O’Dea Elevated To AFL
By Sam Canavan
O’Dea will become just the third female Goal Umpire in the AFL’s history – following in the footsteps of Katrina Presley and Chelsea Roffey – and one of the youngest; at the tender age of 21.
She’ll join James Savage and Dale Puren as a NSW and ACT representative on the 27-strong elite AFL Goal Umpire Panel, following Sergio Villagra’s retirement at the end of the 2013 season.
After commencing umpiring in Canberra just six years ago, O’Dea’s rise to the top flight has been meteroic; officiating in the TAC Cup, National U18 Championships, and at NEAFL level, before earning the call-up to join the country’s elite whistleblowers early this week.
O’Dea, who next year will press on with the final stages of her Honours degree in Science at ANU, cites Roffey as an inspiration – “especially becoming the first female to umpire a Grand Final,” – though family ties and a deep love of the game first sparked the urge to umpire.
“My Dad was umpiring from as early as I can remember, and I’m a football fanatic, so I wanted to be a part of it,” O’Dea explained.
“I’d always watched my brother play junior football, and I loved going to games in Sydney, so at 14 I decided to give goal umpiring a go.”
As a teenager attending AFL games in the Harbour City, O’Dea dreamed of one day standing between the big sticks rather than sitting in the stands, so it’s no surpise to learn of her exhiliration when a Melbourne phone number flashed up on her phone screen on Tuesday afternoon.
“It was 3pm – I remember the exact time – and I was so excited to answer and hear (AFL Umpires Assistant Coach) Hayden Kennedy on the line,” O’Dea recalls.
“I met with he National Goal Umpires coach a few weeks ago, and I was reccomended for the position, so I was hoping for good news, and I got it.
“I was much more excited than I thought I’d ever be, but maybe not as excited as my footy-mad family in South Australia!
“It was a fantastic day, and I can’t wait to get in to next year.”
O’Dea will continue to train twice a week as an elite Goal Umpire, though the standards of fitness and skill testing will be more stringent than ever; “they [coaches] will take skinfolds throughout the year, and there’ll be more running time trials,” she says.
There’s little pressure or expectation placed on first-year Goal Umpires to officiate a certain number of AFL matches – “the first few weeks I’ll be eased into it; sitting on the bench as an emergency goal umpire and taking it all in,” – but when the call-up does come, O’Dea will be “very prepared” to perfom.
AFL NSW/ACT Umpiring Manager Graham Glassford paid tribute O’Dea, and praised the quality of the region’s umpiring training and development.
“It’s brilliant news that Rose has got the call-up to AFL, and it’s a richly deserved reward for a young woman who is very talented, skilled, and committed,” Glassford said.
“Rose’s elevation, following Dale’s in 2013, once again highlights that with hard work, persistence, and maintaining consistently high performance, that the pathway to AFL is well and truly available in our Region.
“I would like to acknowledge Col Larter for his tireless efforts and dedication in continuing to produce Goal Umpires to a State and National level standards, with Rose’s elevation yet another example of the quality of his coaching program.”
Rose O’Dea’s Umpiring Career
– Commenced umpiring in AFL Canberra in 2007 – awarded Best 1st Year Goal Umpire
– Umpired her First Senior match in 2008. (in excess of 100 Senior matches to end of 2013)
– 2008 was awarded “Most Improved Goal Umpire” and umpired the U16 Div 1 Grand Final as a curtain raiser to the AFL Grand Final at the MCG
– 2010: TAC Cup umpire
– U18 National Championships: 2009, 2010, 2011 & 2013
– AFL Canberra Senior Grand Final Umpire: 2010
– NEAFL Eastern Conference vs. TAS State match in 2013.
– NEAFL Eastern Conference Grand Final Umpire:2012 & 2013
– NEAFL Cross Conference Grand Final Umpire 2012 & 2013
– NEAFL Eastern Conference Most Outstanding Goal Umpire Award 2012 & 2013.
