The correct person to ask would have been the AR in reserves, not the referee, as the AR would have had the centre for first grade.
After 9.00am it is the referees jurisdiction to call the game off or not, not the clubs.
Yesterday at the swamp, the AR for reserves who was to be the referee for first grade, approached both clubs indicating he was 70/30 for calling first grade off due to injury concerns. However as the second half of reserves played out, the rain subsided and first grade ended up going ahead.