Jonty Beard - Australian Rules Football referee

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Jonty Beard's Saturday morning ritual, honed after years of practice and discipline, sees him packing his umpiring bag, grabbing his whistle and steeling his mind.

The hard work has seen Jonty become the first person living with autism to officiate a premier league fixture in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL), the Territory's highest level of Australian Rules football.

It was a dream realised after years of toil.

The pioneering moment wasn't lost on the NTFL or his family, but Jonty was quick to point out he didn't see his autism as a barrier.

"For me, I don't feel like it's difficult. I just feel like it's the same difficulty everybody else has," he said.

Annie Rily, the chief executive of disability advocacy group Carpentaria, wants organisations to realise the blind spots that can develop without hiring neurodiverse people.

"In terms of diversity, they don't really think about neurodiversity and the very unique skills they bring to the organisation," she said.

She said her organisation had already reaped the benefits of having staff with a disability.

"They bring a real warmth … and a wicked sense of humour," she said.

Ms Rily believes it also benefits people who don't have a disability.

"You see real strengths come out in people. You see people becoming more collaborative and more loyal to the organisation," she said.

Back on the footy field, Jonty will continue to run out onto the Premier League oval with an eagle-eyed focus, officiating more fixtures after making his historic debut.

He hopes one day it will take him to greater heights — umpiring in the Australian Football League (AFL).

"To umpire those kind of professional games, it's definitely a long way," he said.

"But it ain't the end."