Melbourne Grammar School Sport Administrator, boarding tutor and former professional AFL boundary umpire Shane Thiele says his connections with students have been central to all his roles at the School.
“I’m very proud of the relationships I’ve developed with students, and the fact that many of them keep in touch even after they leave the School,” Shane says. “I think it’s these connections between staff, students, and others that set our boarding houses and our School apart.”
Encouraging balance with boarders
Shane began at Melbourne Grammar in 2014 and is currently responsible for the APS Sport arrangements across all our campuses. He became a boarding tutor in 2016, beginning with students in Years 9 and 10. He is currently a Year 12 tutor in Perry House.
“I’ve always cared about the students I work with, but I’ve found the older students really rely on us as they start to take on adult responsibilities,” Shane says. “I try to make sure they balance their academic commitments with all the other opportunities that are available to them. Getting to know them over the years, I have a good sense of what each student needs. It’s very satisfying to see where they’ve come from, and where they are now.”
Shane’s young family live with him on campus as part of the boarding community, and he says this only adds to his enjoyment of the role.
“My kids have grown up with the boarders, and my wife Claire has made 61 birthday cakes for students during our time at Melbourne Grammar,” Shane says. “We all feel part of it, and I think that extended sense of family benefits the boarders, too.”
Ongoing connections through AFL
Shane, who recently retired from AFL boundary umpiring after 309 games over a 16-year career, says this role has provided yet another way to connect with the boarders at the School.
“For many students, AFL or sport in general, is their thing or, if not, it’s often still part of their life,” he says. “It’s been great to have a talking point through which we can strengthen our relationship and build trust.”
Over the years Shane has umpired many games involving former boarders. Just this year he shared the field with Toby Bedford (OM 2018), GWS Giants; Sam Berry (OM 2020), Adelaide Crows; Campbell Chesser (OM 2021), West Coast Eagles; Tom Hawkins (OM 2006), Geelong Cats; Alex Keath (OM 2010), Western Bulldogs; Ben Long (OM 2016), Gold Coast Suns; Zach Merrett (OM 2013), Essendon; Steven May (OM 2010), Melbourne; Ryley Sanders (OM 2023), Western Bulldogs and Charlie Spargo (OM 2017), Melbourne, along with other former day students at the School.
“In my last game, Ben Long gave me a thumbs up and congratulated me on my retirement from AFL umpiring,” Shane says. “There were lots of boarders watching in the crowd, too, and being able to share that moment with them was fantastic.”
“Even though I won’t be umpiring AFL games any longer, I’ll still be involved in the AFL and AFLW industries, so I’ll be continuing to share my inside knowledge with the boarding students who are interested in that.”
