She made history as Australia’s first female field umpire, and now Eleni Tee is ready to take on a whole new ball game – motherhood!
The Adelaide local and her husband, boundary umpire Dillon Tee, announced the happy news last week that they’re expecting their first child in February.
“It’s really exciting and I’m looking forward to a new challenge and the next phase of life,’’ Eleni, who made her senior umpiring debut in the 2017 AFL season, told the Herald Sun.
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Dillon and Eleni, who met when they were both umpires in the South Australian Football League, dated for 10 years before tying the knot in 2022.
With so much history together on the field, it was only fitting that Dillon dropped to one knee on the MCG pitch to propose!
Now, they can’t wait to pass on their love of the game to their little one.
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“Dylan is still my biggest supporter and advocate, and I couldn’t do it without him,” Eleni said.
“Umpiring is in our blood, and we do love it and all the different benefits.”
Stepping away after umpiring 85 AFL games over seven years, Eleni, 31, has plans to pull on her boots and pick up her whistle as soon as she can!
“I have been quite lucky following in the footsteps of (goal umpires) Chelsea Roffey and Sally Boud, they both have children and this year Chelsea returned after having a baby,” she said.
“My intention is to have a year off and then return to umpiring in 2025.”
“The AFL is great, and I couldn’t have felt more supported.”
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