They are Ken Greenbank, who started with the Ballarat Football Umpires' Association in 1962, Frank Williams (1961) and Noel Jenkins who began umpiring way back in 1956.

These umpires have progressed from the good old days, some might say, when the game was a kick and a mark essentially and only had one central umpire.

The trio have gone through the two and three-umpire systems demanded of today's football and all have adapted well.

The dedicated trio have proved a credit to the BFUA and Around The Grounds also salutes them and their commitment to the sport.

Daylesford ruckman Scott Winduss has shot to the lead of The Courier Best Player Award with a total of 11 votes after round nine of the season.

The inter-league ruckman polled two votes in the Demon's historic win over Darley on Saturday.

Winduss now leads Melton South onballer Troy Parker by one vote.

Parker and Adam Skrobolak (Bacchus Marsh) are locked on 10 votes after the Cobras' key forward was awarded two votes on Sunday against East Point.

Melton onballer Luke Summers has also made a move on the leaders with a best-on-ground performance against Ballarat to go to eight votes.

The votes for round 9 were:

EAST POINT V SEBASTOPOL

3 _ Peter Larsen (Bacchus Marsh)

2 _ Adam Skrobolak (Bacchus Marsh)

1 _ Scott Neilly (East-Point)

LAKE WENDOUREE v MELTON SOUTH

3 _ Paul Sproule (Melton South)

2 _ Danny Holloway (Lake Wendouree)

1 _ Gavin Webb (Lake Wendouree)

DARLEY V DAYLESFORD

3 _ Cade O'Brien (Daylesford)

2 _ Scott Winduss (Daylesford)

MELTON V BALLARAT

3 _ Luke Summers (Melton)

2 _ Rowan Murphy (Melton)

1 _ Bryce Nicholson (Ballarat)

SUNBURY V SEBASTOPOL

3 _ Chris Edwards (Sunbury)

2 _ Brendan Trebilcock (Sunbury)

1 _ Trevor Prowd (Sunbury)

VOTES TALLY:

11 _ Scott Winduss (Daylesford)

10 _ Troy Parker (Melton South), Adam Skrobolak (Bacchus Marsh)

9 _ Matthew Monk (Lake Wendouree)

8 _ Luke Summers (Melton), Craig Berger (Melton), Luke Adams (Daylesford), Matthew Camilleri (Sunbury)

7 _ Jason Watkins (Melton South), Matthew Baird (Sunbury)

6 _ Darren Willems (Lake Wendouree)

5 _ Matthew Sproule (Melton South), David Thompson (Daylesford), Keenan Reynolds (Darley).

The mercurial Sebastopol defender Chris Parker is just five games off his 250 games.

The former Kookaburras coach has played in two grand finals with Sebastopol in 1985 and last season and also coached Beaufort to a flag in the Central Highlands Football League.

Team-mate Mark Vander-heuval is only one game away from his 200th match and Michael Atkinson just needs another five matches for his 150th senior game.

Peter Cooper also recently notched up 150 matches although a slip of the keyboard registered his tally at an exhausting 1500 matches in the footy BFL Record at the weekend.

Bacchus Marsh players wore black armbands in their match against East Point on Sunday in respect following the death of club stalwart Betty Dickson.

Betty was known for her voluntary work around the club over many years and had two sons who played for the Cobras, Robert (deceased) and David who is the current president of the club's junior body.

Husband Bob (deceased), David and Robert were all life members of the club.