Morrison on the way to first SANFL female field umpire

One of the things you learn early on being a field umpire is to blot out the comments you hear on the sidelines. Being a female field umpire has the added setback of also having to blot out comments about being a woman umpiring a man’s game!

Enter Stephanie Morrison and she couldn’t care less what people think! “I just love the interaction with people and the game atmosphere,” she said when queried as to why she would bother putting up with the hassle. “I intend to go as far as I possibly can, perhaps be the first female field umpire in SANFL at League level,” she commented.

So far she has impressed umpiring SANFL Colts in 2010 after some very tidy performances in 2009 during under age Grand Finals. Now she has been selected as an emerging talent having earned a gig as a field umpire officiating at the AFL U18 Youth Girls Championships.

‘Morri’ as she is affectionately known joins 11 other umpires in the first ever National titles for U18 Youth Girls in Melbourne from September 6 with finals contested at Craigieburn Oval on the 11th. Steph will be a member of an intensive live in program funded by the AFL (with assistance from Victoria and Western Australia) to ensure the most talented umpires are encouraged to challenge themselves and network with like minded female umpires form other states.

See Stephanie at the first ever National titles for U18 Youth Girls in Melbourne from September 6 with finals contested at Craigieburn Oval on the 11th. Check out the action at AFL Kicks for Chicks on Facebook or Twitter.