It’s taken 34 years for a fourth Mudgee referee to be promoted to state officiating level and it’s come in the way of Justin Brydon.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Touch football refereeing is broken up into six categories: 1-3 are regional, 4 is a state level and 5-6 are international levels.
The state badge, which was acquired by Brydon, allows him to referee the best players in the country at international tournaments.
Brydon used to referee as a kid but gave it up when he was 18 before being “conned back into it” by Jim Yeo 14 years later.
Yeo was the first state graded referee from Mudgee and is currently on the Touch Football Australia board, ranking in the top tier of Aussie adjudicators.
Brydon is back into it now and has worked his way through the ranks for the last eight years.
He’s just returned from Port Macquarie where he was promoted to level four at the NSW State Cup.
“That’s the only tournament where you can achieve your level four badge,” Brydon told the Mudgee Guardian.
“You’ve got to participate in a lot of lead-in tournaments where you can be assessed to see if you’re up to the level of a state graded badge.”
It’s evident Brydon did more than just fit the bill at Port Macquarie as he returned with a level four badge, allowing him to oversee some of the biggest touch football events in Australia.
“I started to really enjoy it after a while because I realised I was never going to be able to play at the level I’m now reffing,” he said.
“I would never play for Australia but I’ve refereed some of the best touch players in the world.”
What makes Justin’s journey more admirable is the knee injury he's had to overcome as it’s given him plenty of grief over the years.
“I’ve had dodgy knees my whole life,” he said
“I’ve got no cartilage in my right knee.
“The surgeon told me my next operation will be a replacement but I’m still young so I’ll wait it out.
“It hasn’t slowed me down.”
Port Macquarie marked the end of the 2017 season but Brydon and the Mudgee Mudcrabs have plenty to look forward to including a junior state cup in February next year.
Brydon will rest over Christmas and hopes to visit the Mid North Coast for its tournament in February.
“I would never play for Australia but I’ve refereed some of the best touch players in the world.”
- Justin Brydon