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IF JEFF Dalgleish is nervous about umpiring his first AFL Grand Final, he is doing a very good job of hiding it.
The whistleblower barely expresses any emotion ahead of the biggest game of his career, trotting out a few classic footy clichés with a calm demeanor.
"I haven't really thought about it too much, I don't think anything really changes this week," Dalgleish told AFL.com.au.
"It is just business as usual, apart from a few formalities throughout the week.
"Same rules, same teams that played throughout the year and there's still four posts at either end of the ground."
The Perth native is so low-key colleagues at engineering firm Monadelphous didn't know he was an AFL umpire until they saw a television feature story on the 29-year-old.
This time last year Dalgleish was flying even further under the radar after missing selection for the finals and the disappointment made him reassess his life.
He was travelling interstate a lot in his role as a senior HSE coordinator and then jumping back on a plane on weekends for his umpiring duties.
Dalgleish was also planning a family with wife Natalie, with son Logan born just 10 weeks ago.
The rejigging of his heavy schedule paid off.
"I was a little disappointed last year, but I've no one to blame except myself because my form wasn't good at the back end of last year, so I take responsibility for that," he said.
"I've taken on a less demanding role at work to free up a bit more time to focus on footy – that combined with the extra work (umpires coach) Hayden Kennedy and the assistant coaches do (with me)."
Kennedy didn't see his protégé's rapid rise coming.
"To go from missing out on finals last year to a Grand Final wouldn't have been in my wildest dreams," Kennedy said.
"He's just been a really consistent decision-maker and he's a really good team umpire. He'll put himself out for the other guys.
"It's just been a colossal effort, so I congratulate him."
Dalgleish only took up umpiring because he thought it would help him become a better footballer, but he quickly rose through the ranks in Western Australia to make his AFL debut in round five of 2009.
Six years and 119 games later, he will walk out on the MCG on Saturday far less experienced than "great mates" Brett Rosebury (seven Grand Finals and 331 games) and Matt Stevic (three Grand Finals and 279 games).
And with the trio yet to decide who will take the nerve-racking opening bounce in front of 100,000 fans and millions on television, Dalgleish won't be fazed, unsurprisingly, if cards fall his way.
"I'll leave the decision up to those guys, I'm not too worried," he said.
"With the amount of bounces we put down at training and throughout the games, I'd like to think I'd be fine."
