It’s not every weekend someone joins the 400 club, but for umpiring great Glen Hayes, Saturday was a day to remember.
Hayes, who umpired his first senior game in 1990, picked up the whistle once again on Saturday afternoon for the Murray Football League’s top-of-the-table clash.
The game, between Cobram and Mulwala, was Hayes’ 400th senior game with the Goulburn Valley Football Umpires Association.
He acknowledged the milestone was a big achievement, with the 400 games a long time in the making.
“I think I did my first senior game in 1990 and I had 12 years away in the middle, I was playing rugby union in Deni,” Hayes said.
After some time away from the game, Hayes returned to the whistle, with the umpire “getting too sore from playing rugby’’.
“I came back because I’d done the senior final as a 20-year-old in my first stint and I’d always wanted to do a Goulburn Valley League final, so I came back to do that and did five and then four Murray league ones,” Hayes said.
“I’ve got some pretty good friends again now and good friends that are still hanging around from that first period.”
A two-time Ian Coates Award winner, Hayes was awarded the Umpire of the Year award by AFL Victoria in 2011.
This weekend was particularly special, with family umpiring round meaning he shared the field with his daughter for the milestone game.
“This is her first full year, COVID-19 didn’t help her the last two, so it’s her first full season,” Hayes said.
Turning 49 next month, he acknowledged it was now about passing on the torch to the next generation of umpires.
He said it was nice to receive a guard of honour from Cobram and Mulwala, with umpires often struggling for numbers.
“They (the players) don’t get younger, but we get older,” Hayes said.
“It’s nice that they acknowledge that as well, because we do struggle to get numbers, it’s a tough gig, there are days when it’s not as nice as other days, but generally now most of the guys are pretty good.”