By GRAEME HODGART
THE umpires are now getting familiar with their new headquarters at Hanmer Reserve, Seddon.
Obviously it will take some time before everything is in place. Work has begun on the construction of the light towers which will make training in the middle of winter much easier.
Further extensions to the existing clubrooms are also in progress. Soon the thoughts of Scovell Reserve which was home to the WRFL umpires for 32 years will be forgotten.
There will be definite advantages in being located at Hanmer. First and foremost is the area that is available. A fully marked football ground is something that Scovell Reserve did not offer as the only winter sport played there was soccer.
Hanmer also has two sets of goal posts which can be used by the goal umpires and also the boundary umpires for certain drills and activities.
There are also slopes, steps and a wide variety of places to conduct running, endurance or fitness activities. The surface at Seddon is much smoother than Scovell which tended to be quite uneven in many places.
Of course, the WRFL umpires have a second home down at MacKillop College, Werribee, which is a handy location for most of the umpires who reside in and around the Wyndham area. That venue is also in the process of having lights erected. It will be great when everything is finally in place.
Last Modified on 06/04/2017 15:05