There isn’t a doubt that the evolution of AFL soccer has had essentially the most constructive impression on umpires out of all of the contributors in our nice sport.
Extra video games per spherical, extra rounds per season and extra umpires per sport have resulted in a fast improve within the variety of video games required for a discipline umpire to make it into the highest 100 AFL umpires of all time. Let’s check out a few of the sport’s best in inexperienced.
The doyen of all umpires, Jack McMurray Sr (eq No.25) would by no means have imagined the sport in the present day when he retired in 1936 on the age of 47. Now, the AFL employs as much as 36 umpires, 36 boundary umpires, 18 objective umpires (and 9 reserves) every week and is performed in all states in Australia on any day (or evening) of the week.
The ultimate variety of video games that he umpired can also be a matter of conjecture, and it is determined by whether or not you consider Wikipedia (307), AFL Tables (304) or the AFL (303).
No matter determine is right, there isn’t a doubt that he was the primary umpire to achieve 300 video games, even supposing he didn’t begin (then) VFL umpiring till age 28.
He would even be staggered to know that his 300-plus video games is now solely simply sufficient for him to be ranked within the high quartile of (now) AFL discipline umpires, and even with the 212 video games umpired by his extremely revered son Jack McMurray Jr (No.45), he nonetheless wouldn’t match the video games whole reached by the all-time document holder, Brett Rosebury (No.1) which at present stands at 533 video games.
Shane McInerney (No.2) grew to become the primary umpire to officiate in 500 video games in 2019 however it’s extremely probably that he shall be joined on that quantity by Matt Stevic (eq No.3) and Simon Meredith (eq No.3) within the opening spherical of 2025 as each at present sit on 499 video games.
Matt Stevic. (Picture by Darrian Traynor/Getty Photographs)
In addition to the three present umpires talked about above, there are one other 21 umpires at present scattered all through the highest 100 umpires record. This offers the selectors an excellent mix of youth and expertise when they’re allocating the group of 4 to each sport.
Hopefully the combination of umpires will be sure that flawed selections shall be corrected in an expert method and customary sense will make sure the punishment suits the “crime”.
It isn’t the fault of the umpires who’re decoding the rule appropriately, however I generally consider that the 50-metre penalty when utilized to a “chip and unfold” sport can have an effect on the meterage and momentum of a sport far better than the crime.
Sadly, 2024 dropped at an finish the profession of one of many characters of umpiring Ray Chamberlain (No.10). ‘Razor’ Ray was well-known for cracking jokes within the discipline of play and appeared in TV commercials, shunning the anonymity that the majority umpires covet as a necessity of their function.
Umpire Ray Chamberlain. (Picture by Quinn Rooney/Getty Photographs)
Chamberlain joins the ranks of many different umpiring personalities who’re revered and acknowledged for the important half they play within the improvement of the nice sport of Aussie Guidelines.
2024 noticed Justin Energy (eq No.93) and John Howorth (No.97) be part of the elite all-time high 100 umpires on the expense of Ian Clayton (1980-1989) and Alfred Sawyer (1944-1950).
All issues being equal, 2025 ought to see Cameron Dore and Jamie Broadbent (at present on 99 video games) make their means onto the record of the highest 100 umpiring professionals of all time.