By Tara Murray
Macedon’s Emily Wilkinson spends a lot of time on the cricket pitch and her latest achievement put her in the record books.
Wilkinson is part of Macedon’s women’s side that plays in the grand final on Sunday, while she coaches the Cats under-15 girls team.
In the first week of GDCA senior grand finals, Wilkinson is believed to have become the first female to umpire a senior GDCA grand final.
Wilkinson said it was a pretty cool achievement.
“It was really good,” she said. “I did it in the semi final the week before.
“It was nerve wracking. The other umpires have been really supportive and helpful.
“I was told after the semi final that I was the first female in a long time, and then told I was the first female in a grand final.
“It was pretty cool and it was exciting. I felt the same as the other umpires.”
Wilkinson has done some umpiring for their under-15 girls side that she coaches and has stood up square leg for the senior women’s team.
Each club had to nominate an umpire for finals and WIlkinson said she would do it if they needed her.
“I’m not sure what they saw in me,” he said.”They then asked me to do the grand final as well. I was more than happy to help out.”
Wilkinson isn’t the only female at Macedon to help out with umpiring, with Kym Riley doing it for the under-13 girls.
Wilkinson was asked to umpire again this weekend, but she was a bit busy with her own grand final.
Macedon takes on Bacchus Marsh in the women’s grand final.
“I’m really looking forward to it,” she said before the final. “I didn’t play against Bacchus Marsh as I was away.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what they look like. They are the ones to watch this year.”
The 20-year-old said she would likely step up her umpiring in the future. She said she had been encouraged to do an umpiring course.
“Hopefully I’ll maybe do the juniors competition and get a bit more confidence as a centre wicket umpire rather than at just square leg.”
As for which of the three disciplines is her favourite? Wilkinson said it was a hard decision.
“I have been playing for a long time,” she said. “Coaching is really fun and it’s the first time I’ve done it by myself.
“The girls are so lovely and so nice. Seeing how excited they get when they do well is exciting. “Hopefully they’ll come up a in the women’s side in the years to come.”
