Picking up the whistle more than four decades ago after injury curtailed his playing days at Mooroopna, Greg’s long-time contribution to local umpiring was recognised with his induction into the GVFUA Hall of Fame, a year after father Lloyd – one of the association’s founding members and former president – was also inducted.
It’s a proud whistleblowing legacy and one the younger Freer said he was humbled to continue with on the association honour board after he was inducted at the recent GVFUA ceremony.
“It was pretty special following in Dad’s footsteps,” Freer said.
“The old man got me into it in 1981. I started umpiring in the thirds, seconds and then into senior footy.
“I kept progressing from there and ended up umpiring two Murray league grand finals and seven Goulburn Valley League grand finals.”
Inducted as a GVFUA Life Member in 1994, Greg has just about seen it all as one of the region’s longest-serving field umpires.
Flooded ovals, international jaunts and after-the-siren thrillers have all unfolded under the watchful eye of Freer.
But it’s the friendships earned over the span of more than four decades that he recalls.
“I went to New Zealand in 1984 to umpire the National Championships over there,” Freer said.
“I umpired a game in 1991 where the ground was flooded at Deakin Reserve; we couldn't see the boundary line, so we just had to make it up a little bit.
“In 1993, Rochester was in front (against Shepparton) after the end of every siren. I paid a free kick right at 10 seconds before the siren and the bloke’s kicked the goal after it and won the game for Shepp. That was really a memorable one.
“And it’s just the friendships I made from all over the Goulburn Murray region, into the Southern Riverina in NSW – lifelong friends from the umpiring journey.”
Meanwhile, Lloyd’s umpiring journey stretches as far back as 1958.
Now 92, Lloyd was made a Life Member in 1974 in recognition of his contributions on and off the field.
He played a key role in founding the GVFUA and served as president and vice-president during the 1970s, helping grow the organisation from its modest beginnings to one that today boasts about 200 umpires.
“He was part of the original committee,” Greg said.
“They built it up from starting with 20 umpires to what it is today, 180 or around the mark today.
“They never used to umpire senior football back then – they always had umpires from Melbourne.
“He was the second or third president of the association and he’s been on the committee for many years.”
On a banner evening for the men, women and children in green, the GVFUA’s 2026 presentation night also saw two of its members elevated to Legend status.
Four-hundred game field umpire and former association president Bernie Mullane was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024 and now finds himself a Legend of the GVFUA, holding the distinction of being the last person to umpire a Murray Football League grand final solo.
Former treasurer, secretary and coach Owen Power was also posthumously recognised with Legend status, a fitting tribute to an influence that stretched back to the 1960s.
Joining Freer in the Hall of Fame, Life Members Andrew De Crespigny and Bob Bertolli were also inducted, De Crespigny a former president and key mover in the amalgamation of the Shepparton/Kyabram umpires and Bertolli contributing 267 games and almost 50 years of service.
The prestigious Ian Coates Award was bestowed on Gerard Montgomery, while Simon Walsh was inducted as a GVFUA Life Member.
The Greg Sidebottom Golden Whistle award recognises an umpire with outstanding potential, and the recipient of that honour was Geordie Teasdale, while Kelly Horkings was named the association’s Rising Star.
