Buddy's 13, drawn GF, Demolition Derby: Top ump's wild ride to 500

BRETT Rosebury will become just the second person to umpire 500 AFL matches in a career that's spanned from Tony to Tom Liberatore.

Rosebury, 43, made his elite umpiring debut at just 20, officiating in a round 13 clash between Fremantle and St Kilda at Subiaco Oval in 2000.

Fittingly for the West Australian-turned-Victorian, his 500th will also involve Fremantle, this time taking on Collingwood at the MCG.

"When you reflect on the number, it is a lot over 24 years. It's been nice to reflect over the past few days, but a lot of it's a blur to be honest," Rosebury told AFL.com.au.

"I started in what was the South Suburban Juniors, back in the day. I was just playing junior footy at the same time (at 14), and decided to take up umpiring and really loved it and enjoyed it from that.

"Originally, it was because I got frustrated with the umpires who were umpiring me, to be honest, and I thought I could do a better job than them. So I put up my hand, and put my money where my mouth is, or the whistle where my mouth is, and took it up."

Rosebury was fast-tracked through the ranks, hitting the WAFL at 17 and benefiting from a season of top-end footy with the NTFL before his AFL debut.

The introduction of a fourth field umpire has significantly lessened high-intensity sprinting loads for umpires during matches. Rosebury said pre-season training loads sees umpires generally rack up 40-50km a week of running, dropping to 25-30km in-season.

"On game day, the intensity has halved compared to what we were running with a three-umpire system. Hopefully that means we're less fatigued and we're in a better position to make better decisions," he said. 

"Generally, we should be at a kick-to-catch scenario, so we've always got an umpire at the contest that's not having to sprint. We still have to run and adjust and get to a good spot, but we're not having to really sprint maximum speed as much.

"I think the four umpires is still a little bit of a work-in-progress this year, like anything new, but hopefully we bed it down and really see some good, consistent team performances from the umpires during the finals and into next year."

Rosebury has umpired nine Grand Finals – 2009, 2010 and the replay, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2021 – and has witnessed more than his fair share of big moments.

"I was an emergency umpire in my early days for the Western 'Demolition Derby' (in 2000), I'll never forget it," he said.

"I umpired Western Bulldogs-Richmond, with Matthew Knights and Tony Liberatore (the latter putting down the former with a punch behind play), that infamous game in 2001. I was only in my ninth game, so that was a pretty big experience. 

"'Libba' got suspended at the Tribunal for five weeks, and I got dropped for six weeks for my own performance.

"I'll never forget Lance Franklin kicking 13 in Launceston. I just sat back and enjoyed it, to be honest. We didn't need to do too much that day, you could just sense … the stadium roared every time the ball went near him. 

"As much as we're concentrating and working really hard, you can appreciate the Heath Shaw run-down in the Grand Final replay on Nick Riewoldt right on the goal-line. I literally had the best seat in the house, 15m away and a side-on view, calling play on as the ball goes through the goals.

"The drawn Grand Final was probably the most crazy feeling after a game, no winners or losers and it was bizarre to go into the rooms and not really know what was going on. All of a sudden, Jeff Gieschen and Rowan Sawers told us we'd be umpiring again next week, and it all started again from there, it was a really bizarre week.

"Umpiring Australia against Ireland in Ireland was really memorable. At times you felt like you were working for United Nations trying to keep peace between those countries during those matches, it was a challenge.

"Umpiring the Grand Final in Perth was a great experience, originally being from WA. We were in and out of hubs, had 21 days' quarantine leading up to the week before the Grand Final, so that was a unique experience in itself."

Rosebury is a finance manager with Ticketmaster away from umpiring, and firmly believes in the balance it provides, particularly around the mental side of having a break from a very challenging occupation.

Umpiring numbers remain a significant challenge at local level around the country, coupled with the boom in female football that has seen the sheer number of games rise dramatically.

"During the community round earlier this year, I umpired an under-14s game out in Brighton with a young umpire, and you really appreciate how hard some of those games are to umpire," Rosebury said.

"I was that young umpire at some point, and it really is required for the whole industry and leagues and players to support these young umpires who are giving it a go. They are the future, and we're really lucky to have long-serving umpires in community regions who have been doing it for 20-30 years.

"I'd just love more people to give it a go, whether there's something the leagues can do with the players – somehow as part of the player development, is there an opportunity that every player misses one game for their team in a year where they give umpiring a go?

"Something like that could be an amazing recruitment opportunity. It might not be there and then for those players, but it could be a few years down the track if they break their arm or something, they might take up umpiring for the season having already had a taste of it. You never know, that's why just trying to provide opportunities, they might realise it's actually good fun."

Brett Rosebury's key stats:

• AFL Grand Final – 2009, 2010 and 2010 replay, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2021
• AFL All-Australian – 2008, 2009 and 2011
• AFLUA Umpire of the Year (the Bishop Shield) – 2008, 2009, 2020, 2021 and 2022
• NAB Cup Grand Finals – 2008, 2010 and 2011
• Ian Coates Medallion – 2001
• Ireland v Australia International Rules Series – 2010 in Ireland (2nd Test)
• U16 National Championships – 1998
• U18 National Championships – 1999
• NTFL Grand Final – 1998 and 1999
• WAFL Grand Final – 1999 and 2000
• AFL Life Membership - 2014
• AFLUA Life Membership - 2009 

Names in bold are current umpires