WHEN Mount Isa referee Bowden 'Kiwi' Ashton signalled full-time in the match between Euros and Keas last weekend it also brought to an end 34-years of whistle blowing for the man in the middle.
For the official who has been in charge of "more games than he could remember", the final match of his career was a relatively sedate affair.
Two sin bins, several warnings and a couple of friendly chats with both captains were the highlight for the referee who has certainly had more exciting games.
"I've been in charge of a few memorable matches with last season's grand final one of them," Ashton recalled.
"I had to be escorted off the field to the change rooms for a shower, then escorted to the bar so I could have one beer before having to jump in the car and head home from the ground."
The now infamous game between Euros and Warrigals is still a talking point in Mount Isa rugby circles and opinion is divided regarding Ashton's decisions in the dying stages.
However the experienced referee is adamant he made the right call.
"When a player kicks the ball out on the full from a 22-metre drop out play is not dead and the opposition gets a scrum," he explained.
Warrigals fans were left stunned when Euros scored after the final siren from the ensuing scrum to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
While some people still debate the result and the decision, Ashton said he had moved on.
"As a referee you can't dwell on what's happened in the past. Whether it's during a game or after you have to focus on the next passage of play or the next match," he said.
Ashton's love of the whistle was brought on as a result of a neck injury when he was packing down as a 15-year-old hooker for Papatoetoe in South Auckland.
"Because of the injury, I couldn't play anymore but I knew I still wanted to be involved in the game of rugby," he said.
So began Bowden's three-and-a-half decade career of ruling on hands in the ruck, forward passes and crooked line-out throws.
"My dad used to play rugby for the Auckland Electrical Power Board and they played against other companies in a social competition so I started my career as the official referee for the Auckland Electrical Power Board," Ashton said.
Bowden said his schooling began in earnest while controlling the hard men of New Zealand's lower echelons of rugby.
"It might not have been A-grade but there plenty of A-grade players running around on the field and so I had to learn to stand up for myself pretty quickly," he said.
"I got abuse then and I still get abuse today."
Rising through the refereeing ranks, Ashton took his whistle with him as he moved from New Zealand to Melbourne, the Sunshine Coast and eventually Mount Isa.
"When I moved out to Mount Isa I worked as temporary firefighter and one of the guys, Shane Breen who played for Euros back then, invited me to go down to the rugby with him after a Saturday shift," Ashton said.
"I went along and saw they were short of a referee. Before I knew it I was out in the middle in control of my first game for the Mount Isa Rugby Union (MIRU)."
The decision to put the whistle away has not been an easy one for Ashton who doesn't hide his love for the sport they play in heaven.
"I'm passionate about the game, refereeing was a way I was able to be a part and contribute to something I love and enjoy," he said.
Ashton said his it was his body and mind that were letting him know it was maybe time to hang up the boots.
"It takes a lot longer for me to recover after a game or sometimes two games in the heat," he said.
It's no secret Ashton has also had some health issues that have been exposed on the rugby field. In 2009 he collapsed, ironically while in control of Euros and Keas, and many thought he wouldn't be back.
"I did have to travel to Townsville to have some treatment but I had the Christmas break to recover and I was back for the first round of games," he said.
"My retirement is not directly related to those health problems, more that my body and mind are saying it's time to stop."
Ashton admitted despite having awarded his last penalty, given the marching orders to a final pair of offending players, he would still be part of the Mount Isa rugby landscape.
"They can't get rid of me that easily. Hopefully I can help with the development of new referees and I am still the vice president of the MIRU.
"I may even look at getting into coaching," he said with a wry smile.
Asked whether he would be a coach who doesn't question the referee's decision Ashton said he would like to reserve his answer until that day came.
As the long arm of the rugby law, Ashton said his career as a referee had not always been perfect but every time he ran onto the field he counted it as a blessing.
"Believe you me I've had some shockers, no one's perfect and I've had to grow a thick skin that at times has been a pretty heavy to wear. But that's all part of the job," he laughed.
"Even when you know you get a call right, there is always one side of players and fans who won't agree."
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