Eleni Glouftsis becomes first female umpire to take charge of AFL match

ADELAIDE footy umpire Eleni Glouftsis applies the rules but shatters convention, and so this weekend will become the first woman to take charge of an AFL match.

First Femeale Umpire

ADELAIDE footy umpire Eleni Glouftsis applies the rules but shatters convention, and so this weekend will become the first woman to take charge of an AFL match.

The 23-year-old, who moved from Prospect to Melbourne to chase her umpiring dream last year, will wield the whistle in Sunday’s NAB Challenge match between Carlton and Essendon at Princes Park in Melbourne.

Glouftsis has been breaking down barriers most of her career and in 2013 became the first female field umpire to officiate at league level in the SANFL’s 137-year history.

Her selection for Sunday’s NAB Challenge match follows impressive performances in intra-club games at Essendon and St Kilda in the past fortnight.

While she will break new ground in a traditionally male-dominated field, Glouftsis prefers to look at her debut as just another step in her natural progression as an umpire.

“This is my 11th season of umpiring, so it’s not like I’ve just suddenly come up. It’s been a long road,” she told The Advertiser yesterday.

“It’s great to feel like I’m progressing and the move to Melbourne has been valuable in helping me develop not only my fitness but my overall understanding of the game.

“Everyone at the AFL and VFL have been fantastic in supporting me (since the move).”

Glouftsis moved to Melbourne at the start of 2015 after being awarded an AFL Female Pathway Scholarship.

She combines football umpiring with work as a teacher at St Bernard’s College while completing a postgraduate certificate in education.

Yesterday, she got the phone call from her direct coach Michael Jennings advising of her NAB Challenge debut in the morning and by the afternoon was in the university classroom.

“It takes some time but it’s a happy balance,” she said.

Glouftsis is not part of the senior AFL umpiring list for this season but is eligible to be an emergency umpire as part of her development program.

SANFL state umpiring manager Shane Harris has watched Glouftsis officiate from under-16s to league level in the past decade and said she was as good as any male umpire who had progressed through the ranks in that time.

“From day one she’s just been focused on umpiring the game of footy and she mixes it with all the male umpires out there and is respected for that,” Harris said.

“From a decision point of view and her skills of the game, including bouncing, she’s up there with the best of them.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be in touch with Eleni and (AFL umpire’s boss) Wayne (Campbell) over the last 12 months and I’m not surprised (at her selection) at all.

“She has really committed herself to this and hopefully it is a step to the real thing.”

The SANFL has 11 female umpires officiating on the boundary and in goals this season which is consistent with previous years.

In a promising sign for its stocks, a total of 43 prospective umpires attended the SANFL’s initial training course earlier this month which was up 16 per cent on last year.

Glouftsis’ promotion to AFL field umpiring follows a national push to get more women involved in the game with the league set to introduce a national women’s competition next year.

Port Adelaide and the Crows have both expressed strong interest in fielding a team in the competition.

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