Roo Profile: Craig Warner, Five Years of Umpiring the Nashville Kangaroos
(Steve Arnett & Craig Warner pictured below - after 5 years we felt Craig deserved a ride!)
June 17, 2005

The Nashville Kangaroos approached the 2005 season with a large contingent of veterans both on and off the field. One of those veterans only wears his Kangaroo colors at the team functions though, because when he is on the field, he wears all white and carries the whistle of the umpire! Craig Warner has been umpiring for the Nashville Kangaroos since the 2001 season, and as he approaches his fifth season, we take time out to get to know this long-time club stalwart a little bit better, one who supports the club in a way that us usually underappreciated: field umpiring.

For those who remember the early days of Australian Football in the US, getting a qualified umpire was often more difficult than finding players whose first reaction wasn't "Is that Rugby?" Nashville has been fortunate to have such an experienced and highly qualified field umpire as Craig. Craig comes to us with a long list of credentials: Craig began his career umpiring in Australia. In the US, Craig has been umpiring since 2001, having umpired nearly all Kangaroos home games, several road games including the 2001 Barassi Cup in Boston, several Atlanta home matches, and the USAFL National Championships in 2001, 2002, and 2004, including the Division II Grand Final in 2002 and 2004. He is currently certified as a Level 2 Field Umpire (the highest designation outside of Australia).

Your Roving Roo Reporter caught up with Craig recently as he was polishing up his whistle for another glorious season of Kangaroo Football.

RRR: What brought you to America and what brought you to Nashville?

CW: We moved to the US in November 1999 and came straight to Nashville. The reason for coming was a job transfer.

RRR: How did you become involved with the Kangaroos?

CW: I first became involved with the Kangaroos when folks I know saw the Roos out in Elmington Park and told me to check it out. I looked up the website and found my way to training one Thursday night in 2000, came down to a game and watched Vince McBurnie officiate, and I then decided that I can do that and the rest is history.

RRR: What does your family think of you umpiring for the Kangaroos?

CW: Every week I come home from a game my youngest daughter asks whether I won or not. The answer is never anything other than, why yes, of course so. They also like the fact that it gets me out of the house.

RRR: What is your most memorable experience as an umpire?

CW: Most Roos fans would probably say - Helping Jeff Persson begin his umpiring career back in 2001. I taught him everything he knows, which is not much, and it nearly killed me! Seriously, umpiring the 2004 Nationals has to be a highlight. There were a number of highlights back in Australia. One particular day was when a group of talent scouts came from the AFL to check out a boundary umpire to be recruited to the AFL. I was selected to run the boundary on the other side of the ground. Needless to say, he got selected as I made him look pretty good in comparison. Check out the AFL records for Darryl Hammond. Grand final day was always a big turn out for country footy fans. No greater moment to walk out on the turf at Cora Lynn with the old train horn blaring away and the guys on the hill giving you what for. It reminds me of Grand Final Day in 1989 when one of the teams was my old club when I was a player. Some smart kid slid into a pack feet first so I ordered him of the field for unduly roughness. Since there was no ‘time on' I was asking him to get off the ground quickly. His coach from the interchange bench told him to walk. After two warnings he still did not heed my advice, so once he got to the boundary, I blew my whistle (probably a little excessively) and called a fifty meter penalty for time wasting. This put the guy who received the original free kick within easy scoring distance. Okay, you said memorable. You didn't necessarily say good.

RR: Why, after all these years, do you keep umpiring?

CW: Because I love footy. It's the greatest game in the world! It is fast, requires both hands and feet, is a contact sport with no protective gear. Actually, the real reason is that as a player I gave enough grief to the umpires that I have this guilt trip that I need to put something back into the sport. I want to help develop the game here in the USA. There is a very real danger that without reasonable umpiring the game will not develop to its potential.

RRR: Craig, thank you very much for your time. We look forward to having you out there on the field this season, keeping control of that "organized chaos" known as Footy.

Craig Warner Facts
Nashville Kangaroo since: 2000
Employer: The Gideons International (www.gideons.org)
Married: Wife, Debbie 20 years
Children: Four. Brydee (19 years old), Bethany (17 years old), Hudson (14 years old), and Elliott (10 years old)

Little known fact: Craig's wife Debbie is a key member of the newest Nashville Kangaroo Club: the Lady Roo Netballers! She has been a netballer for many years, so be sure to come out and see the Lady Roos. The Lady Roos are becoming a great and vital of the club and have just completed playing in their first home game against Atlanta Netball Club.