Lake is among eight Warrnambool whistle blowers who will take charge of a Hampden-Murray interleague clash at Reid Oval today.

He will control the play in the senior encounter alongside Warrnambool’s Steve Walker and Colac’s Craig Kerr.

Warrnambool pair Casey O’Keefe and Nigel Pedler and Colac’s Ray McDougall have the under 18½ duties.

“It’s second to doing the grand final, in my opinion,” Lake said. “It’s a great achievement. I reckon it’s a grand final a third of the way through the year.”

Lake urged his fellow umpires to enjoy the occasion but also to learn from officiating some of the best footballers the two leagues had to offer.

“What you can take out of it is you get to learn what other associations do, what different people do,” he said.

“Also, you’re getting coached by somebody different. You’re going to learn a different take to what you’re taught by your own coach.

“It’s the same as footballers. They’ll get taught a different set play they can take back to their club.”

The Hampden-Murray interleague appointments are split between the Warrnambool, Hamilton and Colac-based umpire associations.

Colac’s Tom Deigan, Warrnambool’s Lachlan Mahony and Hamilton’s Mark Hutchins will patrol the boundary in the senior fixture.

Warrnambool pair Dedy Friebe and Tony Malone will signal goals and behinds. Friebe has returned to umpiring after a stint as a coach.

The under 18 boundary umpire roles went to Warrnambool’s Hayley Walker and Hamilton duo Caleb Millard and Thomas Davis.

Hamilton’s Jayson Killick and Warrnambool’s David Dunn are the goal umpires.

Lake said those selected were members of the AFL Victoria umpire academy and had attended training sessions at Terang since December.

Their performances on weekends also came into consideration when selectors made the appointments.

“You’ve got Lachlan Mahony who is doing his first major interleague game. Tony Malone is the same,” Lake said.

“And it’s a feather in Dedy’s cap after doing coaching for five years.

“Then in the under 18½s you’ve got Hayley Walker and David Dunn, they’re doing their first interleague game.”