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
editVillagra immigrated to Australia with his family from Chile during the Pinochet regime. The family settled in the west of Sydney.[2]
Umpiring
editAfter 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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