Tongan AFL star becomes umpire [1]
Wednesday, August 2, 2017 - 13:36
A former Aussie Rules Football (AFL) star, David Rodan (of Tongan descent), has begun his career as an umpire for Australia’s premium AFL tournament.
The 33-year-old played 185 AFL games, including 111 games for Port Adelaide for whom he scored 86 goals. Rodan announced his retirement from AFL in 2013 after suffering a knee injury during a game.
David Rodan was born in Fiji to Tongan parents. His family moved to Australia when he just 3-years-old.
Rodan told AFL media, “Dad couldn't find any rugby clubs so I gravitated to footy,”
"Football helped us connect to Australian society. It's played a very large part in our lives."
Taking up the tough job of being an umpire, Rodan stated that refereeing was a very difficult job.
"It's harder than a lot of people think – A lot of it is about positioning and watching the ball flight.