WAFL Umpire Ryan Shelton Officiates His 200th Game in WA Day Fremantle DerbyThursday, June 1, 2023 - 2:25 PM

THIS WA Day is more significant than most for WAFL umpire Ryan Shelton who will umpire his 200th game on Monday 5 June, in the Fremantle Derby. 

Shelton’s umpiring journey started at Swan Districts Junior Umpire Club, before moving into the WAFL system in 2006. 

But football wasn’t Shelton's first choice of sport.

“When I was 13 years old, I was a determined cricketer and I thought I would be better off working on my fitness and getting paid for it in the off season for cricket, hence I started umpiring,” Shelton said.

“It wasn’t long after that I realised I was much better at football umpiring than cricket.”

He has always worn his heritage number (150) with pride, knowing the significance of being the 150th umpire to be selected to officiate in WAFL football.

“My league debut was on ANZAC Day in 2009, Subiaco v East Perth at Leederville,” Shelton said. 

“There were 6000 people there that day and I remember cramping up in the third quarter struggling to keep up.”

Over the years, Shelton’s dedication and passion for football has helped him achieve several milestones in his umpiring career.

Shelton’s first opportunity to umpire at the highest level came in 2021 when he was selected to officiate in the State Game. Later that year Shelton's hard work paid off once again when he was selected to umpire in the WAFL Grand Final. This was a significant achievement for Shelton, as it was the culmination of years of dedication and hard work.

“To umpire the 2021 WAFL Grand Final in front of family and friends after 16 years was by far one of the greatest memories of my career to date,” Shelton said. 

“Not everyone gets the opportunity to ratify the sacrifices they and their family make by achieving the ultimate success. 

“When I was first training at the WAFL as a 16-year-old, my mum used to drive me every Tuesday and Thursday night sitting on her deck chair with a thermos and never once complained about the sacrifices.

“Now as a husband and father of three children, working a demanding job, and going to training; it’s my wife who holds the fort whilst I continue to pursue what I love doing.

“To achieve success, it feels in some small way, a win for all of us.”

Shelton's success in umpiring also highlights the importance of the role of officials in sports. Umpires play a vital role in ensuring that games are played fairly and safely. 

Shelton’s passion for the sport and his commitment to his craft has not only made him a respected figure in the umpiring community, but also with players and coaches.

Monday’s Fremantle derby will see the four-umpire system in place with Shelton officiating his milestone game alongside three of his best mates – Rob McCaw, Matt Adams and Ben Laycock – all highly credentialed umpires who have over 900 games of League experience combined.

“One of the great traditions that we are afforded in big milestone games like this is, where possible, the opportunity to choose your colleagues for the game,” he said. 

“To be running with Matt, Rob and Ben means the world to me, we have all been on this journey together.

“We are the four most experienced field umpires on the list. We have grown from teenage boys to now husbands and dads. It’s going to be a lot of fun!”