‘Dream come true’: O’Connell embraces VNL opportunity

TIFFANY O’Connell still occasionally has to pinch herself when she considers how far she has come since making umpiring her primary netball focus five years ago.

The Bendigo-based umpire has relished a season like no other behind the whistle following her elevation to the Victorian Netball League 23-and-under panel.

For O’Connell, who called time on her grassroots playing career in 2020, it’s been a dream come true.

“I sat in the stands last year watching the VNL umpires and players at Strikers games in Bendigo and I thought how good it would be to be out there on the court and this year I have been,” she said.

“It’s a blessing. But I don’t take it for granted at all.”

It’s been a long journey through netball for O’Connell, who started playing at age nine, and forged a long senior playing career at Heathcote District Football Netball League club Huntly.

She first took up the whistle in her early 20s, combining umpiring and playing. She has since racked up 19 years as an official, in between taking breaks for the birth of her three children.

The move to divert her focus to umpiring proved a light-bulb moment.

“I’ve been really lucky, but I’ve worked hard at it,” O’Connell said.

“I didn’t turn to my focus to being super-committed to umpiring until 2020, when I retired from playing netball. From there, I umpired solely for fun.

“It wasn’t until 2022 that it took a turn towards being really focused.

“I got reaccredited with my C-Badge and, in 2024, I was fortunate to get my B-Badge, which was a big achievement for me. I was really proud of that.

“In 2023-24, I worked really hard going to tournaments – Association Championships, State Titles – just doing everything I could to get that experience and exposure to different umpiring coaches.

“From there, I fell into the Netball Victoria pathway.

“Once you get your B-Grade badge, you get invited to try out for the high-performance umpires’ squad, which I did last year.

“I was super-lucky to be selected into the 2025 squad.”

O’Connell credited her participation in the Netball Victoria Northern Zone Umpire Talent Academy in 2023 as a major stepping stone in her development and an inspiration for wanting to take her craft further.

She has since capitalised on her opportunities, making the step up from state championship events, to plying her trade in the state’s premier netball competition at VNL 23-and-under level.

It’s been a steep – and weekly – learning curve, but a challenge she has met head-on.