YOUNG UMPIRE FLAGS UPSIDES OF TOUGH GIG

EMILY Jose concedes she cannot guarantee a prospective recruit that verbal abuse towards female football umpires will not happen.

But the rising Geelong flag-waver insists the upsides of community umpiring far outweigh the downsides.

Jose, who moved to Geelong for full-time work in 2020, is among a host of talented female umpires in the Geelong Football Umpires League ranks.

The 23-year-old has thrown her support behind female umpires in the wake of an explosive investigation that uncovered widespread sexual harassment and abuse of female umpires across the country.

And while Jose has not been subjected to personal abuse of any nature, she has heard degrading comments about females on the field.

“It’s unfortunate, because I’ve said to people recently that I couldn’t in good conscience tell a female umpire that it will never happen, because it does,” she said.

“Even just so far as (last) weekend, there was, not directed at me per se, some unsavoury, pretty denigrating commentary from a spectator degrading a player, he called the player a girl in my presence, which I don’t think he was expecting.

“In my instance, it’s always been little things, which I’m grateful for, but it’s little things that shouldn’t be happening.”

Speaking during Community Umpiring Week, Jose said she had received great support from the GFUL and added the positives of umpiring far outweigh the negatives.

“Anyone I’ve mentioned an incident to has been really supportive ... definitely in recent weeks I’ve had full support from anyone I’ve told . . . can’t fault that it’s a supportive environment for sure,” she said.

“For the most part I’ve obviously had very good experiences.

“Clubs, spectators, players, fellow umpires, especially the support I’ve gotten from panels and my colleagues when that sort of thing has happened, has been really good.

“I wouldn’t let it deter anyone. I couldn’t guarantee that it’s not going to happen but ... it doesn’t outweigh the overall benefits and enjoyment that you get from umpiring.”

Jose said it “sounds really cliche, (but) everyone has a role to play” in creating change in how female umpires were treated.

“I can bang on and jump up and down as much as I want, but I feel that support (from) men, unfortunately, is still a big driving factor in what is actually going to call it out,” she said.

“It might be among mates or other people at clubs that kind of pull people up on what’s not appropriate behaviour.

“I think it’s getting better with the increase and prominence of female football as well.

“In the local level ... it’s making a start in making sure women’s presences around football and netball clubs is not just limited to behind the canteen, on the netball court, tucked away in the corner.”

Jose encouraged those thinking about joining umpiring ranks to do so.

“Just give it a crack, you never know that you might enjoy it until you give a try,” she said.

“Give it a try, try something new.”

I couldn’t guarantee that it’s not going to happen but … it doesn’t outweigh the overall benefits and enjoyment that you get from umpiring. Emily Jose, pictured