Long-time coach and former player Shane Lenon to make senior umpiring debut

Lenon has been named to make his senior debut as an umpire in the Riverina League clash between Turvey Park and Narrandera.

Lenon has been a club umpire at Marrar in recent seasons and was approached by the Riverina Umpire Association (RUA) about helping fill in at a senior level.

With Lenon now only holding a couple of director of coaching positions at Marrar and Wagga Swans, he jumped at the opportunity.

"I did, because of the fact I've already been doing it and I enjoy it," Lenon said.

"When the question was asked I was probably caught a little bit off guard but I was interested straight away to be honest with you."

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Having done it all as a player and coach across the Riverina, Lenon is looking forward to ticking another box when he makes his senior umpiring debut.

"I've done quite a bit of umpiring over the years, I'm obviously a club umpire at Marrar so to actually have an opportunity to umpire at first grade level is exciting," he said.

"I'm keen and looking forward to it.

"I think with more club umpires, it's probably a recruiting tool for the RUA. Obviously Gav Hofert is already umpiring and I haven't seen him umpire at senior level, but I reckon he would make a good umpire and he's come out of the club umpires set up.

"It's probably a way for them to recruit and hopefully into the future, more club umpires will take it up because without umpires, you don't have a game."

Lenon was recruited after a couple of senior umpires were pleased with his performances at reserve grade level.

At this stage, it's only a one-off but the former Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong, Lockhart, Collingullie-Glenfield Park and Marrar mentor is not ruling out more appearances in the future.

"At this stage it is but who knows what the future holds," he said.

"If I absolutely love it, it's a good way to stay involved in footy. You're putting a bit back into footy.

"I suppose umpires are like players, you've got to develop umpires, you've got to have numbers, you need umpires to have games of footy but I'm not sure what the future holds with it.

"It's good to be given an opportunity and once I've had a crack at it, we'll know more."

Lenon will officiate alongside fellow Lockhart-based umpires Peter Alexander and Craig Fletcher. That was another thing that persuaded him.

"I'm umpiring with Peter Alexander, I respect him as an umpire and to me he's one of the best getting around in the Riverina," he said.

"It's good that I'm umpiring with those blokes, I'm looking forward to it."

And as for how Lenon will umpire after long being with the coach's board on the bench?

"The best umpires don't over-umpire," he said.

"I think I umpire alright because I let the game go. I only pay free kicks that I know are there and that's how I'll umpire on Saturday as well."

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