UMPIRING the footy across the Riverina is quickly turning into a family affair.
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Riverina Umpires Association (RUA) have an increasing number of father and son combinations among their ranks, sharing their common interest of footy together on a weekend.
Plus the added bonus of getting paid for it.
After spending a few years as a boundary umpire in his teenage years, Brett Koschel rejoined the ranks a few years back but this time as a goal umpire.
He was carting his son Aiden across the Riverina to boundary umpire when he decided it was time for a return.
"When Aiden was coming towards the end of his footy, he got to the end of under 15s and was deciding what he was going to. I suggested umpiring to keep him in the AFL because he loves AFL so he did that for a couple of years," Koschel explained.
"I was taking him around to games on the weekend and I thought it would be a good opportunity to jump in and do it with him.
"It's a good time for us, we get to spend time together on a Saturday. I suppose it's that shared, common interest that we have and we get to travel all over the Riverina and get to have that time together and those shared experiences."
The Koschels are one of a number of families enjoying some quality time umpiring together on weekends.
Chris and Caleb Hocker, Troy and Blake Mavroudis, Symon Tardrew and Damian Davidson-Vilczko and Christin and Boston Macri are all doing the same.
Chris Hocker was watching his son play football, like any parent, when the opportunity presented.
"My son plays football for Wagga Tigers juniors and I was going along to the games like any parents does and I saw one of the work colleagues out there on the field and after the game having a yarn to him and he said have you ever thought about umpiring," Hocker recalled.
"It's also something I can be involved in with my son, while he's playing I can be umpiring so I started progressing into that. Then once I got into it, he expressed an interest in umpiring as well."
Caleb Hocker started out as a boundary umpire like most and has just started taking control in the middle of under 11s games.
"We developed a strategy where the new umpires, both guys and girls, we were putting them through boundary umpiring first, to try and eliminate any nervousness, try to get their confidence up, get them involved in the game," Chris Hocker said.
"As a boundary they can be watching from the field, they can watch the play, they get used to the players and the crowds and what have you. So we've been putting them through there and if they show interest in the other aspects of umpiring such as field and goal, they can progress.
"My young fella, Caleb, he'd been doing boundary for about two years and he's just started into field in the under 11s. He loves it. And it's good pocket money for them too. They can earn some good pocket money during the season and it's always a bit of a candy at the end of it.
"It's a good, safe, family environment. Whether you're male or female, whether you're young or from an older generation, it's allowed for all genres and kinds. And it's a good, fun, family environment.
"It's really family orientated for people of all ages, both kids and adults. It helps with their mental health, gets them out, interactive with other kids and other people, gets them off their devices, provides fitness and they can earn some good pocket money."
The Koschels have even managed to experience grand final today together.
"It's been really positive. The footy's pretty good and getting out there on a weekend and enjoying a bit of sunshine most of the time," he said.
"This is my third full year and we've been lucky enough that I've done the last two RFL grand finals and Ayden's been lucky enough to do a few more than that. Even to get to grand finals and do that together is pretty special."
Women and girls come and try session to be held
RIVERINA Umpires Association (RUA) is looking to get more females involved.
With the women's game expanding at both junior and senior level across the Riverina, the RUA is keen to increase the female numbers among the umpiring ranks.
An AFL Riverina Women and Girls Umpire Come 'N' Try session will be held at Robertson Oval on Monday night from 6pm to 7pm.
AFL ACT and regional NSW umpiring coordinator Troy Mavroudis encouraged any interested females to come along to the session.
AFL Riverina and the RUA are looking to use the upcoming Youth Girls competition to introduce new participants into umpiring.
