GLEN ‘Froggy’ Curtis, one of the area’s longest-serving umpires, has been honoured for his services by being awarded life membership of the South West District Football League Umpires Association.

Curtis started umpiring in 2006, after playing football at Westerns in the South West District Football League, where he is a premiership player and life member.

Curtis started off umpiring in the now-defunct Portland Junior Football Association, before moving on to the SWDFL itself.

“I wish I started earlier, a lot earlier,” Curtis said of his time as an umpire.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“I met a lot of nice people, and it’s good to give back to footy.”

Curtis was approached by current SWDFLUA president Kevin Farley while playing football for Westerns in 2006, and started umpiring junior football.

Three years later, he moved up to senior football.

“You get paid for umpiring, but that’s a bonus,” Curtis said.

“You meet a long line of people, you enjoy being out there with the guys.”

Curtis has umpired the past three senior grand finals in the South West District Football League, officiating in many reserves grand finals before that.

He qualifies for life membership after umpiring over 200 games over more than 10 years, with Golden Whistle, best first year and most improved awards in the association over that time.

“(The game) has changed a lot through the years,” Curtis said.

“It used to be all hard-nosed and all that, but these days, the players are really good.

“The brawling’s gone out of the game.

“I get heckled from time to time by the crowd, but that’s about it.

“There’s a lot more respect for the umpires now, it’s a lot better that way – they used to call us the ninth footy team.

“Without umpires, the game doesn’t go.

“(Umpiring) Heywood-Dartmoor, where Heywood were undefeated all year, and Dartmoor beat them by five points, that was definitely a highlight.

“(People expected) there was going to be a big brawl, an all-in brawl and all that, Heywood and Dartmoor had some issues during the year, but there weren’t any problems.

“At Tyrendarra last year, Tyrendarra-Dartmoor, somehow I blew my whistle when I should never have blown my whistle.

“The guy turned around and I said ‘look, I stuffed up, I’m sorry’ and he said ‘I’ve never heard an umpire say that’.

“We’re all human, and at the end of the day it’s your interpretation of what the rules are.

“Everyone interprets the rules differently.

“The bloke on the fence, he doesn’t see it, and he thinks it goes the other way.”