State spotlight for umpire

By Lachlan Ellis

A local umpire has earned the chance to be part of one of the state’s biggest football events, officiating in the VFLW Grand Final.

Bacchus Marsh’s Solomon Miesen was one of three boundary umpires who took part in the Grand Final back in late June this year, which saw Port Melbourne defeat Collingwood at ETU Stadium.

The 20-year-old, whose father Paul was an AFL boundary umpire from 1989 to 1994, said he was “over the moon” at making the umpiring panel, but had to deal with some nerves on the big day.

“It was pretty exciting when I got the phone call. I was super pumped. Walking out at the Grand Final I was pretty nervous, on my first throw-in I could see the camera, and the huge crowd watching…I’d never been in a game that big before, and it’ll probably be a while before I’m in one that big again,” Mr Miesen told the Moorabool News.

“I’ve got heaps of good mates down there umpiring with me, they’re really fun to work with and run as a team. Running around’s fun…hearing the crowd on the weekend, they were getting so into it, especially during the fast plays.”

Having umpired the Under 15 V/Line Cup event last year, it looks like Mr Miesen’s umpiring career is on an upward trajectory, and he says hard work at training, and maybe a bit of encouragement and advice from Dad, have helped him get where he is.

His aim is set at the highest level – umpiring on the hallowed turf of the MCG is the dream – but he admits he’s got plenty of work to do before he can get there.

“I run pretty much every day, and then we have one proper training session a week where we do running and get some coaching. I practice my throws and go to the gym a couple of days a week too. There’s a lot of running involved,” Mr Miesen said.

“There’s a long way to go [before umpiring in the AFL]. I’m only in the development list, I’ve still got to get on the senior list at the VFL and get a few games there, and it’ll be onwards and upwards hopefully from there.”