When David Barker walked from the ground and entered the umpires’ rooms at Deakin Reserve following his 300th game it was only fitting his son was by his side.
Barker, a Goulburn Valley Football Umpire Association stalwart, notched the impressive tally on Saturday in the Goulburn Valley League senior football match between Shepparton and Kyabram.
The field umpire officiated the round nine match with his son, Bryce, someone who has been influential in helping his dad reach the triple hundred figure.
“Yeah, it was great (to do it alongside Bryce), I was with him when he umpired his first GVL senior game and that was probably a bigger high than this (milestone game),” Barker said.
“I don’t do it for milestones, I do it because it’s good fun.
“I was probably going to pull the pin a couple of years ago, but my son got involved and that sort of kept me going for a few more years.
“It’s a good environment with the umpire association. I dragged him down along with me one night ... and it’s helped keep me around as well.”
Barker’s career as an umpire stretches back almost two decades.
His involvement with the GVFUA began in 2004; following his playing career and after his co-worker Reggie Hudson talked him in to attending a training night.
During those years Barker has been lucky enough to umpire multiple grand final matches.
“I’ve done two senior Murray league grand finals and I’ve been emergency for two GVL grand finals,” Barker said.
“I’ve been able to do a couple of Interleague games as well.”
Although those achievements are memorable highlights for Barker, he said the friendships are what stuck out the most.
“The association is really welcoming and they are a great group of blokes,” he said.
“I’ve got some great mates out of it over the years.”
And, while Barker acknowledged that most of his mates from the GVFUA had started to hang up the whistle, as long as his son is still involved expect to see him add to his 300 games.
“The last couple of years have kept it hard to keep the fitness levels up,” he said.
“I’m still happy to keep doing it, as I said, doing it alongside my son probably keeps me going for a few more years.
“All my mates who I’ve umpired with have started to pull the pin or have got injured, so that makes it hard as well, but we’ve got a new group coming through.
“There’s some good youngsters coming through and it’s good watching them come up through the ranks and watching them grow as umpires.”