A scholarship supporting the future of diverse representation of First Peoples in AFL/AFLW competition has been announced by the league.

For decades 1982 and 1984 VFL Grand Final umpire Uncle Glenn James OAM stood as the only Indigenous person to officiate matches at the highest level - which he did 166 times between 1977-1985.

On Tuesday, Joshua James - no relation - was announced as the inaugural recipient of the Glenn James OAM Scholarship awarded to an Indigenous umpire within the talent pathways system identified with the skills and capability to blow the whistle at the elite level.

The Noongar Wardani Bilbulmun man had already become the first to follow Glenn James to the top of the sport when he took his spot between the goals for AFLW fixtures in 2023.

Currently plying his trade in the VFL competition, the news came after being invited to train with the AFL team at Marvel Stadium.

"100 people in the room and it was quite overwhelming at the time. It's very rare that I stumbled for worth with my profession, but I was lost for words," James told National Indigenous Times on Wednesday.

The league made their announcement on Wednesday, with the opportunities in front of recipients including AFL training and coaching sessions - including a designated coach towards developing their 'Elite Umpiring Profile' and experiences with the ARC review.

"I think the biggest part of the scholarship is that exposure to the elite level," James said.

The community (football) stuff I've really enjoyed and It's really given me the strength to grow from one branch to the next..and then we look at the VFL I'm doing at the moment…and the AFLW last year was another big step again.

"This scholarship is going to be huge and very instrumental in my career development."

James' umpiring CV stretches from early days at home in WA to taking up opportunities across the country, serving as senior head coach for field umpires in the Geelong region's Barwon league to within touching distance of the biggest stage.

He met his wife after taking up a two-year contract in the NT on his way to Victoria.

After 18 years running around the park, he's spent the last five developing as a goal umpire.

"I've really pursued goal umpiring once I realised that field umpiring at AFL level wasn't going to happen. Not because of my skills, mainly because of my age," he said.

"I got told that if you really want to make the AFL, this is the way you need to go. So I made the change and haven't looked back."

He said "I don't think people really understand how big umpiring is".

"At tonight's (VFL) training session there will be over 100 umpires training.

"We've got our own physios, we've got our own head coach, we've got our own managers, we've got our own fitness coach, we've got our own trainers, we've got our assistant coaches, we've got coaching rooms where we'll sit down and actually watch vision from the weekend....We're essentially are the 19th football club of the AFL or whatever league you're on umpiring in."

"We're our own family. I think that's why I've continued to love it, I've been doing it for 23 years and I love the hell out of it."

With his newest accolade, James is willing to take on a responsibility he believes it beings as a wider opportunity alongside the personal benefits.

"You look at what Uncle Glenn has done for the game; the first and only Aboriginal person to umpire VFL/AFL men's competition, and to receive a scholarship in his name and his honour, it's absolutely enormous. And now I've got to live up to the expectation," he said.

"I want to have this scholarship be successful. And I want to make the AFL as the next Aboriginal person to do so."

"There's two big benefits from it; One, personally...I want to make AFL football. That's been a dream of mine for my entire life. And I'm going to do whatever I can to achieve that by working my absolute legs off....But then it's also to my people.

He said it's a chance to show Indigenous people around the country the pathways in elite sport stretch outside playing, "and this scholarship is going to put it on the map".

"I want to leave a mark," he said.

"That's what Uncle Glenn did for me. He left that mark as an Aboriginal person..and I want to be that to fellow Aboriginal people around his nation."

AFL Executive General Manager Football Laura Kane said James is an "incredibly fitting" inaugural recipient of the scholarship.

"Josh is someone who truly embodies passion and determination. Over the journey, I have really enjoyed getting to know Josh and see first-hand his enthusiasm to his umpiring craft. A clear role model to our umpiring group, Josh represents our values, is respected by his peers, and is committed to learn, develop and grow as an elite AFL umpire," she said.

"Josh has shown a commitment to developing the next generation of young Indigenous umpires and this scholarship aims to support Josh with his ambitions as he expands his elite umpiring career."