SA Footy

GOLDEN WHISTLE AWARDS
The SANFL has great pleasure in advising the award winners from last night’s annual Golden Whistle Awards.

Umpire of the Year
Golden Whistle: Richard Williams

Silver Whistle: Shane Thiele

Goal Umpires Award: Matthew Cummins

Most Improved Awards
Field Umpire: Ben Duff

Boundary: Umpire Sam Royans

Goal Umpire: Eddy Howell

Mark Posa Award for Outstanding New Talent
Matthew Williams

Andrew Vickers Medallion
Colin Rowston

City of Charles Sturt Award (for Outstanding Service to Umpiring)
Ashley Dohse

I'd personally like to congratulate Richard Williams on winning the award, clearly by a mile the best umpire in the competition and this award goes to show I haven't been making stuff up, Im amazed at the taunts he cops when he's nowhere near the play and sometimes not even at the same ground, I think he's still shaking off the fact that some people used to confuse Peter and Richard Williams.
People who say Richard Williams isn't a good umpire has NFI.

I caught up with the GF umpires at the Casino at some ungodly hour on Monday morning and a nicer bunch of blokes you wouldn't meet. Very professional lads who do their best to help the game not hinder it.

Congratulations to all the award winners and a thanks to all umpires that contribute to our great game, without umpires our game wouldn't exist.

how many golden whisltes has he won now?

im assuming he would have won more then one

the casino seems to be the fav after GF haunt for the umps........

mighty_tiger_79 wrote:how many golden whisltes has he won now?

Unsure but it must be quite a few. Ive emailed back to the SANFL asking that question and will reply when I find out.

What is the Andrew Vickers Medallion ???

Wedgie wrote:I'd personally like to congratulate Richard Williams on winning the award, clearly by a mile the best umpire in the competition and this award goes to show I haven't been making stuff up, Im amazed at the taunts he cops when he's nowhere near the play and sometimes not even at the same ground, I think he's still shaking off the fact that some people used to confuse Peter and Richard Williams.
People who say Richard Williams isn't a good umpire has NFI.

I caught up with the GF umpires at the Casino at some ungodly hour on Monday morning and a nicer bunch of blokes you wouldn't meet. Very professional lads who do their best to help the game not hinder it.

Congratulations to all the award winners and a thanks to all umpires that contribute to our great game, without umpires our game wouldn't exist.

The very fact that he's noticed enough to win an award makes him a bad umpire in my opinion. The best umpires are the ones you don't realise are out there.

ElizabethVCRThief wrote:The very fact that he's noticed enough to win an award makes him a bad umpire in my opinion. The best umpires are the ones you don't realise are out there.

Stupid comment, he's been recognised by his bosses not the media or supporters.
He hasn't won the award because he was noticed the most, absolutely ridiculous to even suggest that.
Only the people who run the umpiring part of the SANFL would have a full appreciation of who does a good job and a bad job, they go through every decision much more comprehensively than any fan would.

Some fans and I'm one of them have an issue with the way umpires are directed to interpret certain decisions and where they stand when making them, the umpires can only do the best to their ability at what they're told to do and how to do it and the umpire that does this gets the Golden Whistle and it takes a lot of skill and work to do so.

Wedgie wrote:

ElizabethVCRThief wrote:The very fact that he's noticed enough to win an award makes him a bad umpire in my opinion. The best umpires are the ones you don't realise are out there.

Stupid comment, he's been recognised by his bosses not the media or supporters.
He hasn't won the award because he was noticed the best, absolutely ridiculous to even suggest that.
Only the people who run the umpiring part of the SANFL would have a full appreciation of who does a good job and a bad job, they go through every decision much more comprehensively than any fan would.

Some fans and I'm one of them have an issue with the way umpires are directed to interpret certain decisions and where they stand when making them, the umpires can only do the best to their ability at what they're told to do and how to do it and the umpire that does this gets the Golden Whistle and it takes a lot of skill and work to do so.

Williams is not worth arguing over. I congratulate him in the "standing in the right place" awards.

ElizabethVCRThief wrote:

Wedgie wrote:

ElizabethVCRThief wrote:The very fact that he's noticed enough to win an award makes him a bad umpire in my opinion. The best umpires are the ones you don't realise are out there.

Stupid comment, he's been recognised by his bosses not the media or supporters.
He hasn't won the award because he was noticed the best, absolutely ridiculous to even suggest that.
Only the people who run the umpiring part of the SANFL would have a full appreciation of who does a good job and a bad job, they go through every decision much more comprehensively than any fan would.

Williams is not worth arguing over. I stand by my original comment.

Fair enough and I stand by more original comment that "People who say Richard Williams isn't a good umpire has NFI."

Take that as you will.

The pick of the lot by so much its a joke..... 3/4 of fans would have no idea of anyone else so the Williams decisions stick in their mind.Very deserving Winner

Wedgie wrote:Fair enough and I stand by more original comment that "People who say Richard Williams isn't a good umpire has NFI."

Tried to make himself the star of the show too often for my liking but what would I know? I've got NFI apparently.

topsywaldron wrote:Tried to make himself the star of the show too often for my liking but what would I know? I've got NFI apparently.

And you know this how?? Based on your indepth experience as an umpire?? No umpire certainly not the good ones like Richard go out to be noticed.

If they do things that make them notice i.e. call back play, make players actually play over their mark (i.e. enforce the laws) stop play to make a report, call back the team mates of a player who have played on after someone else has taken a mark (once again enforce the laws of footy it is because that is what they are instructed to do....

He might be a good Ump but sometimes he makes a stupid call that truly goes against the members stand.

Any team,

Any Game....

topsywaldron wrote:I've got NFI

Ahh well mate, at least there's one thing we can both agree on!

Dog_ger wrote:He might be a good Ump but sometimes he makes a stupid call that truly goes against the members stand.

Any team,

Any Game....

All umpires make stupid calls, just like players make stupid decisions and turn the ball over....

Andrew Vickers award is in memory of Andrew who sadly died as a result of an accident. He was a well respected member of the SA umpiring faternity. I'm unsure of the exact criteria to receive the award.

To all award winners Congratulations and to all umpires we may be one eyed and give you a hard time but we cant do without you.

Williams has been umpiring for so long compared to most other umpires, that over the course of his career, he is bound to have had a few bad days that people remember and are straight onto him the next game when he makes a 50-50 against their team. I've defnitiely been guilty of this over the years.

to add to ur comment cd regarding the andrew vickers award

he was actually killed in europe in a car accident whilst on his honeymoon

Williams makes the decision he thinks are right, and ignoes any home ground advantage. Many other umpires are incapable of thie and IMHO this puts him ahead of the pack. Regardless, the umpires do a better job than 99% of the SANFL fans would know.

Grahaml wrote:Williams makes the decision he thinks are right, and ignoes any home ground advantage. Many other umpires are incapable of thie and IMHO this puts him ahead of the pack. Regardless, the umpires do a better job than 99% of the SANFL fans would know.

Dead right