In a first for VCFL football, two female umpires took control of a senior match at the weekend, between Portarlington and Ocean Grove.      Field umpires Leigh Davis and Jacqui Ginn took to the field for the game having both experienced senior football, but having taken extremely different paths to umpiring.
 
While Davis had played in the Women's local league in Geelong, she eventually joined Inverleigh as a club umpire and was scouted for duty by the Geelong Football Umpires' League.
 
In contrast, Ginn found herself thrust into the umpiring scene when a friend encouraged her to join as a boundary umpire four years ago.
 
She initially had difficulties juggling her commitments working at Melbourne Hospital with umpiring.
 
She was not truly discovered as a talent however, until the Women's National Championships last year.
 
"Last year’s National Women’s Championships, gave us an insight into her ability," Geelong Football Umpires' League General Manager Bill Fulton said.
 
"She's got ambition and we need females with ambition to promote female umpiring."
 
On a day where congested football was a feature of the contest and several tight battles were fought, Davis and Ginn remained composed under the pressure that comes with a tight footballing contest.
 
Working together at senior level is an experience both umpires enjoyed.
 
But both Davis and Ginn recognise that it is sometimes hard for women to become involved in the game.   "It's harder for chicks to get involved but if you like footy, umpiring is a great way," Ginn said.
 
"It's a good way to be involved.   It's much better than doing a paper round."
 
Fulton believes having the two working together on field was a bonus.
 
"Having them working together gives them an opportunity to encourage each other, have a competitiveness with each other and push each other on to bigger and better things," he said.
 
"Today was a great opportunity to show that they can umpire together without the assistance of a male umpire."
 
The rapid rise of Ginn and Davis has admittedly surprised some of the members of the GFUL, according to Fulton.   "They've surprised us, but it's really no surprise that they have surprised us," he said.
 
The GFUL is planning to have an entire umpiring panel filled with female umpires by the end of the 2008 season, with the Geelong Amateur v Portarlington game on June 28 being earmarked as a possible date for the trial.

Tim Michell