Plane diverted as AFL umpire falls ill

Veteran AFL umpire Dean Margetts is recovering in hospital after a mid-flight emergency that resulted in surgery.

Margetts was returning to Perth after umpiring Sunday's Melbourne-St Kilda NAB Challenge game when he became ill.

A doctor on the flight advised the plane should divert to Adelaide, where Margetts had an operation to fix a burst stomach ulcer.

Margetts is in good spirits as he recovers in hospital.

"Three hours after my game on Sunday I caused my flight home to Perth to be diverted to Adelaide so I could get a free ride to the Royal Adelaide Hospital," he said on social media.

"I had an ulcer burst in my stomach which caused the worst pain causing a hole in my abdomen, which resulted in me needing a laparotomy operation".

AFL umpiring director Wayne Campbell said the keyhole surgery went well.

"His recovery time will be quicker than it might have been," Campbell told the AFL website.

"We just want him to focus on his recovery."

Margetts has umpired 264 senior matches.