As the AFL tackles dissent a grassroots country football league in Western Australia says it is seeing a growing number of umpires walking away from the game because of abuse.
The Geraldton-based Great Northern Football League (GNFL) has seven clubs launching into the 2022 season – its 61st – but it is grappling a severe umpire shortage.
The strong Mid-West league has produced numerous AFL footballers, including Kevin Worthington, Jim Sewell, Andrew Lockyer, Daniel Chick, Paul Hasleby and Harry Taylor, as well as active players Josh Kennedy, Patrick Ryder and Liam Ryan.
In recent years the league was able to supply the 30-plus field umpires required to cover all four senior games, colts, reserves, league, and women's league at the three fixtures.
But this year the GNFL only has 12 field umpires available and will be able to cover only the men's senior league games.
Clubs are being requested to supply their own umpires for the remainder.
Long-time GNFL umpire and administrator Colin Cox said a lot of footballers used to stay involved with the club once they finished playing, but that was happening less now.
«Our average age, at the moment, is 52 for our umpiring panel,» he said.
«So we are all getting a bit older and feel like we can not double up has we have had in the past.»
Mr Cox said the club had lost four promising young umpires since last season, mainly because of players disputing decisions and abusing umpires.
«We do get a lot of abuse and that's the main reason I think — they look at it on the TV and they watch local games and think, 'I do not want to do that',» he said.
«Last year I had senior umpires come off the ground saying 'I have had enough, I am out'.
»Because of the abuse you just get to the point where enough is
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