Refs fitter and wiser
Some players across our football codes might still be getting up to speed with their fitness but, for our officials, the season never really stops. FNQ football referees are working through a program by the body’s state referees coach. “If you’re not up with play, you usually don’t get in a good position to make a decision, so ... movement is very important,” said FNQ Football referees boss Chris Dawson (right).
SOME players across our codes might still be getting up to speed with their fitness but for our officials, the season never really stops.
FNQ Football referees are finally about to start their regular season but have had plenty of practice in recent months with a selection of trials and FFA Cup fixtures.
Any semblance of rust is out the window for our whistleblowers as players rely on them to get it right all the time.
FNQ Football referees boss Chris Dawson said even officials were eager for the start of regular football and thanks to the support of Football Queensland’s referee gurus, they were well-equipped to get it done more often than not.
“Each week I’ll get a program that comes from Ted Kearney, who’s the state referees coach and he does all the training for the guys who do the A-League as well,” he said.
“He sends that to me and I pick out some bits that we’ll do and we’ve got a format where we warm up and go through the sessions he’s set up for us.
“There will be certain drills with an intensity of running over a certain amount of time and distance, working in pairs with a bit of a competitive nature to it as well.
“Again, it’s getting them to work as a team, which is good for when they get out on the field, so it’s important to get that ethic into them.
“It’s like No.1 encouraging No.2 to keep going when the going gets tough.”
The teamwork aspect is something officials in the Premier level particularly rely on in a fast-paced division and the fitness work is putting the next generation in a great position to step up into the future.
“You’ve got to appreciate a lot of us are older seniors rather than younger seniors, so it is a tough thing, but having introduced this over the last two seasons, our fitness is much better than it was,” Dawson said.
“If you’re not up with play, you usually don’t get in a good position to see a decision that you have to make, so we try to instil in them that angle, position and movement is very important in a game, so you have to have fitness to do that.”
Dawson said there was “a bit of a buzz” for referees come the start of the season, this year particularly for junior referees who have had little game time due to the Far North’s fickle weather.
“The junior preseason they were supposed to have didn’t really happen but a few of the ones who have been to state titles have been getting involved in senior games, so they have been having a few opportunities,” he said.
The best referees are always out to impress with representative carnival seasons throughout the year begging for those who want to go further, as well as opportunities once the club season is over.
AFL Cairns umpires man- ager Rowan Tattersall said cross-training had proven the most valuable at the start of the season, but the hard work would continue throughout the season to keep up with the play in various roles.
“Preseason is all about building up that base of fitness, so that once the season starts you’re maintaining your body,” he said.
“We did a little bit of cross training and hiking to mix things up. I also wanted to build up our speed this season.
“There were a lot of interval sprints and fartlek running.
“There’s still a bit of work but it’s more about skills once the season starts.
“We try not to flog everyone during the season.
“We’ve got a few young kids making the transition from boundary to field umpiring. It’s a big step up in terms of fitness.
“The boundary is more endurance whereas the field umpiring is all about the short, sharp stuff.”
IF YOU’RE NOT UP WITH PLAY, YOU USUALLY DON’T GET IN A GOOD POSITION TO SEE A DECISION THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE, SO WE TRY TO INSTIL IN THEM THAT ANGLE, POSITION AND MOVEMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT IN A GAME, SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE FITNESS TO DO THAT FNQ FOOTBALL REFEREES BOSS CHRIS DAWSON