AT 66, Wayne Hinton is still going strong on the field after decades of dedication as an Australian rules umpire. The Mornington resident’s fairness and commitment to the game has made him a familiar and respected figure at a local and state level after 45 years of umpiring. “I love getting out there and just trying to do my right job,” he told The News.
For his services, Hinton was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) as part of the Australia Day honours “for service to Australian rules football as an umpire”. His impact on the game is immeasurable having officiated more than 600 games since the early 80s including at the highest level of AFL and VFL, earning him life membership with the Victorian Amateur Football Association and AFL Umpires Association. He has also umpired junior games across the Mornington Peninsula, and today he continues to umpire at grassroots level with the Southern Umpires League, using his wealth of knowledge to teach the next generation.
“It’s coaching kids to come out of their shell and educate them and teach them to make decisions on the spot,” he said. “Sometimes there’s arguments out there and decisions you have to make, and that’s your role really, to just test yourself out and make decisions under pressure. And it builds a better person, builds your character.”
Mr Hinton began umpiring in the VAFA before going on to the VFL’s Cadet Squad in 1983. Asked what sparked his interest in umpiring, Hinton said he started when he got his car licence “to give me a bit of fitness for athletics in the summer, really just to keep my body in order and keep training”. “It’s just been a passion ever since.”
He said the role “matures you in a big way and now that I’ve been doing it so long, I just love meeting the boys out there or the girls out on the ground”. “Sometimes there’s tricky situations, but at the end of the game a lot come up and say thank you.”
In receiving the award, Hinton said that while he was incredibly honoured, he was in shock when he got the news. “I was driving out of the Frankston Hospital car park … and then I nearly ran off the balcony when I was told, at first I thought it was a scam call.”
Hinton said he was lucky to be a part of the game and to keep fit while doing so. “I reckon it’s better than going to a psychologist … you’re mentally relieved and relaxed, that’s why I don’t want to give it away. I just love it.”
First published in the Mornington News – 28 January 2025
