When Stephanie Moller takes her place behind the goal posts at H& A Oval on Saturday it marks a big step in her AFL umpiring career.
At just 16, Stephanie will make her NEAFL Northern Conference umpiring debut when Broadbeach and Labrador take to the field.
No stranger to waving the flags, Stephanie started as a club-based goal umpire in Toowoomba before moving to the Bundberg/Wide Bay region where she has umpired for five years.
Stephanie has been officiating division one games on the Sunshine Coast for the past three years and it was Suncoast umpiring development staff that identified her as a talented young umpire.
AFL Queensland State Umpire Manager Andrew Reeves said it was exciting to see females progressing through to state level umpiring.
“AFL Queensland currently has 93 females participating in umpiring across the state as field, boundary and goal umpires,” Reeves said.
“Including Stephanie, we’ve had five females umpire in NEAFL this season and we have produced the only two female goal umpires to officiate in the AFL.”
“This is a great result and it shows that the pathway to the top is there for any umpire, male or female, wanting to achieve in football.
“Stephanie’s NEAFL appointment is a great reward for her commitment and dedication to training and improving her skills.”
Stephanie has also recently been appointed as a goal umpire for the National Schoolboys Championships in Adelaide in July.
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