AT GROUND LEVEL - Marc Turri EDFL General Manager

APPRENTICESHIPS GROUP AUSTRALIA RISING STARSUMPIRE APPRECIATION ROUNDJackson Volpato - HillsideJackson Volpato has turned into somewhat of a cult hero around theSydenham and Hillside area.He has been a prolific junior footballer for his club the Sharks and lastweek capped off his dominance at junior level with being granted adebut senior game under coach Steven Kolynuik at the ripe old age of15 alongside former Collingwood and Fremantle player Chris Tarrant.Volpato said it was “a fantasic experience” where he really enjoyedplaying alongside some “experienced footballers” in the form of fellowdebutant for the Tarrant, Ryan Hargrave and Aisake O’Hailpin with over450 AFL games between them.At junior level he has won three competition best and fairest’s and wasawarded the Under 15’s player of the year award by the Western Jets.There may be a slight shortage in the senior ranks,but the Essendon District Football League has seena boom in numbers of junior umpires this year.As the AFL celebrate Umpiring is Everyone’sBusiness round at weekend, the local league said ahuge recruiting drive had seen 110 new youngsterstake up umpiring this season – the second-largestnumber picked up by any league in the country thisyear.The drive has almost doubled the league’s numbersto about 230 junior umpires this season. EDFL juniorumpires coach Peter Burns said plenty of factors hadattracted the juniors.‘‘There’s a few cornerstones as to why we are sosuccessful but it’s a partnership of the EDFL, it’s thefact that we have Windy Hill as our home venue andI have nearly 40 mentors who are senior umpires thatmentor these juniors,’’ he said.Burns said more than a third of junior umpires werealso players and accommodating them aroundmatches was the key. The EDFL also pays forapparel for first-year umpires.Four young EDFL umpires (pictured) – BridgetHoward, Tanya Kaygisiz, Josh Shenouda and NathanToner – walked onto Etihad Stadium on Friday to joinAFL umpires for a warm-up ahead of Collingwood’sclash with St Kilda.Written by Chris Cavanagh - Leader NewspaperFor the remainder of the season Jackson hopes to play “a few moresenior matches” to help develop his football by playing at the “higherstandard” with the ultimate goal of winning a Division 1 Under 16premiership with his club this season.Legendary football gear for football legends!AUSTRALIAN MADE - AUSTRALIAN OWNEDAUSTRALIAN VALUESekem apparel is the oldest Australian owned football brand remaining on the market today.Official suppliers to the Essendon District Football League Inc. Telephone: 9279 29991716 The Footballer – The Essendon District Football League Record www.essendondfl.com.au The Footballer – The Essendon District Football League Record www.essendondfl.com.au 17