FORMER Willaston A-grade and B-grade captain Jason Rozman has returned to the field in a different way this year, after becoming a Barossa, Light & Gawler football umpire.

The 43-year-old played over 250 senior games for the Donnybrooks, and last featured in the club’s losing 2014 B-grade grand final against Gawler Central.

Since then, Rozman has been a runner for former Willaston coach Mal Greenwood, and reserves coach Gary Watson.

However, he recently traded in his runner’s vest for a whistle, after he was poached by another former Donnybrook-turned-umpire, Rob Polito.

“I played tennis against him and I’m not sure if he was trying to take my mind off of the game ahead, but he started talking about umpiring,” Rozman said.

“He said they’d lost a heap of young guys this year, going to other leagues and the SANFL, so they needed some more of the older blokes around.

“I was going to have a year off as I just had my third child, who is eight months old now.

“When he said you get paid for it as well – which was a bonus – that was a major factor knowing I can get paid for being around the club.”

Rozman umpired his first two games in round one this year, as Tanunda hosted his former club in the under 13 and under 15 grades.

He said there was no issue of being biased towards the Donnybrooks.

“That was probably the easy bit,” he said.

“I had that in mind that I couldn’t be (biased), so I was probably on the opposite.

“Andre Boers used to umpire a few years ago and he was the same, he used to make sure he wasn’t biased and was a bit harder on the Willaston guys.

“I think that’s in the back of my mind, it’s not what I’m trying to do.”

Since becoming an umpire, Rozman admitted he has developed a whole new view of the game.

“It’s definitely a different perspective, there’s so many aspects of it – not watching the ball and watching the players instead,” he said.

“It’s gradually coming, but positioning myself, where the ball’s going, where you think it’s going, you need to be watching the ball and where it is at the specific time.

“I have great respect for the umpires.

“It’s something I’d recommend for anyone who wants to keep around the game.”