Justin Barnes has been awarded the All-Australia badge, the highest netball umpiring qualification in Australia, earlier this month.
The award means Barnes can umpire at Suncorp Super Netball and international test netball.
Barnes headed north to Queensland in August as a reserve umpire for the Suncorp Super Netball League and it didn’t take him long to debut, umpiring his first League game in the Round 7 clash between Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens.
“I was nervous, but excited as well, which turned into positive energy, which turned out well for me because I got my badge,” Barnes said.
Barnes returned to Victoria after the SSN semi-final matches wrapped up, his debut year proving an experience like none other, with scheduled midweek games and a condensed season.
“It was full on, it was demanding and tiring, but very rewarding because we didn’t have that expectation going into the season, now I’m just exhausted now that I’m home,” he said.
Barnes spent 2013-2018 in Perth, including being part of the Gold Industry Group (GIG) West Australian Netball League (WANL) squad. He was awarded the GIG WANL Umpire of the Year Award from 2015-2017. During the 2018 pre-season in Perth, he honed his skills with the Australian Diamonds training camp and the Australian 21Us prior to the team departing to the World Youth Cup in Botswana. Barnes gained experience in Melbourne on a Member Organisation Exchange where he umpired at Victorian Netball League.
As part of the Netball Australia National Emerging Team Umpire Program, he officiated at ANL matches both at home and interstate throughout the entire season. Barnes’ performances culminated in selection to umpire the ANL Grand Final match and was also selected as the reserve for Suncorp Super Netball games.
In August 2018, Barnes was selected for his first international appointment by the International Netball Federation (INF), as a member of the umpiring pool at the Southeast Asian Games, held in Kuala Lumpur.
In 2019 Barnes relocated back to Victoria for a change in career and continued to juggle work commitments with umpiring, returning to umpire in the Victorian State League and the Australian Netball League (ANL).
Experiences and achievements include:
All Australia Umpire Award (2020)
Australian Netball League (2013, 2016 -2019)
17/U & 19/U National Championships, Adelaide (2018)
Hong Kong Four Nations Netball Tournament (Feb 2018)
South East Asian Games, Kuala Lumpur (Aug 2017)
Australian Diamonds (2017) and West Coast Fever match play (2013 to 2018)
West Australian Netball League (WANL) Umpire of the Year (2015, 2016 & 2017)
West Australian Netball League (WANL) – Grand Finals (2015-2017)
Member Organisation exchanges in Melbourne (2017), Sydney (2016), and Adelaide (2013)
20/U International Series AIS, Canberra (2016)
21/U National Championships (2016)
17/U & 19/U National Championships (2015)
Malaysia International Games (2013)
West Australian Netball League (WANL) (2013 to 2018)
Victorian Netball League Umpire (2011-2012, 2019-2020)
National A Badge awarded (2012)
