There's a time in your life when you have to say "Enough is enough".

When it comes to me, it's a tough thing to do. I've never liked walking away. Ever since my last runaway in 1981 I'd always tried to stand and fight. The only exception was when I left Australia Post.

My departure from umpiring was not an easy decision as football is a special interest. I loved going out there on either a Saturday or a Sunday and wield the whistle, and really I do miss that. It was the off field issues that forced my hand.

After I was vindicated in 1999, my focus in umpiring changed. I wasn't going to umpire in 2000 because I wanted to give coaching a try, but it didn't take long before I was back in the whites again. However due to several incidents off the field, I was never able to stick to one league. When I gave the VAFA one more try in 2003 after nearly giving it away after 2002, I had the feeling it would be my last season.

When I last umpired with the VAFA in 1999, I was treated poorly. I was stuck in the Under 19's all year when I wanted to do senior football. I got that chance in 2003 for which I was grateful, and it culminated in what ranks as my best performance amongst the open age games at Bentleigh - and then a surprise appointment to the reserve grade first semi final of the D2 Section between Fitzroy and West Brunswick.

When I went along that day, I felt like I was on remote control. The off field politics was getting to me. I'd asked for a chance to umpire in the D1 Section, which I was sure I could do. But I didn't get the chance. It was as though I wasn't supposed to succeed. Along with the fact that I was having problems with my knees. I did okay in what was my last game as a field umpire until 2009, and my last game in any capacity until 2006.

What made this decision a little easier was the football project. That has occupied Saturday afternoon's since 2004 so football remained in my bones as it needed to. Once I get that under control, I could well go back to umpiring - but it will be in the goals. My knees were already a concern, and now that I've been out of it for three seasons with a fourth on the way as I write this (update below) - along with the fact that I'm now on the wrong side of 40 - I couldn't go back to the whistle.

But 18 seasons and more than 400 games out in the middle including five grand finals is pretty good going in my book. The only thing missing from my trophy cabinet is a Golden Whistle. I got an honorary Umpire of the Year award in 1997 for the ACT Juniors, which takes pride of place amongst my grand final awards. In spite of the controversial things that happened over the years, all up I had a good umpiring career.

UPDATE 2009

I wasn't happy over the summer of 2008 and 2009, and out of sheer desperation for money, I decided against my better judgment to give the whistle another go. There was also the issue of getting to venues in the Lexton Plains FL - in particular Navarre and to a lesser extent Rokewood/Corindhap and Natte/Bealiba - and umpiring gave that a chance of happening.

From the start it became obvious that the LPFL plan wasn't going to work. I wasn't available every week because of the project and I was getting nothing but juniors, and my body was clearly not the same as it was in 2003. The chance appeared when the LPFL starting asking for odd Under 17 appointments, but my lack of own transport held that up as well.

When August arrived I knew that even though the money had helped, the project angle had not worked. I made myself available for junior finals, but I figured I would get an Under 12 game in the first week when appointments were at their highest number, and then that would be all. I was stunned when I got Under 14 seniors, and further stunned when I scored Under 14 reserves the following week.

I had already decided to abandon the whistle for good after this season was over. My body just wasn't coping well enough. And when I didn't get a game on preliminary final weekend, I figured it was finally over.

But on the Wednesday night before the grand finals - I was stunned and delighted when the junior advisor awarded me and a partner the Under 12 Reserve grand final between East Ballarat and North Ballarat. My sixth grand final, and a far more appropriate way to finish my field umpiring career than the tame first semi final in 2003.

On the day things went very well. East Ballarat won easily and I treasured the medallion I got to add to my collection - including the others I had (four as I didn't get one in 2001 - no one in the juniors did then).

That was definitely it. My money concerns would now be addressed by goal umpiring and only goal umpiring. I ended my field umpiring career with 485 games. Combined with boundary and goal I'm one short of 700, but in 2010 that barrier will be broken. 19 seasons and some might think that being only 15 games away from 500 would get me back into the fray. If I could stick to Under 12's maybe - but that won't be happening.