Jeffery keen to wet his whistle

AFTER hitting a career high by umpiring the 2016 AFL grand final, Tasmanian Scott Jeffery has gone to the other extreme — injured and struggling to get back on the field.

Today, Jeffery, 41, will start his road back to the top as one of the AFL’s crack field umpires by officiating the State League game between Glenorchy and Clarence at KGV.

It will be his first game of local footy since umpiring the 1997 grand final thriller between Clarence and Burnie Dockers at North Hobart Oval.

“It was a ripper and still one of my great footy memories,” said Jeffery (pictured right).

The Glenorchy-Clarence clash will also be his first game anywhere this year. “I am genuinely excited about it,” Jeffery said. “This year hasn’t been a great one for me. I’ve been battling with a knee injury from the end of last season that needed a bit of surgery.

“What was supposed to be a three to four-week recovery has turned into six months of toiling away.

“It’s at the point where I’m ready to return and as it happens I get to do it back home this weekend.

“It has been a long time since I’ve been able to get out there and do what I love doing.”

A veteran of 325 AFL games, umpiring a State League game will be a comfortable return.

“The fundamentals of footy are the same everywhere — you’ve got to manage the game and protect the guy who’s going for the footy,” he said.