Sydney AFL Goal Umpire and NSWAFUA Life Member Ken Ray will officiate behind the goals in his 600th game this weekend in the clash between UNSW/ES and North Shore at Henson Park.

Ken’s passion for AFL began when he played junior football for Western Suburbs. He turned to coaching juniors in his adult life for many years, but in 1988 he found himself needing a new challenge. Late into the football season he decided to turn up to an umpires training night and soon found himself goal umpiring the last two matches of the season. He returned for his first full year ‘ducking under kicks’ in 1989.

Ken quickly took to the mental demands of the discipline and in 1993 was appointed as Sydney AFL Goal Umpires Coach. To this day he is still preparing and conducting training session each Thursday evening – educating, guiding and mentoring Goal Umpires as they come through the ranks. The Sydney AFL Goal Umpiring panel is especially grateful for the work Ken has put in during his 15 years as coach.

In 1990 Ken was appointed to the AFL panel, goal umpiring 62 games in both the Under 19s and Reserves before making his AFL debut in 1999. Ken recalls the experience as if it was only yesterday. Sydney played North Melbourne at the SCG, and the Swans found themselves behind all day until “Paul Kelly delivered the goal that turned the game around – it went straight over my head and I remember saying to myself ‘how good is this’!”

After officiating in nine AFL games over a two year period – and with limited matches being available for the Sydney based AFL umpires at the time – Ken took up the role of AFL Goal Umpires Coach and Observer for AFL matches in NSW/ACT at the beginning of season 2001. Ken still continues in this role today.

Every Goal Umpire officiating this weekend owes much of their skills, fitness – and indeed selection – to Ken. For over a decade he has helped countless young (and older) men and women gain a greater understanding of goal umpiring, and Australian Football itself. Ken takes great pleasure in seeing umpires grow and improve and has become adept at creating original and taxing drills to hone their skills on the training field.

I asked Ken if he had a story or two we may not already be aware of from his 18 years with the NSWAFUA. Ken advised that throughout his career he has found himself being appointed to Field Umpire on five occasions when numbers were down – “so this man knows his stuff”. Ken also recalls attending a match one day as the Goal Umpire Observer, only to be told that they were short a Boundary Umpire. So Ken ditched the folder and soon was running the boundary for the whole game!

On behalf of both the NSWAFUA and the Sydney AFL community we congratulate Ken on his outstanding achievement – and hope to see him straddling the line for many more seasons to come.

Ken Ray’s Sydney AFL Achievements

Member of the NSWAFUA for 18 years
Elected as a Life Member of the NSWAFUA in 2005

Total games umpired – 600
Premier Division Senior Grade games umpired – 373

Premier Division Senior Grade Grand Finals – 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005
The Michael Heinrichs Award (Best Goal Umpire) – 1990, 1996, 2003

Steven “Harvey” Wallbank reaches an amazing milestone this weekend, when he will umpire his 450th game in the AFL Sydney. Described as the “backbone” of the Sydney umpiring group, he has been a tireless contributor over the years and his level of dedication is as evident today as it was when he first began.

After finishing his playing career with Manly in the Sydney Football Association, Harvey umpired his first match in 1990 – before many of our current umpires were even born!?!

Over the years his commitment to the code has extended to volunteering his time to umpire at junior representative carnivals and wherever possible, assisting in the development of Sydney football. There would be very few people involved with AFL in Sydney that have not encountered this local icon – be it at The Reg Bartley Oval on training nights, weekends at club level or at the SCG/Olympic Stadium at Swans home games – and those who know him well also know he’s always got time for a friendly chat.

A long time Member of the NSWAFUA Committee, Harvey has chosen not to nominate in recent years in order to “… give others the opportunity”. In his time with the NSWAFUA Harvey has received numerous awards, including: the Encouragement Award in 1991, the Service Award in 1993, the Appreciation Award in 1998, the A. W. St Clair Award in 2000, the Presidents Award in 2001, and the Encouragement Award again in 2005.

Harvey was elected as a Life Member of the NSWAFUA in 2002 in recognition of his commitment and enthusiasm over his many years of dedicated service. To this day Harvey continues to volunteer for and assist the Association, acting as our Club Umpire Liaison Officer in 2008. Umpiring in Sydney would be at a loss without people like Harvey.

On behalf of everyone in the Sydney footy community, we wish Harvey all the best for both his 450th game and (if the results of this year’s beep-test results are any indication) for plenty of years to come. Congratulations!