NORTHERN Territory’s Emma Stark is not your typical AFL Women’s Draft hopeful. The St Mary’s and Oakleigh Chargers young gun is not only a promising talent playing Australian rules football, but also officiating it too. Best known for her debut as the youngest field umpire at the elite level when officiating the Essendon-Hawthorn AFLW clash at Marvel Stadium two years ago, Stark has chased both careers.

While in 2024 her umpiring took a back seat as she focused on her football and university, Stark will not be lost to the white-blowing profession with it still very much a passion of the youngsters.

“This year it was really tricky a couple of years ago, but this year I’m just going to put it on hold at the moment because it is my draft year, so I want to give it my all and have no regrets so I’m going to give it my all and then if things don’t work out, then umpiring’s always … it doesn’t matter what age you are when you umpire,” Stark said heading into the 2024 season.

Fast forward to now, and the Oakleigh Chargers wing is preparing to play her 34th game of football in the past 12 months when the reigning premiers run out against the Dandenong Stingrays tomorrow at Highgate Recreation Reserve.

No, that is not a typo. Stark has played 33 matches in the past 12 months, with 19 coming in the 2023/24 NTFL Women’s senior and Under 18s competition that ran from October until March. She also represented the NTFLW against Essendon in January, has managed nine games for Oakleigh Chargers and two for Northern Territory Academy, as well as three for the Allies at the national championships.

Chuck in a VFLW debut for Collingwood against North Melbourne, and Stark has played for a massive seven teams in the past year. It was made possible by her move from the Territory down to Victoria where she is studying a Bachelor of Nutrition Science at Monash University.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time just with the amount of travel from Darwin was ridiculous the last couple of years so I thought I’ve been thinking about it for a long time now that I’ve needed to come to where all the action is,” Stark said.

“My NT talent manager at NT Academy Shannon Miller, she was so helpful, she helped me organise transfer and that’s where Alex Davey (Oakleigh Chargers) talent manager helped me have a really smooth transition.”

Stark said coming into the year she was blown away by the Chargers’ level of professionalism and performance. She slotted right in with the reigning premiers as a hard-running wing, while also playing as a small forward for the Northern Territory Academy where she provided a spark and hit the scoreboard across their two Coates Talent League Girls games.

In a similar role up forward, Stark played each of the matches for the Allies, and though limited by opportunities inside 50, averaged a goal a game from six disposals, two tackles and two inside 50s. Also a strong aerial player, Stark managed 2.7 marks per game at the AFLW Under 18 Championships.

“I’d say my endurance is really good, and my marking contest,” Stark said of her strengths. “At the moment I’d probably be working on my sprints.”

Stark is averaging 10.9 disposals, 3.6 marks, 3.5 tackles and 2.0 inside 50s for the Chargers this season, also kicking five goals from eight games. While fellow Territorian Tatyana Perry was the sole player from the region to earn a Draft Combine invite, Stark still remains in draft contention, having been able to play in some strong sides and hold her own.

When she runs out for her 34th game on the weekend, Stark will be hoping to reach her second grand final in the space of six months, having been on the losing side of the NTFL Women’s decider when her St Mary’s team went down to PINT. However now with the title favourites, Stark will be hoping to play her part in what will be the opposite result. But first the Chargers have to get past the strong Stingrays lineup tomorrow.