Mathew Nicholls (born 1977) is an

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

field umpire in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...

. At the end of 2013, Nicholls had umpired 202 career games in the AFL. He officiated in the

2013 AFL Grand Final The 2013 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between Hawthorn Football Club and Fremantle Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 28 September 2013. It was the 118th annual grand final of the Australian Footb ...

and the

2014 AFL Grand Final The 2014 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and the Hawthorn Football Club at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 27 September 2014. It was the 119th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football ...

. Nicholls was notably umpiring during the famous Sirengate match between and in 2006, when play was allowed to continue after the final siren because the siren was too quiet for Nicholls to hear. Nicholls is also notably referred to as "the best bouncer in the business", by commentator Brian Taylor, a reference to his ability to produce a large centre bounce.

References

Australian Football League umpires Living people 1977 births {{AFL-bio-1970s-stub