GOAL umpire Ross Court reaches the 300-game mark in senior footy when Sandhurst takes on South Bendigo in Saturday's clash at Bendigo's Queen Elizabeth Oval.
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There have been thousands of goals and points signalled and plenty of waving of the flags since Court took up umpiring in the 1998 season.
A keen follower of the game, particularly the Essendon Football Club, Court was encouraged to "have a go" at umpiring by Matt Vittiritti.
"I had known Matt since year 7 at school and he was a boundary umpire with the Bendigo Umpires Association.
"For a few years I had been on the executive of the Bendigo Essendon Supporters Club and went to a lot of AFL matches.
"When the supporters club folded I was looking for something to do of a weekend," Court said.
"Matt told me the umpires were always keen to sign up new members, so I went along to training and took on goal umpiring."
Now in his 18th season, Court has officiated in close to 600 matches.
"Enjoyment of the game has kept me going," he said.
"And you are close to the action."
Among the highlights are the 2010 Bendigo Football League grand final between Goden Square and South Bendigo, four Loddon Valley grand finals, as well as VFL reserves, and TAC Cup under-18 matches.
He has umpired several inter-league matches, which included this year's under-18s match between Bendigo and Ballarat.
Court said he had gained a lot of help from various umpires coaches and other umpires as the seasons rolled on.
"John Hagley was a terrific mentor. He did a lot to build the camaraderie of the umpires and earned a lot of respect for the way he taught and went about things."
Greatest supporters of Court's umpiring pursuits are wife Rosalie and their children Adrian, Stephanie and Michael, who is playing under-14s footy with South Bendigo.
On the same day as Court's milestone, 15-year-old Samantha Bramley will make her BFNL senior debut as a goal umpire in the Kangaroo Flat and Maryborough clash.