It was a very special day at Ormond Park on the weekend as Moonee Valley took on Oak Park in Round 1 of the Strathmore Community Bank Division One season, with Elizabeth Curtolo (Field) and Tahlia Merrett (Boundary) making thoroughly deserved senior debuts.
Elizabeth commenced her umpiring journey back in 2021 and quickly found her groove progressing through the junior ranks. In 2022, she moved into umpiring senior football beginning on the boundary, before moving into the field during the season.
She also recruited her two younger brothers into the boundary umpiring ranks who have now both umpired senior football in the EDFL (including Xavier who ran the boundary in the game on the weekend). By season’s end, her performance was rewarded with her appointment in the Airport Women’s Toyota Division Two Grand Final. Her dedication and performance was also recognised with her appointment to the iFLY Under 16 Girls Division 1 Grand Final too.
Unfortunately, a promising start to 2023 was cut short by injury for Elizabeth; however, she still attended training sessions with a smile on her face and did whatever she could to continue to develop her umpiring craft. Elizabeth’s dedication to her rehabilitation and trying to further develop her understanding of umpiring put her in a great position to return in season 2024.
She umpired a half of a Premier Senior practice match during the preseason and more than held her own and was rewarded with her selection in the Round 1 clash. An umpire that is constantly seeking ways to improve, Elizabeth is certainly an umpire on the rise and one to keep an eye on for the future.
Tahlia started her umpiring journey at the launch of the EDFL Female Umpiring Academy this preseason. A former VFLW and NAB League representative, Tahlia played 15 games at VFLW Level with Williamstown between 2019 and 2021 and 10 games for Eastern Ranges in 2019. The EDFL was fortunate to have VFL and AFLW umpire Melissa Sambrooks at the launch and Tahlia used this to seek advice on developing her umpiring.
Tahlia quickly found her feet with boundary umpiring, quickly developing her skills and being a valued member of the umpiring group. She ran a couple of senior practice matches on the boundary before making her debut on the weekend. Tahlia was a standout during preseason and with her football background we can’t wait to see what comes next. The only question may be what discipline her future holds as she is also umpiring junior field on a Sunday. We have no doubt she will be successful in whichever discipline she chooses.
It has been great to see the pair’s journeys which have culminated in their Round 1 senior debuts, showcasing the opportunities available to umpires in the EDFL. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for them.
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