Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
NOTE - This milestone game has now been delayed due to the announcement of another Victorian lockdown from 8pm tonight that has sport closed again.
BY HIS own admission John Norton wasn't the most gifted of footballers - but he loved the game.
"I was always into running when I was younger and always enjoyed football. I was in the same Catholic College footy team as Nick Carter and Nathan Brown and I'd play in their team each year, but I always used to sit on the bench," Norton said this week.
"I was never any good at footy, but I enjoyed being part of the game."
And it's that enjoyment of being involved in football that prompted Norton to make a switch from playing the game to umpiring it as a central in what has become a long career that will this weekend reach the 300-game senior mark.
Norton, who first caught the umpiring bug while at Swinburne University in 2000, has been involved with the Bendigo Umpires Association since 2008 - the year he officiated his first senior match when he took charge of a Heathcote District league clash between Heathcote and White Hills.
"I probably didn't think of umpiring until I was that bit older and was watching games on TV and getting frustrated at decisions and thinking I could do a better job, so I put my hand up to try and see how I would go at it," Norton said.
"There was the challenge factor of it, but it was also the perfect mix for me because I was able to combine my love of running with my passion for football.
"I remember being partnered with Eric Baker in the first senior game I did and it was a really good experience in that he had a bit of banter and fun with the players, which made it more appealing to me.
"I suppose that first game wasn't as daunting when you've got a guy out there with you who is able to make the game fun. It helped to put my mind at ease, so that was a really good experience doing some early games with Snake."
Norton's path to the 300-game senior milestone takes in a mix of Bendigo, Heathcote District, Loddon Valley league and North Central games.
The majority have been in the Bendigo league - about 240 - which includes four grand finals: 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2018
He has also officiated in three North Central and two Loddon Valley league grand finals, as well as seven inter-league games.
After getting his early taste of umpiring at district level, Norton's first Bendigo league game was a match at the QEO between South Bendigo and Kyneton alongside Jason Seipolt.
"Brett Cook was coaching Kyneton and he was a big presence out on the field with his size. I remember I paid a mark that was touched and he roared at me and I thought, what have I got myself into," Norton said.
"So I quickly called a ball-up because I knew that I had made an error, which was mainly due to nerves, but from that point in time I felt a lot more comfortable in that I recognised I'd made an error and was able to quickly fix it and the world hand't ended, so to speak.
"It was there that I realised as an umpire you can always correct your mistakes if you have that sense of composure and build relationships with players and other umpires."
It was there that I realised as an umpire you can always correct your mistakes if you have that sense of composure and build relationships with players and other umpires.
Given he could run anywhere from 12 to 16kms in a game depending on the competition and how many fellow umpires he has, Norton at an estimate has run well over 4000kms on the field during his career.
It's that physical toll, combined with the mental concentration required - not to mention putting up with the "advice" that comes from the other side of the fence - that leaves Norton exhausted on a Saturday night post-match.
"On a Saturday night when I get home your brain is a bit fried because you've just been concentrating for two-and-half hours non-stop and just been totally focused on the game that day," Norton said.
"So that's mentally draining, and then having to put up with some of the abuse that goes on, as well as the physical fatigue you have from running 15 to 16kms.
"You definitely know you've umpired a game of footy the next day if you don't put in the hard yards on the training track during the week."
Norton, 42, will celebrate his 300-game milestone on Saturday when he takes charge of the Bendigo league match between Kyneton and Gisborne at the Kyneton Showgrounds in a round where the competition will resume without spectators.
"When I first started out I certainly didn't think about umpiring 300 games; I thought if I could get one Bendigo league senior game it would be a tick in the box and that was a big achievement," Norton said.
When I first started out I certainly didn't think about umpiring 300 games; I thought if I could get one Bendigo league senior game it would be a tick in the box and that was a big achievement
"I've always been a big fan of Bendigo football and always wanted to contribute something to it, so to be able to give back to the competition has been really good.
"I'd like to think I'm a loyal person, so anything I get involved in I like to see out the whole journey and give my best and that's why I try to keep as fit as I can so I can do my best for the game. When the time comes that I can't do that any more then it will probably be time to hang it up.
"As an umpire you don't get to win premierships, so an achievement like this in doing 300 senior games is probably a good chance to look back and reflect.
"It's also chance to look back at all the support along the way and you really need a supportive family, which is what I've got (wife Janele and children Tascha and Bailey).
"I put in a lot of work on my umpiring and you've got to have an understanding family to provide that support. If I didn't have that family support I wouldn't have got anywhere near 300 games.
"And Dean Goodridge as umpires coach has been fantastic for me. His style has been able to get me ahead of the game in terms of what's required to be a consistent Bendigo league senior umpire."
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark bendigoadvertiser.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter @BgoAddy
- Follow us on Instagram @bendigoadvertiser
- Join us on Facebook
- Follow us on Google News