Umpire Inductee
TFL/NTFA/Country Associations, Field Umpire, 1976-2000
> 527 overall matches officiated
> 317 senior TFL/NTFA matches officiated
> Seven senior Grand Finals officiated: 1982-86 (NTFA), 1988, 1990 (TFL)
> Multiple Intrastate/Interstate matches officiated 1979-89
> NTFUA umpires coach 1984-95
> Tasmanian Umpires Council 1991-97
> NTFUA Life Member
> NTFUA ‘Legend of Umpiring’ 2000
> Inaugural Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame Inductee 2005
A great of Tasmanian umpiring, Terry Fellows carved out a successful 25-year career both on and off field. Beginning in 1976, Fellows spent his first 11 seasons officiating football in the north of the state, umpiring senior Grand Finals in most NTFUA-aligned associations, the pinnacle being a record five NTFA senior Grand Finals in a row from 1982-86. His first representative honours also came during this time, standing in six intrastate matches including five consecutive NWFU v NTFA fixtures between 1979 and 1983. In 1987 he became the first field umpire from the north of the state to join the newly-formed TFL statewide competition, and was one of the top men in white during the early years of statewide football, officiating in the 1988 and 1990 TFL Grand Finals. During this period he also made his first forays into interstate football, officiating in a Tasmania v VFA match in 1988, as well as the Bicentennial Carnival the same year. After 317 senior matches and 527 overall, Fellows retired from umpiring after the 1993 season as one of the most highly decorated umpires of his era, with four Umpire of the Year awards from two associations – three with the NTFUA and one from the TFL. Off the field, Fellows was instrumental in the coaching of umpires for many years. He was the NTFUA’s longest serving coach for 12 years from 1984 to 1995 and coached TFL umpires until 1997, and held positions on the Tasmanian Football Umpires Council and Selection Panel before ending his time as an umpire observer until 2000. An umpire of the highest calibre and highly respected by his peers, Fellows’ achievements were honoured as an inaugural member of both the NTFUA’s ‘Legends of Umpiring’ and the Tasmanian Football Hall of Fame.
