AFL: All-Girl Umpires in SA League

From the Southern Times Messenger:

THE first all-female umpiring panel will soon hit the ground for a Southern Football League game to help raise the profile of women umpires.

Eight young women will umpire the A-grade match between Port Noarlunga and Aldinga on Saturday, August 14, in a first for South Australian footy at this level.  One of the organisers is ump Steph Morrison, 21, from the Combined Southern Leagues Football Umpires Panel.

“We were out with girls having a movie night when we got into discussing how we could promote female umpires and we decided to start with our local leagues,” Morrison, of Glengowrie, said.

Last month, she was invited to be part of an umpiring team that made history in the Barossa Light & Gawler Football Association when all but the two goal umpires were women.

Morrison said the group had come up with the idea of an all-female panel early in the season but decided to hold off until the SFL’s White Ribbon round.