Bowled over by Dusty
IN 250 AFL games across 13 seasons and four grand finals, goal umpire Adam Wojcik had never been knocked over by an AFL player.
On Sunday, as he nursed a dislocated shoulder courtesy of a rampaging Dustin Martin, the Geelong export ruefully pondered his recent stint in the AFL spotlight.
In Round 1 he was knocked over by Nathan Fyfe, in Round 8 Joe Daniher took a speccie on his head and on Saturday night Martin was the runaway freight train.
Wojcik might have been sore as he attended a family engagement party but he also had a quiet moment of satisfaction he had called Martin’s kick as a goal before it was reviewed. With the AFL’s ARC referring it back as an umpire’s call, Wojcik’s decision was critical and ultimately meant Richmond won the contest in a four-point game.
“We try to stay out of the limelight as umpires as much as we can but a couple of incidents have certainly put me there,” he said.
“It took the doctors 15 minutes to pop it back in. It’s in a sling and it’s throbbing a bit but I am sure it will mend pretty quickly.
“I was trying (to see if I could still signal a goal) when I was standing there working out what was going on. I was trying to lift my arm but it wasn’t going to happen.
“I have never broken a bone before, never dislocated anything, but he is a big unit. I can tell you that first-hand.
“I didn’t really see the score review process play out but I knew it came out ‘umpire’s call’ which was the right call for me. As I did with the Joe Daniher one, I kept my eye on the ball and I was 100 per cent confident Dusty got his boot to it on the line.”
Wojcik was hailed for quietly and calmly walking off the ground after the Martin hit but he isn’t embracing his cult hero status.
“Joe hardly touched me, it was more of a push,” he said.
“Joe didn’t really say anything, it was a bit of a shove. (Martin) said he was sorry and asked if I was all right. We brace ourselves but sometimes contact can be unavoidable.
“This is year 14 for me. 250-odd games, four grand finals. I have been goal umpiring since I was 13 so I have been around for a while.
“Then in Round 1 Nathan Fyfe bowled me over in the Melbourne-Fremantle game, then Joe Daniher was on my back and then Dusty bowls me over. I had stayed out of trouble for 250 games.”