Hayden Kennedy holds the all-time umpiring record of 495 AFL matches, including 5 AFL Grand Finals.
“Those games were huge, probably the highlights of my career,” he said.
In its own respect, the game he was about to umpire was also huge, for a slightly different reason.
The current AFL umpires coach recently returned to the football field, pulling on the boots and strapping on a whistle for only the second time since his retirement from the AFL in 2011.
One of the best umpires to ever officiate our game, Hayden, alongside current AFL umpire Ray Chamberlain officiated a match in the AFL Sydney League with a special meaning.
On paper the match read ‘Manly Warringah vs. East Coast Eagles’.
It wasn’t an AFL match, let alone a grand final.
But it was Frank Kalayzich’s 500th senior premier division game in the AFL Sydney competition, a feat never achieved before.
“It meant a lot for him (Frank) – to umpire 500 senior matches is a great accomplishment, and that we were able to share the day with him meant a little more,” Hayden said.
“It is truly a great effort that deserves celebration.
“Credit to Frank, I’m not sure whether that record will ever be surpassed.
“We loved helping him out and Chambo (Ray) was great, it was really nice of him to volunteer to do it,” he said.
Ray Chamberlain is a former AFL Sydney umpire. He umpired on that Friday night and agreed to stay and umpire the next day, in what is truly a great gesture.
“How could we pass up the chance to share such a great milestone?” Ray asked.
“Frank has, without doubt, been one of the strongest influences on my career in umpiring.
“It was great to share the day with him and umpire with the coach too,” he added.
Hayden said he loved being a part of it all and enjoyed the community feel of the game.
“I had fun too, and I guess that’s one of the key things of umpiring, to enjoy it,” Hayden said.
Still in incredibly good shape, Hayden occasionally trains with the AFL umpires.
“I’ve always enjoyed keeping fit, it’s part of who I am,” he said.
He believes the umpiring community has a real knack of rallying behind each other no matter the circumstance.
“Umpires, at all levels and across all disciplines, support one another and encourage each other. We’re a team,” Hayden said.
For Frank, it’s not every day you get to umpire with Hayden Kennedy and Ray Chamberlain, and it’s a day he will not forget any time soon.
Whether Hayden will consider a full-time return to umpiring following this appearance he said, “I don’t think so, I’ll leave that to the boys and girls coming through the ranks”.
