Eleni Glouftsis(23)primary school teacher set to make history as the AFL's first female field umpire Sunday February 28,2016

 

Eleni Glouftsis risked it all by leaving her comfortable teaching job in Adelaide to chase her dream of becoming an AFL umpire.

On Sunday February 28,2016 her dream becomes a reality when she becomes the league's first on field female umpire when Carlton take on Essendon in the NAB pre-season challenge.

 

 Eleni Glouftsis will umpire the NAB challenge pre-season match between Carlton and Essendon at Ikon Park in Melbourne

The match, at Carlton's Ikon park in Melbourne, will not be the first time that the Essendon players have come across Glouftsis as she umpired Essendon's intra-club trial last weekend.

The AFL already has three female umpires on its officiating roster – Chelsea Roffey, Rose O’Dea and Sally Boud – who are all behind goal.

In football, Katie Patterson became the first woman to referee a match involving an A-League team during an FFA Cup match in September 2015.

A year previously, Belinda Sleeman broke new ground in the NRL by running touch, although a woman is yet to take full control of a professional rugby league game in Australia.