Sarah Jameson will make Australian football history today, becoming the first woman recorded to officiate at an A-grade match in South Australia.

The TAFE student, 19, will umpire the senior match between Freeling and Gawler Central in the Barossa, Light and Gawler League.

Although Jameson, who has been umpiring lower grades since 2004, has a few pre-match nerves, she feels she is ready for the challenge.

"I don't think I will be treated any differently because I have been umpiring for a while now, so the players tend to treat me as one of the guys," she said.

Jameson expects the biggest adjustment will be the pace of the game.

"I have been umpiring at least two games a day for a while so that should help me out a bit," she said.

SANFL state umpiring manager Shane Harris said, to his knowledge, it would be the first time a woman field umpire officiated in an A-grade game, either in country or metropolitan football.

"I think there should be a lot more of it," he said.

"Hopefully, Sarah will act as a pioneer and other women will want to follow in her footsteps in the near future."

Jameson, who also has played first-class cricket for the SA Scorpions, said she does not see herself as a pioneer.

"I don't like thinking about it as a first for women, I just want to go out there and umpire well," she said.

Article from: The Advertiser
ROB MALINAUSKAS
August 04, 2007