Goal ump, 81, flags his intention to stick around
WHEN John Hilder first hung up his playing boots and reached for the umpire’s whistle, Gough Whitlam was Prime Minister and Richmond was en route to back-to-back VFL premierships.
Now the Geelong footy fanatic is Victoria’s oldest umpire with about 1300 games under his belt and no end to officiating in sight.
Hilder, who turns 81 in October, has umpired in three states as a field, boundary and goal official and still reckons he had what it takes to take control of a seniors match.
“It gives me something to do, to keep going,’’ he said.
Now in his 34th year as an umpire, Hilder still drives himself to games to stand behind the goals and wave the flags at footy fields stretching from Werribee to Colac and the Bellarine Peninsula.
Last week he umpired an under-18s match at Portarlington before backing up for another game in the morning and a reserves clash in the afternoon.
This week he will beat a path to whatever game the AFL Barwon umpires association sends him.
Hilder estimates he has umpired 575 games in Geelong, 146 during a stint in Queensland, many more at leagues around Victoria and a handful in South Australia.
“It’s a lot of games, I admit,’’ he said.
“My wife has been on my back for a couple of years asking me to give it away, but as long as my health stays up I’ll keep doing it.’’
Hilder’s love affair with footy started as a player in Hampden, Bellarine and Geelong football leagues and as a stint as a junior coach before becoming an umpire in 1974.
“I feel I’m better suited now in helping the juniors who are coming through in umpiring and I like doing that,’’ he said.
“I’ve mentored a couple of umpires that have gone on to do the AFL seniors.
“It’s just something that I love.’’