Alf Shaw

A colourful media personality who also made a contribution as an umpire. Retired from a playing career at community level in Deniliquin in southern NSW to take up umpiring. Officiated in various country leagues before a stint in the VFA and eventually moved to Sydney where he was in charge of an SFL grand final between North Shore and a Newtown team that contained boxing icon Johnny Lewis. He is a boxing aficionado who shifted to Brisbane as a media manager with an advertising agency.

He continued his umpiring career, officiating in QAFL matches at the Gabba and Perry Park. He recalls that “Perry Park was as hard as flint and so were most of the blokes who played. One game between Mayne and Sandgate resulted in 14 reports and we could have got another 20.” He was the sports broadcaster for Radio 4BK, where QAFL Match of the Day commentaries would be littered with his unique colloquialisms. He also made contributions to the QAFL Football Record, once interviewed Muhammad Ali, called a race meeting at Moulamein in southern NSW where a kid named Roy Higgins had his first ride, and replaced John Laws as breakfast announcer at 3BA Bendigo in 1955 when “Golden Tonsils” left after a dispute with management.

While Shaw’s boxing broadcasts gained notoriety when he moved to Brisbane in 1965, his first sporting love was Australian Football. He would sign off from his radio broadcasts from QAFL matches each with his inimitable Australian drawl by saying, “I’m Alf Shaw … and that’s for sure!”