Umpires appointed for 2023 Hampden league football grand final

Goal-umpire Darren Wilkinson and boundary-umpire Liam Wiese, 15, have been appointed as part of a group of officials from Warrnambool and Hamilton to adjudicate Saturday's senior grand final between South Warrnambool and North Warrnambool Eagles at Reid Oval.

Wilkinson, who began umpiring in 2015 and has since officiated about 150 games, knows it's a great opportunity.

"For the local footy it's the pinnacle," he told The Standard. "So that's what you aim for."

He said the "camaraderie" between the umpiring group was what appealed to him most about the role.

"I played footy back in my youth and it's just that camaraderie that you get that feels like a footy club," he said.

Wiese, relatively new to running the boundary, is eager to umpire a Hampden league decider so early in his career.

He said "meeting friends, staying fit and having a good time" were the best parts of the job.

Wilkinson is anticipating a good contest between the season's two premier outfits amidst predicted sunny weather.

"It'll be good, a nice, fast game of footy is what we like as goalies anyway," he said.

"I don't know about the running umpires."

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