Sergio Villagra
Sergio Rodrigo Villagra (born 11 October 1973 in Viña del Mar, Chile) is an Australian rules football goal umpire who has officiated in the Australian Football League since 2002.[1][2][3]
Early life
[edit]Villagra immigrated to Australia with his family from Chile during the Pinochet regime. The family settled in the west of Sydney.[2]
Umpiring
[edit]After watching his first Australian Football League match, between the Sydney Swans and Fremantle at the Sydney Cricket Ground, in 1995 he developed a fascination with the goal umpires, who at the time wore white hats.[2]
In 1999 he decided to become a goal umpire, joining one of his local leagues.[2] By the 2002 AFL season he had joined the AFL umpiring panel. In Round 4, 2002 he made his AFL umpiring debut at the Sydney Cricket Ground in a match between the Sydney Swans and the Kangaroos.[1]
As of Round 19 of the 2009 AFL season he had umpired in 79 AFL matches.[4]
Villagra has twice been awarded the Michael Heinrichs Award for best goal umpire by the New South Wales Australian Football Umpires Association.[5] He has officiated in over 100 senior matches in the Sydney AFL competition.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Umpire Profiles - Sergio Villagra". AFL Umpires Association. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
- ^ a b c d Ker, Peter (7 May 2003). "In the hot spot, it's certainly not Chile". The Age. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
- ^ "Complete Members Register T-Z". AFL Umpires Association. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
- ^ "Umpire Statistics 2009". AFL Umpires Association. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
- ^ "Award Winners". New South Wales Australian Football Umpires Association. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
- ^ "Centenary Club". New South Wales Australian Football Umpires Association. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
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