The AFL has confirmed the umpiring panel for the sold-out 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match at North Sydney Oval on Saturday afternoon, featuring an all-women line-up.
Gabby Simmonds, who has officiated the past two AFLW Grand Finals, will bring plenty of experience to the historic clash and will be joined by Alysha Ramsay and Katelin Bayre as the three field umpires for the match. Sam Ritchie has been named as the emergency field umpire.
History-making trio Melissa Sambrooks, Greta Miller and Kaitlin Barr will officiate on the boundary, alongside Madeleine Lum. Sambrooks, Miller and Barr became the first women to run the boundary in an AFL match last year, while Lum's appointment comes after officiating her first AFLW Grand Final.
At either end of the ground will be goal umpires Neve Worthy and 2025 AFLW Umpiring Rising Star Emilie Hill. Tayla Manning has been named as the emergency goal umpire.
The nine-umpire, all-women panel has a combined 330 AFLW games of experience, including six AFLW Grand Final appearances.
Simmonds and Miller are the most experienced members of the panel, with 69 AFLW games each, followed by Lum (61).
The panel also represents five states, with four Victorians, two West Australians and one each from New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.
AFL Head of Officiating Stephen McBurney congratulated the umpires on their selection for the 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match.
"On behalf of the AFL, I would like to congratulate the umpires selected for the 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match," McBurney said.
"This match is set to be a wonderful celebration of women's football and how far our game has come, so it's only fitting that some of our most accomplished women umpires have the privilege of umpiring this historic game."
"Their selection for this match is well-deserved, and they should be incredibly proud to play their important role as umpires. They will be supported by an all-women officiating crew of timekeepers, interchange stewards, ball stewards, umpire trainer and score assist official."
The 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match will be played under Australian Football rules, using a classic Sherrin football, and marks the first AFLW representative fixture since the one-off contest between Victoria and the Allies in 2017.
Starting at 4.15pm AEST, the match will be broadcast live nationally on Fox Footy, Kayo Sports, Kayo Freebies and Binge.
It will bring together some of the competition's biggest stars and emerging talent, celebrating the continued growth of women's football and the strong connection between AFLW and Ireland.
Fans can experience the excitement of the occasion beyond North Sydney Oval by attending a watch party at participating venues.
These include the Coogee Bay Hotel (Coogee), PJ O’Brien’s (Sydney CBD), Clovelly Hotel (Clovelly), Shea’s (Clovelly), Rag & Famish (North Sydney), The Henson Park Hotel (Marrickville), The Bellevue Hotel (Paddington), Club Five Dock RSL (Five Dock) and Pumphouse Sydney (Darling Harbour) in Sydney, plus the W Club at The Aviary Hotel (Abbotsford) in Melbourne.
The AFL and Kayo Sports will also launch the first AFLW Watch O'Long for the historic Australia-Ireland clash, giving fans an alternative viewing experience featuring live reactions, analysis and behind-the-scenes insights alongside match vision.
Hosted by Collingwood AFL captain Darcy Moore and AFLW players Jasmyn Smith (Western Bulldogs) and Jordy Allen (Collingwood), the Watch O'Long will be streamed on Kayo Sports, the AFL's YouTube channel, AFL.com.au, womens.afl and the AFL and AFLW Live Official App and feature special guests, including Adelaide Crows AFL player and Irishman Mark Keane, Collingwood AFLW player Mattea Breed and comedian Broden Kelly.
For more information about the 2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland match, visit AUSVIRL.AFL
2026 NAB AFLW Australia v Ireland umpiring panel and officials:
Field umpires: Gabby Simmonds, Alysha Ramsay, Katelin Bayre
Boundary umpires: Melissa Sambrooks, Greta Miller, Kaitlin Barr, Madeleine Lum
Goal umpires: Â Neve Worthy, Emilie Hill
Emergency field umpire: Â Sam Ritchie
Emergency goal umpire: Â Tayla Manning
Timekeepers: Amy Anderson, Jennifer Button
Interchange Stewards: Sophie Timms, Taylah Cooke
Umpire Trainer: Georgia Coenen
Ball Stewards: Sarah Murphy, Mackenzie Rankine
Score Assist Official: Florence Albert
