When John Sully fractured his leg playing AFL as a teenager, little did he think the injury would be the start of a wonderful journey as an umpire.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On Saturday, the West Wallsend 71-year-old affectionately known as 'Sully' umpired his 1000th game in the Hunter region.
He has umpired in 19 first-grade AFL grand finals in Newcastle.
It has been a long time in the making, according to the only man to have earned the title of Legend in the Newcastle Central Coast Umpires Association (NCCUA).
His umpiring career has spanned five decades and started when he could not play due to a leg injury.
“I fractured my right leg in 1964 when I was playing amateur league football for the Exeter Football club in Adelaide,” Sullivan said.
“The following year, one of the my friends who I went to work with on the same train every day asked me what I was going to do after that current football season.
“I said I still had a few problems with my right leg and he said, ‘Why don’t you come out and try umpiring because it’s not as stressful’. I said, ‘Righto, I’ll give it a go’.”
His early umpiring career was halted when he turned 20 and entered national service two years. It was in that time he found himself in Singleton then Sullivan returned to the region a few years later to live in Newcastle.
He started umpiring in Newcastle in 1970 and has not looked back.
“It’s taken quite a long time to achieve and I’m just treating it is another game,” Sullivan said ahead of reaching the milestone on Saturday when he was a goal umpire in the main Black Diamond Cup game between Warners Bay and Cardiff.
Sullivan has umpired 530 Newcastle AFL (NAFL) matches, including 10 NAFL first-grade grand finals and in 409 Black Diamond AFL matches, nine which were first-grade grand finals and four lower-grade deciders.
“One of the biggest highlights was here in Newcastle in 2003, they had the All-Australian University Games and I was lucky enough to field umpire the grand final between Melbourne University and Deakin University. It was marvellous to be able to do that,” Sullivan said, before adding another highlight now is being a mentor to the younger generation of umpires.
“There are quite a number of the younger generation coming through at the moment that have got a career pathway through to the umpiring group in Sydney … helping those young kids out is absolutely marvellous.”
In 2015, Sullivan was the first person to be inducted into the inaugural NCCUA Hall of Fame. He was also elevated to Legend status, currently the only person to do so in recognition of his outstanding achievements on and off the footy field.
NCCUA President Jake Lowe the sporting body was “incredibly proud of what this inspirational man has and continues to achieve in umpiring”.