New faces, the return of interleague and AFL exposure highlight the start of 2025.
In the big leagues
Congratulations to former Division 1 Grand Final boundary umpire Anthony Laughton for earning AFL selection. Anthony was part of the 2012 and 2013 GF panels, before stints in the NEAFL, EDFL and finally VFL where he ran the 2023 and 2024 deciders. Debuting in the St Kilda v Richmond Round 2 match, this achievement is testament to Anthony's commitment and persistence across over a decade.
On the topic of ex-Division 1 GF umpires, Brendan Moloney (2017) and Thomas Gath (2018) brought up 50 senior VFL matches within a month of each other. Well done, guys!
Finally, congratulations to Ash Gardner who earned a callup to the VFL Development Squad for season 2025. Ash has so far umpired one match in each of the VFLW, Coates Boys and Coates Girls competitions.
Community Umpiring Week
On 1 May, the group was fortunate enough to host some of the best in the business as part of Community Umpiring Week.
Anthony was joined by fellow WFNL-alumnus Josh Mather and double-figure Grand Final umpires Matt Stevic and Ian Burrows for a Q&A session, following some skill drills undertaken by a large VFL contingent including several recent WFNL umpires.
Down at Marvel Stadium that same evening, eight of our young umpires were given an inner sanctum experience, walking out with the officiating crew for the match between Essendon and North Melbourne: community-umpiring-week-marvel-2025.mov
Interleague appointments
Congratulations to the following umpires for being appointed to the WFNL v SFNL interleague matches at Chirnside Park, Werribee on 17 May:
Men's (2pm)
Field: Vaughan Garner, Brayden Svilar, Adam Coles
Boundary: Jacob Baker-Mayer, Thomas Giallo, Nicholas Newey, Anthony Moloney
Goal: Michael Lynch, Paul Battaglia
Women's (Noon)
Field: Robert Asquith, Eliana Watters-Cowan, Lachlan Arentz
Boundary: Henry Crump, Liam Retallick, Jason Bonica
Goal: Andrew Singleton, Jake Gorman
Under 19's (10am)
Field: Adam Tolongas, Hamish Spark, Rushil Bhadra
Boundary: Mitchell Cauchi, Natasha Petrov, Angus Watkins
Goal: Trevor Budge, Con Grouios
Milestones
Congratulations to the following umpires for their significant achievements in Season 2025:
100 Division 1 matches
- Samuel Dunne (field) - R4
Division 1 debut
- Adam Coles (field) - R1
- Leon Di Natale (field) - R1
- Ethan McCall (field) - R1
- Jason King (field) - R1
- Mitchell Cauchi (boundary) - R1
- Grant Foulkes (boundary) - R1 (previously umpired Division 1 field)
- Frank Lanciana (boundary) - R1
- Charlotte Lazzara (boundary) - R1
- Nicholas Newey (boundary) - R1
- Natasha Petrov (boundary) - R1
- Marcus Russell (boundary) - R1
- Mitch Trotter (boundary) - R1
- Noah McCall (field) - R2
- Adam Petrov (field) - R2
- Rafael Del Cid (boundary) - R2
- Joseph White (boundary) - R2
- John Ensink (goal) - R2
- Tom Deigan (boundary) - R3
- Rushil Bhadra (field) - R4
News
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14 Jan 2015
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