BOUNDARY umpires Kaitlin Barr, Greta Miller and Melissa Sambrooks made history during Round 24 of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season when they became the first women to run the boundary at an AFL match.

It was a momentous occasion for the game, with this historic feat 128 years and 604 boundary umpires in the making.

The trio were elevated as AFL Rookies at the end of last year, and were told they had been selected to make their AFL debut after umpiring in the AFLW season opener between Carlton and Collingwood.

Miller and Sambrooks took to the field on Thursday night to officiate the match between Essendon and Carlton while Barr pulled up her socks and blew the whistle during North Melbourne’s clash with the Adelaide Crows at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.

Sambrooks started her umpiring journey through Victorian regional state league pathways in 2016 before relocating to Melbourne to pursue an elite umpiring career. The 27-year-old took home the AFLW Umpiring Rising Star in 2023 at the W Awards and has officiated 47 AFLW matches – including the inaugural game in 2017 between Carlton and Collingwood – four AFLW finals and 48 VFL men's games.

Since taking up boundary umpiring in 2016, Barr has never looked back and has notched up 36 AFLW games, six AFLW finals and 44 VFL men's games. The 27-year-old high school PE teacher also umpired the 2024 NAB AFLW Grand Final between the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos and the Brisbane Lions.

Miller is the most experienced of the trio with 65 AFLW matches to her name including officiating the 2023 NAB AFLW Grand Final. Miller was also the first woman to boundary umpire in the VFL (78 senior men’s games) as well as the first to umpire a State League Final in 2023.

As AFLW celebrates its milestone 10th season, the benefits unlocked by the competition spreads across the entire industry including the creation and implementation of the Women and Girls Action Plan.

Reinforcing the AFL’s vision and commitment to progress the game for women and girls across all levels of Australian Football, the Action Plan includes initiatives and pathway opportunities for officiating.

In the last three years there has been a 72 per cent increase in the number of women and girls umpiring the game from community to elite, which equates to nearly 1,200 more umpires around Australia.

AFL Executive General Manager of Football Operations, Laura Kane, congratulated Sambrooks, Barr and Miller on their debut.

“On behalf of the AFL I’d like to congratulate Melissa, Kaitlin and Greta on making their AFL debuts on the weekend, they should all be incredibly proud of their achievement – it’s a huge milestone and occasion for our game,” Kane said.

“They earned this debut through hard work and dedication to their discipline across the VFL and AFLW competitions, we know being a boundary umpire requires elite running, precise decision-making and the ability to accurately throw the ball back into play.

“To think footy has been around for 128 years and now we have our first trio of women boundary umpires in the AFL reflects how far we’ve come as an industry since the inception of the AFLW. We’re seeing more women not only play the game but also officiate, coach, take roles in administration and football departments.

“It has opened up opportunities across footy and we know that Kaitlin, Melissa and Greta will inspire more girls to take up boundary umpiring, just like we’re seeing field umpires inspired by Eleni Tee and goal umpires attempt to emulate the success of Chelsea Roffey, Sally Boud and Taylor Mattioli.”

Miller and Sambrooks who debuted on Thursday night said straight after the game it was an amazing experience.

“To run out in front of that crowd the atmosphere was awsome, I don’t think it really hit until the moment came – I can’t even begin to describe the feeling,” Miller said.

Sambrooks added:

“It was thrilling and nerve wracking at the same time, but just incredible to be out there,” Sambrooks said.

“It’s a true honour and hopefully we’re a leader for the next group of girls coming through the ranks and it’s crazy to think they we’ve created history.

“We had 30 or 40 people here to support us including family, friends, colleagues at the VFL and the umpiring crew, which was really special – we could hear them shouting our name.”

Barr reitreated Miller and Sambrooks sentiment.

“It was unreal and felt like there was a hundred thousand people in the crowd so it was amazing to be out there – a dream come true,” Barr said.

“I went out on Thursday night to watch the girls which was great and then to have my turn on Saturday was incredible – it probably won’t sink in until tonight, I’m very grateful.”