Cricket
15 October, 2024
Wills has the best seat in the house
For cricket umpire Tony Wills, it made perfect sense to transition fully into officiating the game after he gave up the sport he loved playing.
Wills is an experienced player, notching up 250 games with Noradjuha, before they became the Bullants.
He bowed out on a C Grade premiership and took up umpiring full time for the Horsham Cricket Association, determined to stay involved due to his passion for the sport.
It was early 2000 when he first became an umpire at club level - and said each week during cricket season he is privy to the best seat in the house.
"Besides being the best seat in the house, it's just a continuation of my career, even though you aren't physically playing, you are involved totally with everything that goes on," he said.
"I'm going on 66 now, and even though I wish I could still play, this is the next best thing."
Typically Wills officiated the A Grade games, but he said he would be delighted to see new umpires join the association, and he'd be happy to umpire grades lower.
"I've done probably 15 of the last 20 A Grade Grand Finals, so I have been around a while," he added.
"I've been a past association board member, president, secretary, treasurer and I am a life member.
"I'm an accredited two umpire which means I can umpire the association and representative games.
"I do mainly do A Grade, because we are a bit light on, but if we had a few umpires, I would gladly do a B or C Grade game, as long as I am doing a game, that's the important thing."
Asked what traits a person needs to become an umpire, Wills said they need to be able to hear and see.
"Once upon a time, when I first started, I used to have a joke with the blokes I used to play with that I retired from cricket because I couldn't hear or see, so I took up umpiring," Wills laughed.
"That was the joke for a long time.
"You do need to have a love for the game for a start, because on the days it is 41 or 42 degrees, and it's a long arduous day, or a howling wind, it can test you, but you have to have that love, and you will find most people who play, or umpire have that love.
"You have to have your faculties, being able to hear and see is important so you can have consistent performances for each innings, for each game and for each week."
Wills said a bit of fitness helps, although they all enjoy a beer after the game.
"That's probably the criteria, along with having the basic fundamentals of the laws for when the cricketers try to challenge you," he said.
The Horsham Cricket Association are on the lookout for umpires. If you think you can help, reach out to the HCA as they would love to hear from you.