WHEN Shane Dempsey ran onto Melville Oval on Saturday for the Hamilton Kangaroos and Cobden senior Hampden Football Netball League (HFNL) game, he notched up game number 1000 with the whistle in hand.

In a sport that celebrates a player reaching 100, 200 or 300+ games, Dempsey has climbed Everest by reaching such a huge number and it all began back in 1992 when he took up the whistle after finishing his playing days.

Born and bred on a dairy farm at Stoney Creek in Gippsland, he played his junior football for the local team before heading off to Melbourne to study, playing in the amateur competition while down there.

On completion of his degree, he moved to Hamilton to take up teaching where he coached Balmoral for two years before moving to Penshurst to play under Paul Block for a season, followed by a season at Hamilton under Bill Picken.

It was in 1992 that Dempsey gave up the game in favour of the whistle and once he saw the game from a different angle, he found that he had more to offer than just playing the game that he loved.

“It took a while to adjust to not playing, because a player needs to run to the ball whereas an umpire runs to a position where he/she can get the best view of the play”, he said.

He joined the Western District Umpires Association (WDUA) and his love of the game continued as he became better at his new role within the game.

That’s not to say that Dempsey was a slouch as a player, kicking over 170 goals in a season for Balmoral while coaching them for a couple of seasons and kicked 10 goals in a Mininera league grand final for Penshurst.

As his umpiring career progressed, he took on roles within the WDUA, including that of adviser/coach for more than 10 years, where he mentored many budding umpires through the ranks.

With nine Western Border Football League Grand Finals and one HFNL Grand Final to his credit, Dempsey has notched up many honours.

“He is the most decorated person within our association (and) his record is something that he can be proud of, and I doubt it will be beaten”, WDUA President, Geoff Barker said.”

Of course, Dempsey doesn’t only umpire senior matches, as many of the 1000 games have been played within the junior ranks which sees him kitting up on both Saturday and Sunday during winter.

Dempsey was humble about his achievements and his career, but he did make note of how the game brings people together.

“Football and netball bring people from the community together and that gives me a great deal of satisfaction,” he said.

“Being involved in the game has given me more than I ever hoped for, and I like to give back that little bit while the camaraderie within the WDUA is something that I treasure”.

“Umpiring is such a small part of the game, but it is vital to the overall enjoyment of the sport.

“While grand finals are special, I believe that all games are special, and every game gives me great enjoyment.

“A lot of people cannot see themselves as umpires, but my advice is to give it a go, as the friendship’s that you gain are lifelong and the enjoyment that you get is everlasting,”

“I’m not sure how long I will carry on for, but I do know that it’s getting closer towards the end.”