UMPIRE Jacob Mollison will officiate his first Toyota AFL Grand Final after being selected for the season decider alongside eight-time veterans Matt Stevic and Brett Rosebury.
Mollison will make his Grand Final debut at Optus Stadium on Saturday after officiating 281 games and seven finals since 2008.
Stevic, a veteran of 426 games and 48 finals, will officiate his eighth consecutive Grand Final and ninth in the past 10 seasons when Melbourne faces the Western Bulldogs.
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Rosebury (457 games, 46 finals), officiating his ninth decider but his first since 2018, has served quarantine in every state across the course of this season, including a six-week block in New South Wales and Queensland.
"Brett, Matt and Jacob have performed consistently across the entire season and fully deserve their selection in what is an historic (Grand Final) in Perth," AFL head of umpiring Dan Richardson said.
"I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate each boundary and goal umpire selected ... and thank every umpire who officiated AFL football this season.
"It has been yet another challenging season for everyone in the football and the wider community and I want to acknowledge the professionalism and commitment from each umpire and their families this season."
Mollison spent eight weeks away from home, in WA and Queensland, during the home and away season.
Boundary umpire Michael Barlow, who has spent 91 days away from home, will officiate in his first AFL decider and will be joined by Michael Marantelli (four AFL Grand Finals), Christopher Gordon (four) and Matthew Konetschka (three).
Goal umpires Steven Axon and Stephen Williams will feature in their third and second Grand Finals respectively.
Six-time Grand Final umpire Simon Meredith has been named the emergency umpire, with Ben Macdonald the emergency boundary umpire and Sam Walsh the goal umpire on standby.
Field Umpires:
Brett Rosebury: 8
Debut: 2000
Games: 457
Finals: 46
Grand Finals: 8 – 2009, 2010 (and 2010 replay), 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018
All Australian: 3 – 2008, 2009 and 2011
AFLUA Umpire of the Year – 2008, 2009
Matt Stevic: 9
Debut: 2004
Games: 426
Finals: 48
Grand Finals: 8 – 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020
All Australian: 7 – 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020
Jacob Mollison: 32
Debut: 2008
Games: 281
Finals: 7
First AFL Grand Final
Emergency:
Simon Meredith: 21
Debut: 2004
Games: 414
Finals: 39
Grand Finals: 6 – 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2020
Boundary Umpires:
Michael Barlow
Games: 65
Finals: 2
First AFL Grand Final
Michael Marantelli
Games: 261
Finals: 27
Grand Finals: 4
Christopher Gordon
Games: 301
Finals: 31
Grand Finals: 4
Matthew Konetschka
Games: 212
Finals: 24
Grand Finals: 3
Emergency:
Ben Macdonald
Games: 99
Finals: 3
First AFL Grand Final
Goal Umpires:
Steven Axon
Games: 269
Finals: 18
Grand Finals: 2
Stephen Williams
Games: 225
Finals: 19
Grand Final: 1
Emergency:
Sam Walsh
Games: 71
Finals: 4
First AFL Grand Final
