thank every umpire and coach for their understanding, and thank the leaders of our umpiring community for their support throughout this journey. AFL South East (AFLSE) and the Southern Umpires Association (SUA) have built a good working relationship and rely on each other for support. This was never more evident than in 2020 and I look forward to playing a role in making this partnership even stronger moving forward. I would also like to thank Leigh Buwalda for his support in his role as AFLSE Umpire Development Manager and wish him well as he takes on a new challenge in the junior football space in 2021. And a special thank you to those umpires and coaches that have already showed great initiative and pro-activity as we look forward to the 2021 season. Your enthusiasm has provided us with a massive boost as we begin the challenge of retaining and developing our umpiring group moving forward. I am very much looking forward to returning to official training sessions in early February and to a successful and safe 2021 season. Darren Holt Regional Director of Umpiring
2019 UMPIRING NUMBERS - AFLSE-SUA
2019 UMPIRING NUMBERS - SEJ
Gender
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Gender
2016
2017
2018
2019
Male
290
307
342
381
385
Male
156
164
161
182
Female
20
19
20
28
30
Female
38
31
26
30
Total
310
326
362
409
415
Total
194
195
187
212
AFL SOUTH EAST ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | PAGE 19
