Applications are now open for the Fiona McBurney Match Day Experience!
The Fiona McBurney Match Day Experience program commenced in 2007 and ran for two years before it was brought back to life in 2015. It was then named after the sister of retired AFL umpire Stephen McBurney. Fiona McBurney, who passed away in 2009, had Down syndrome and loved football, so naming the program after her was an ideal outcome for everyone involved.
The Fiona McBurney Match Day Experience aims to connect sport and disability by providing a unique experience for individuals with Down syndrome to undertake an official guest AFL trainer role for the AFL umpires on match day.
As part of the experience, successful applicants will be:
- acknowledged in the official AFL Record
- receive official AFL umpire training attire
- participate in pre-match ground inspections
- assist umpires with the coin toss
- help the umpires during breaks
- able to receive up to four general admission tickets for friends and family
Match Day Experiences will be held on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday at Marvel Stadium. Participants are supported on match day by official chaperones from the AFL umpiring fraternity. Participants must be over 16 years of age and should be able to:
- follow simple instructions
- be comfortable being in the care of others and being seated for the duration of a quarter
- be comfortable in loud environments
- follow the AFL
We anticipate this to be a popular opportunity and unfortunately, not everyone will get the chance to participate. Selection will be random (pulled out of a hat!). If you are selected, we will do our best to align your experience with your favourite team.
To review available matches and express interest please fill out the following form by Monday 4 March.
Successful participants will be notified by DSV’s Adult Support Manager, Debby Fraumano, by Thursday 14 March.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Debby on 03 9486 9600 or email info@dsav.asn.au.
We’d like to thank the AFL and the AFL Umpire Association for their ongoing collaboration and partnership as well as the support of the Victorian Down syndrome community in making this program a success.
Good luck!
From the team at Down Syndrome Victoria