A New Perspective on Footy: Finding Your Place in Umpiring

For anyone considering hanging up the boots but not quite ready to step away from football, umpiring can offer a new way to stay involved in the game.

First-year field umpire Blake Arnold has experienced exactly that in 2026, but for him, one of the biggest takeaways from his first season hasn’t been the individual milestones. It has been the people around him.

After a football journey spanning playing and coaching, Arnold picked up the whistle this year and has quickly found a welcoming environment within the Perth Football League umpiring group.

“I think it’s been a bit of everything,” Arnold said.

“I’ve umpired with some younger umpires that are obviously really talented and have aspirations to move through to the next level, and then more experienced umpires.

“They’re good at welcoming in people that sort of want to give it a go.”

That support has played an important role as Arnold has adjusted to seeing football from an entirely different perspective.

Having come through the West Perth pathway, Arnold played Colts, Reserves and League football before spending time with South Bunbury and later Wanneroo, where he spent three years as a player-coach. His playing career finished in 2017 with a B Grade premiership.

He then returned to West Perth, coaching the Reserves for five years before taking on senior assistant and line coaching roles with the League side.

Despite that experience, becoming an umpire has still meant learning another side of the game.

Arnold said the guidance provided by umpire coaches at matches, along with the support of senior members of the group, had made that transition easier.

“I’ve been lucky to have coaches at the games that I’ve officiated in so far, and then more senior umpires,” he said.

Arnold pointed to the opportunity to umpire alongside experienced officials, including those who have also transitioned from playing into umpiring, as particularly valuable during his first season.

It is that mix of experience within the group that has allowed Arnold to learn while also enjoying being part of a football environment again.

His own playing and coaching background has helped, particularly when it comes to communicating with players and understanding the emotion that comes with a game of football.

“I think it’s probably just having the ability to interact with the players and have a conversation,” he said.

“I think it helps being able to control some of the emotion on the field.

“It probably does help with the way you see the game from different perspectives.”

His first season has also provided an unexpected opportunity to share the experience with his son, who took up boundary umpiring at the same time.

The pair have already officiated several matches together, while Arnold’s son has also been involved in a number of Colts games.

“We’ve done a couple of games together, which is pretty cool,” Arnold said.

“So we get to spend a bit of time. It’s been fun.”

With the support of those around him, Arnold’s progression has seen him take on increasingly senior appointments throughout the season, including his A Grade debut and, most recently, officiating the B Grade Men’s Grand Final.

But those appointments are only part of what his first season represents.

For current players considering what comes next, Arnold’s experience shows that umpiring doesn’t need to be something you start as a teenager or pursue with ambitions of reaching the highest level.

It can simply be another way to remain connected to football, challenge yourself and become part of a supportive group of people who share the same passion for the game.

Arnold admits being the focus of a story isn’t necessarily something that comes naturally to him. But if sharing his experience encourages another player to pick up the whistle, he believes it is worthwhile.

“If it helps promote getting players into it, I think it’s pretty important,” he said.

For those thinking their playing days may be coming to an end, there may still be plenty of football ahead.

It might just look a little different.