WA Football Umpiring reflects on successful South West tripThursday, October 9, 2025 - 12:12 PM - by Jordan McArdle

WA Football Umpiring had a successful trip to the South West for the Nutrien Ag Solutions Women’s Country Championships last week.

WA Football Umpiring secured a $4,000 grant through the South32 Worsley Alumina Community Grants Program to support its Empowering Regional Umpires project, which directly assisted young and female football umpires from across regional Western Australia to participate in the Championships in Bunbury.

As a part of the grant, WA Football Umpiring donated a projector, projector screen and a footy coaching mat to the South West Football League Umpires Association.

It marks a significant step forward in creating equitable access to development opportunities for country-based officials.

For the first time, the Women’s Country Championships was hosted in the South West, providing both a unique opportunity and geo barrier for umpires from remote regions such as the Pilbara, Goldfields, Great Southern, and Midwest.

Twenty-four umpires took part in the Championships, including nearly half travelling from other parts of regional WA.

There was also an all-female coaching panel which included AFL Goal Umpire Sally Boud.

WA Football Umpiring hosted a Women and Girls in Umpiring breakfast on Friday morning with Sally, other female coaches and female umpires, as well as a coaching session at Hands Oval on Thursday evening followed by a dinner.

The Championships serve as a vital platform for emerging female and regional umpires, offering a high-performance football environment, live coaching demonstrations, and upskilling sessions designed to fast-track development.

With support from South32, the grant subsidised travel and accommodation costs, ensuring participation is not limited by geographic or financial barriers.

In addition, the funding helped deliver the essential coaching programs across the weekend, fostering talent retention and long-term representation of umpires from all corners of the state particularly those beyond the South West.