Two of the AFL’s most senior umpires have again been selected to oversee the league’s showcase game, with Matt Stevic and Simon Meredith to officiate in their seventh Grand Final together alongside two debutants.
Stevic and Meredith, who’ve umpired almost 950 AFL games between them, will be in charge of Saturday’s decider between Collingwood and Brisbane alongside first-time Grand Final whistleblowers Hayden Gavine and Robert Findlay.
The quartet have been selected ahead of Andrew Stephens, who’s been named emergency for the first Grand Final to be officiated by four field umpires.
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Remarkably, it’ll be the 11th Grand Final in 12 years — and 10th in a row — to be officiated by Stevic, who’s still widely viewed among the umpiring community as the league’s best officiator.
Stevic’s selection will see him overtake inaugural Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee and VFL/AFL umpire of the century Jack Elder in top spot for most Grand Finals officiated by a field umpire. Elder umpired 10 Grand Finals from 1906 to 1922, with the Collingwood-Fitzroy decider in 1922 his final match.
Stevic has officiated in more finals than any other VFL/AFL field umpire.
Meredith will umpire his second consecutive AFL decider and seventh overall.
Both Stevic and Meredith were selected to make their Grand Final debuts in 2012 — and have been the most frequently picked whistleblowers for the premiership decider since.
Findlay and Gavine will walk out onto the MCG for the biggest game of the year for the first time.
After 329 games in 15 seasons, Findlay makes his Grand Final debut after being named the 2023 All-Australian umpire.
Gavine will be the least experienced officiator on the field on Saturday – he’s umpired 145 games in just seven seasons – but has risen up the ranks in recent seasons, highlighted by his appointment as emergency field umpire for last year’s decider.
Between them the four field umpires have officiated 1619 AFL games, including 133 finals.
Stephens, nine-time Grand Final whistleblower Brett Rosebury, Andre Gianfagna and Nick Foot were the other four umpires that officiated in preliminary finals last weekend but missed out on Grand Final selection.
Meredith and Gavine umpired the Magpies-Giants prelim, with several AFL greats critical of the officiating during the dying stages of the match.
The boundary umpires will be Ian Burrows (nine AFL Grand Finals), Christopher Gordon (six), Matt Tomkins (four) and Michael Barlow (one), with Matthew Konetschka named emergency.
“I want to congratulate Chris Gordon in particular for reaching his 350th and final game. All the best in your retirement and thank you for the contribution you have made to boundary umpiring; you have been an outstanding umpire and leader for the umpiring team,” AFL umpiring boss Lisa Lawry said.
The goal umpires will be Adam Wojcik (four) and Angus Mckenzie-Wills (debut), with Brodie Kenny-Bell the emergency.
“Matt, Simon, Hayden and Robert have performed outstandingly this season and their appointment to the 2023 AFL Grand Final is a testament to their hard work,” newly appointed AFL general manager of football Laura Kane said.
“I also want to congratulate each Boundary and Goal Umpire selected and thank every Umpire who has officiated in the AFL this season.
“All the best to all our match day officials – from our Timekeepers and Interchange Stewards to our Shot Clock Operator, Umpire Trainers and Ball Stewards the biggest game on the footballing calendar does not happen without all your hard work.”
