It is never an easy task to write any obituary, even more so when it is for someone you know and have respected for many years. It is therefore with deep sadness that the Football Hall of Fame WA and myself announce the passing of one of Western Australia’s finest and ground-breaking officials, Marilyn Learmont.
Born in Perth on 30 August 1947, Marilyn became Western Australia’s inaugural first-class female football official, following in the footsteps of her husband, Alex, from 1978. What began by just officiating her children’s matches quickly grew into a distinguished career.
Marilyn progressed to country carnivals and national school championships, before earning appointments in second and third division senior male fixtures with the Soccer Federation of Western Australia. Her ability and dedication soon saw her rise to officiate in the state’s top league, culminating in her selection as the first female referee on the National Soccer League panel – an achievement that confirmed her as a true pioneer of the game.
Among Marilyn’s many notable appointments was serving as an assistant referee in the Australia versus Brazil youth international in Fremantle in 1992. Such was the esteem in which she was held that she was considered for selection to the officiating panel for the 1991 World Cup, but Australia failed to qualify. She was inducted into the WA Football Hall of Fame, Hall of Recognition category, in 2005.
Marilyn passed away overnight at the age of 78 following a battle with cancer. Her son, Grant, understandably grief-stricken, said, “She fought to the very end.” Her husband, Alex—born in Kilmarnock, Scotland—first arrived in Perth in 1976 and began his own distinguished refereeing career two years later.
