Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Hansard source

Some time ago in Adelaide I had the great privilege of meeting with a young local resident by the name of Eleni Glouftsis. Eleni was being awarded a Young Citizen of the Year Award by one of our local councils. She had, in fact, become the first woman to be a field umpire at an AFL game of Aussie Rules. I am incredibly proud to stand here before the federal parliament to update you on the career of Eleni, the now 23-year-old, who had to move from Prospect in the electorate of Adelaide to Melbourne in order to pursue her umpiring dream. This weekend she will make history as the first female field umpire when Carlton and Essendon take each other on in the NAB Challenge match. I know that I represent so many people who are incredibly proud of Eleni and will be tuning in this weekend: her family in Prospect and around the Adelaide area, her friends and those that she went through school with, but also, indeed, our whole community.

This is an important day for Eleni and her family, but it is more than that. This is an important day for Aussie Rules football, but it is also more than that. This is an important day for Australian sport. We are so incredibly proud of this trailblazer. We wish her all the best, not just this weekend, but for the many, many games of AFL that she will see throughout her career.

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