Nick Foot is an Australian rules football Umpire currently officiating in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was selected in to officiate the 2024 AFL Grand Final
in his Grand Final debut.

Umpiring career

edit

Foot began umpiring as a 13-year-old.[1]

In 2010, Nick won the AFL/Australian Sports Commission All Australian Umpire. As the winner of this award he travelled with the Australian Under 18 squad to officiate their games in Italy, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The highlight of the trip was the game against the European Under 18 team. Nick also attended the ANZAC Day service at Gallipoli, Turkey.[2][3]

In 2010, after the trip, Nick realised that he needed to work harder to continue on track to the AFL. He started to increase his training regime. To make the AFL panel, his coach needed to video the game and send it to Melbourne, where the AFL umpiring department would decide if he was good enough to make the cut.[4]

He followed up his 2009 grand final appearance with appointments to the 2010 and 2011 Tasmanian State League grand finals. He spent 2011 as an AFL rookie umpire, officiating in matches in the NAB Cup. In 2012 he was elevated to the full AFL list. Foot was selected to umpire his first AFL Grand Final, making his debut in the 2024 Toyota AFL Premiership Grand Final as a field umpire.[1][4][5][6]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Bresnehan, James (21 March 2012). "Umpire to take on big boys". The Mercury. Davies Brothers Pty Ltd. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Nicholas Foot - Australian Football". Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Tassie All Australian Umpire of the Year". Wrest Point State League. AFL Tasmania. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Wrest Point State League umpire gets AFL promotion". Wrest Point State League. AFL Tasmania. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  5. ^ Fair, Alex (21 March 2012). "Umpire wins promotion to AFL list". The Examiner. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  6. ^ Canning, Connor (16 September 2010). "AFL dream for TSL umpire". The Mercury. Davies Brothers Pty Ltd. Retrieved 17 July 2012.