The AFL umpires have taken on a suggestion levelled at them by irate football fans over the years and sought the help of an optometrist.
OPSM has come on board as a sponsor for the AFL umpires in a commercial arrangement that has a little bit of tongue-in-cheek about it.
The notion of a company which supplies eye glasses backing those who fans often believe are in need of vision assistance is no joke, however, with the AFL saying it enables OPSM to promote a product relevant to the football community.
"OPSM provides fantastic services which are so relevant to the Australian football community. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying I have difficulty following the ball or reading the score at the football from time to time," AFL Marketing GM Paul Waldren said.
"Hopefully the AFL's partnership with OPSM will generate awareness and encourage supporters to have their eyes tested every two years as recommended by optometrists."
OPSM Marketing Director Vanessa Knight said it offered her company an opportunity to promote its services within the football community and said free vision checks would be made available at a selection of AFL games.
"The football community is very important to OPSM. In addition to supporters of the game, many umpires, players, coaches and commentators require optometry services and eyewear," she said.
"We understand from research that 24 percent of Australian adults know they need some kind of vision correction but don't do anything about it. Many men put off seeing health professionals but interestingly, a lot of our customers report they finally came in for an eye test because they could no longer see the football score. Given this customer feedback, there's already an established link between the Australian football and OPSM," she said.
AFL Umpires' Manager Jeff Gieschen said umpires were regularly tested for their eyesight.
"All AFL umpires have regular eye examinations as part of their pre-season preparation, so we're really pleased to be associated with a partner which makes a valuable contribution to the umpiring program, as well as the broader AFL community," Gieschen said.
It is not known if umpires will receive free testing for colour blindness, anal retentiveness or their alleged resemblance to the larvae of the common housefly.