Two of Queensland’s most talented young umpires, Alex Whetton and Alistair Meldrum, have been selected to officiate the Toyota AFL Grand Final curtain raiser match.
Whetton will assume field umpiring duties, with Meldrum between the goals.
Queensland State Umpire Manager, Gary Fila, said the appointments were a testament to the quality of the Queensland umpiring program.
“We extremely proud of Alex and Alistair’s achievements,” Fila said.
“This is a fantastic result for umpiring in Queensland and further highlights the pathway to achieving success in the AFL within Queensland.”
The significance of the appointment is not lost on 20-year-old Whetton.
“I feel incredibly privileged to have been selected,” he said.
“It’s definitely an opportunity that doesn’t come around all that often… getting to go down to the MCG and umpire is really exciting,” he said.
The pair was chosen after standout performances at the recent NAB AFL Under 18 Championships.
The opportunity to umpire on the AFL’s most hallowed of days brings Whetton and Meldrum another step closer to their dream of umpiring at the elite level.
“This prestigious appointment will further enhance their development as they push to earn an AFL senior list position,” said Fila.
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By Sarah Lingard
