Community Umpiring Week 2025 – Umpire Spotlights
This week (28th April – 4th May) of the AFL Season is Community Umpiring Week. A chance for the whole AFL Community to come together, recoginse and celebrate the team in Green that officiate our great game.
To mark this exciting occasion, AFL Sydney caught up with a handful of our very own Umpires from all disciplines to hear about their experiences and highlights of picking up the whistle and how anyone at any stage can get involved.
For more information on getting into Umpiring head to play.afl/umpire
Emma Waters – Field Umpire
What lead you to get involved with Umpiring?
I joined umpiring because I wanted a casual job, and this seemed to be the perfect way to earn a little bit of pocket money as well as to stay fit at the same time. My dad was sick of me umpiring on the couch with no clue what I was talking about, so we decided to sign me up for the following season and ever since my first under 10s game, I was hooked.
Who is your Umpiring hero and why?
My umpiring hero is Eleni Tee. Being the first female umpire on the AFL stage is such a huge accomplishment and has paved the way for female umpires coming through the ranks. She has inspired me to want to take my umpiring as far as possible and push myself to be the best umpire I can be.
What is your best on-field memory from Umpiring?
My best on field moment was the under 20s women’s grand final last year. Getting to umpire the full final series and finishing off with the grand final was a real highlight especially in my first-year umpiring seniors.
What is your best off-field memory from Umpiring?
One of my best-off field memories from umpiring was being named the best first year field umpire of 2024. This was a significant achievement as it acknowledged the handwork I had put in throughout the year and pushed me to want to work 10x harder this following year.
If you could give once piece of advice to someone thinking about getting involved with Umpiring, what would it be?
My one piece of advice would be to take any opportunity that you are given. The more that you take, the better you become and the more likely you are to love what you are doing as you continue to challenge yourself.
