Athletes always remember their professional debut. It’s no different for umpires. For veteran AFL umpire Simon Meredith, his first game – Carlton versus North Melbourne in 2004 – was a close match at the MCG in front of 36,273 fans. He remembers the first free kick he paid.

Meredith has umpired 422 games (and counting), including 39 finals and six grand finals. But in a wide-ranging discussion on life as an AFL umpire he says it’s incredibly tough and demanding in a way few people see. In this episode he talks with Good Weekend senior writer Konrad Marshall, the author of “R.E.S.P.E.C.T”, our cover story looking at umpiring in an era of abuse.

You can read Konrad's story here. 

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