Ahead of eclipsing a massive milestone behind the big sticks, local football umpire John Bettles acknowledged that this would be no ordinary game.
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The 72-year-old Bettles will goal umpire his 800th game of football on Friday afternoon as the Redan Lions take on the Ballarat Swans in round two of the BFL reserves competition at Alfredton Recreational Reserve.
"It's hard to put the feelings into words," Bettles said.
"I guess on one hand it is a big milestone but on the other on the field I've got to treat it like any other."
This game will be a special for another reason other than Bettles milestone, as it will act as a tribute game for Ballarat Football club life member and former club games record holder Frank Segrave.
Bettles was good friends with Segrave as the two would often cross paths within the football club.
"I knew Frank for years and I sort of feel honoured that I've been given the opportunity to umpire on Friday," Bettles said.
Bettles first began umpiring in 1993 after seeing an ad in The Courier.
"I just read an ad in The Courier that said they were looking for umpires and I just thought 'I'm not doing anything in the winter, why not?' and I've been umpiring ever since."
Some of the biggest changes over the years Bettles has seen haven't actually come on the field, rather they've come in his umpiring uniform department.
"We used to have the wide hat and the lab-coat - I remember we had one game down at the Eastern Oval and it was of course nice and windy.
"Those hats were always fairly difficult to keep on and I just remember walking out on the ground and the next thing I knew my hat flew off, rolled across the cricket pitch and when I picked it up it was black with mud," Bettles laughed.
"Another time I was behind the goals on a horrendous day in another one of our many umpiring hats - this one had a blue bill.
"The rain was coming down so heavily I was looking forward and blue water started dropping in front of my face, little did I know all the dye drained out of the hat and ended up on the grass in front of me."
Other than the uniforms, the overall quality of the grounds teams are playing in currently were the next biggest thing Bettles has seen change.
"In some of the winters I umpired in over the years, I remember some of the (football ovals) out toward the Central Highlands could turn into mud which always made for interesting footy."
Getting to this milestone seemed unlikely at points for Bettles, as two years ago he was struck by a life threatening case of pneumonia.
Now, Bettles biggest worry is the weather ahead of game 800.
"I think it's forecasted for clear skies and a 21 degree day - I don't really have anything to complain about if that is the case," he said with a smile on his face.