Chelsea Roffey will become the first woman to umpire an AFL grand final after being named one of two goal umpires for Saturday's big clash.
She is downplaying her gender, but another leading woman in the AFL says it is crucial to get more women officiating at the top level.
Roffey has been on the AFL umpire's list since 2004 and admits it was an emotional moment when she was told she was in the grand final line-up.
"As an umpire a lot of work goes in to your training, your preparation, and just getting ready for each game and even as a goal umpire I don't think people really realise the amount of work that goes into it," she said.
"So you dream about doing a grand final and getting the phone call, I was pretty much speechless.
"Then I think Jeff [Gieschen] said congratulations and I teared up and had a bit of a cry."
Roffey was born in South Australia and grew up in Queensland. Now living in Melbourne, she says she has loved football since childhood.
"I was fanatical about footy when I was very young," she said.
"I think had I probably had the opportunity to play as a kid, I probably would have tried that, but it just so happened that my chance to be involved with footy came through goal umpiring.
"I just think that's probably the type of person that I am, having the chance to reach the top of whatever I'm doing is what I strive for.
"And there's nothing like going out and experiencing the buzz of a crowd... the buzz on Anzac Day and the grand final."
AFL umpires boss Jeff Gieschen says Roffey's appointment is a watershed moment for the league.
"It's been inspiring to watch her running with the guys, doing weights with the guys, boxing with the guys, out in the rain and the mud with the guys; doing everything that the men have done and I can't praise Chelsea enough for that attitude," he said.
"I'm very proud of her peers as well because they have embraced Chelsea. They have worked with her, they have worked as a team and I'm sure every goal umpire would be thrilled to think that Chelsea's actually achieved this."
Mr Gieschen is encouraging more women to consider becoming AFL umpires and he is confident there will eventually be female field and boundary umpires at the top level.
"There'll be cynics out there that say that a female [is] token but I think the fact that she's banged the door down for four or five years, particularly the last two years where she finished third and sat on the bench to back it up," he said.
"I think the message is to any young women out there that would like to become an AFL umpire, if you've got Chelsea's mindset, if you've got that determination, you can do it as well and if there's any girls out there or young ladies out there that would think about it, go for it."
Businesswoman Susan Alberti is a board member at the Western Bulldogs.
She has made several calls over the years for more female umpires and is thrilled by Roffey's appointment.
"It's a great tribute to Chelsea and it just demonstrates just how egalitarian and embracing the Aussie Rules is," she said.
"Fifty per cent of all spectators attending the AFL matches are women and we have two female commissioners running the game and high-profile female directors at many clubs.
"I met with the umpiring people the other day and they told me how many young women are now joining the academy who want to be umpires, going to go through the same systems as their male counterparts. So we're on the move."
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted September 25, 2012 20:22:26