Sport
13 August, 2025
Umpire steps up to keep footy alive in Outback Queensland
Jess Johnson has been learning on the run during the 2025 AFL Mount Isa season.
You can’t play footy without an umpire, which is why Jess Johnson stepped up in 2025, learning the ropes on the run to become an important cog in the AFL Mount Isa competition.
The 30-year-old, who grew up in a rugby union family, said she wanted to ensure that games could continue to be played.
“I’m a general committee member of the league and we heard that we weren’t having any returning umpires this year,” she said.
“Without umpires, you can’t have an AFL season. So I thought, ‘I know a fair bit about the game; I’ve played AFL since 2017’ and went online and did a couple of online courses.”
It’s one thing to know the rules, but it’s another to command 36 men on a footy field when both are desperate to win.
“I found it a little bit challenging. Obviously, it’s very different to when you’re playing,” she said.
“I don’t think I really took into account the difference from being a player to an umpire. But I am enjoying the aspect of actually getting involved, being in amongst the community, and I have had a lot of support from a lot of the boys on the teams.
“There has been some backlash, but the majority of it comes from some of the supporters when you’re making decisions that they don’t agree with.”
Jess moved to Mount Isa with her fiancé Nick Burton, who is the captain of the Buffs and one of the best players in the competition. She said she focused on each play and not who was in the contest.
“I do my best to make sure that I’m not biased,” she said.
The Buffs are into the grand final but Jess won’t be there blowing the whistle. She will be out of town, although Nick will be out to try and win another premiership.
Her last game of 2025 will be this Saturday when she umpires the preliminary final between Lake Nash and the Dajarra Rhinos.
The match is scheduled to start at 1pm.