At just 16 years old, Emma Stark will become the youngest field umpire to officiate at the highest level of the AFL when she presides over the Essendon v Hawthorn AFLW game on Saturday night.
The AFL has flown the young sporting star, who took out the Northern Territory’s 2022 Junior Sportsperson of the Year, and her mum from Darwin to Melbourne for the game at Marvel Stadium.
“I’m so stoked. Literally, when I got the call about my appointment I literally cried,” Stark told The Age.
Emma Stark playing in the NAB Girls League earlier this year.Credit:Morgan Hancock AFL Photos
Stark will be umpiring alongside her AFL Umpire mentor John Howorth, who shadowed one of her first under 12s games.
“I’m just really excited to umpire with John Howorth in my AFLW game … just debuting and having lots of fun and having him by my side, that’s definitely what I’m looking forward to,” Stark said.
Stark started umpiring when she was 13 years old in the Northern Territory Football League and quickly rose through the ranks. Two years later she became the youngest female field umpire to officiate a 2021 men’s premier league match at 15.
This year she debuted as a player in the NTFL women’s premier league five days after her 16th birthday, kicking three goals in her first game.
She entered the women’s league with many accolades already to her name, taking out the NTFL under 15s best and fairest in 2021 and the leading goal kicker after booting 54 goals for the competition.
However, the rising star isn’t sure which career to follow just yet – umpiring or playing.
Emma Stark is not sure whether she will pursue umpiring or playing.Credit:Morgan Hancock AFL Photos
“I’m not sure what pathway I want to go yet … the big dream would be to either umpire AFL or play AFLW,” she said.
What she likes about umpiring is the social side and the learning experiences that come with it.
“It just gives you natural life skills like leadership, communication and then obviously lots of fitness. It’s just fantastic,” Stark said.
“I just wanted to get more involved with the game and see another side of it.”
Regardless of which path she chooses – she may do both – Stark’s mother Karen said she is immensely proud of what her daughter has already achieved.
“She’s just come such a long way and she’s got so much support behind her at all levels with her football and umpiring from in Darwin and the NT and now at AFL level. It’s just great,” Karen said.
“I’m just so proud that I can be here in Melbourne to watch her debut.”
Stark was one of 150 female umpires from across the country who took part in the inaugural AFLW umpiring talent development day in June this year.
The program was run by female umpiring trailblazers Eleni Glouftsis and Chelsea Roffey and AFL community umpiring development manager and former Adelaide Crows coach Brenton Sanderson.
AFL general manager of women’s football Nicole Livingstone said the day was part of the Women’s Football Vision which “aspires to have equal opportunity for women to umpire, play, coach, administer and govern the game across all competitions”.
This weekend’s round, the opening round for AFLW’s seventh season, is set to feature 19 female umpires – seven field umpires, five boundary umpires and seven goal umpires.
The season has 26 female umpires, a 63 per cent increase on season six and the most in competition history. Women also make up 46 per cent of this season’s goal umpire list.
Another 16-year-old umpire took to the field this weekend. Cooper Ranie, who is also from the NTFL, was a boundary umpire in Melbourne’s 18-point victory over Adelaide in the AFLW grand final rematch on Friday night at Glenelg Oval.
