REFEREEING has been an eye-opening experience for Warrnambool Wolves player Ollie Mortland-Hunt.
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The 16-year-old was one of 12 players and a number of parents who recently completed Football Victoria's Laws of the Game Certificate and have started officiating junior games in the South West Victoria Football Association.
It's another initiative by the Wolves to get younger players more involved with the game and was in response to a lack of officials. It is also aimed at helping the sport continue to grow in Warrnambool.
The club also runs a coaching mentor program which is aimed at developing coaches from within.
Ollie was inspired by his father Jeff, a 10-year senior referee, to get involved.
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Since starting his refereeing career the under 16s player has established a better understanding of the game and the challenges referees face.
"I can now see why sometimes I call it a bad call because you can easily miss or misinterpret things so I definitely know how much harder it is to be a ref," he said.
Ollie said he was still trying to look at the game from a different perspective.
"I'm very used to playing over refereeing and sometimes I don't think when I see things and it's like I'm playing or I'm watching it," he said.
"It's very hard to make that switch from a playing mindset to a refereeing one.
"I have had a few hiccups along the way and I have changed my mindset but I have still got quite a bit of gameplay in my head when I'm refereeing.
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"I'm used to thinking where I have to go instead of watching for fouls so it's hard to make the switch when playing for so many years but I'm slowly making it.
"I can understand how hard it could be and with the pros how hard it could be because in under 12s it is hard for me. High-class games would be stressful and you wouldn't want to make a mistake."
Jeff said Warrnambool Wolves president Brett Gasper and his committee decided the club would continue to introduce juniors to officiating and build them up from under 12s to eventually senior level, where they start as linesmen.
He said the program was for the progression of the game and junior players giving back would significantly help future growth.
The former Manchester resident said he was shadowing a young referees in game every chance he gets.
Jeff encouraged anyone interested in refereeing to come down to the Wolves, watch a match and if they liked it they could be directed to a committee member to complete their Laws of the Game Certificate.
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