In the mid-2000s Mark Gray from Geelong was appointed to the position of full-time General Manager and held this position for 3 years. This was a time when the Ballarat Football Umpires Association became part of the Ballarat Leagues Hub. This was made up of the Ballarat Football League, Ballarat Junior Football League, Central Highlands Football League, Maryborough Castlemaine Football League, and the Ballarat Umpires Association.
Most of the administration was carried out in Saxon House, with Mark working closely with members of the Hub. However, the Umpires Association still remained somewhat autonomous. Umpires’ appointments, lectures, and all social activities remained with the association and they still retained their Chairperson and Board of Directors.
In 2001 The Board of Directors decided that it was appropriate to name the top 10 Field umpires of the century. A panel was formed with Malcolm Rock appointed as Chairman and with the assistance of the late Jim Murphy a prominent sports journalist with the local Ballarat Courier Newspaper and also a past member of the association.
After much discussion and fact-finding 10 names were decided on, they included members dating back to the early days of the association through to umpires who were still current members.
The 10 members were; Jim Lawn*, Eddie Wright*, Webber Jackson*, Ian Donald, Geoff Wallis, Stan Schaper, Chris Brown, Ian Waight, Ian Bedford, John Morgan. (*deceased)
