Exclusive figures reveal the best and worst umpires for every finals-bound team’s winning record
Every footy fan thinks they get a tough run with the umpires. But when it comes to the win-loss record, does your club have a bogey umpire? See the exclusive stats that reveal the umpires on the whistle when you lose.
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He is the umpire AFL fans often love to hate.
The veteran whistle blower who has become famous during his long career in the lurid lime green for his on-field banter with players.
But exclusive Fox Lab statistics now show exactly what the “Razor” Ray Chamberlain effect is for all the teams in the finals mix.
In an analysis of each team’s winning percentage by umpires across the past four seasons, News Corp can reveal which teams will want to see “Razor” Ray in October – and which teams won’t.
The Western Bulldogs sit at the top of the list of the top-eight sides who would probably prefer to have any other umpire officiating their game.
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Figures show the Bulldogs have won only one in three games the experienced Chamberlain has umpired.
When he umpires in Richmond games, the Tigers have a 61 per cent strike rate – almost double the Bulldogs.
But the West Coast Eagles would be thrilled to see Razor’s name on the list of umpires for their matches more than any other team, boasting a winning percentage of 80 per cent when he held the whistle.
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Melbourne and Collingwood also boast a strong winning percentage of more than 60 with Chamberlain officiating.
St Kilda has broken even with Chamberlain on field, while ladder leaders Port Adelaide and Brisbane have won just 40 per cent of their matches involving the league’s most recognisable umpire.
There is no suggestion of favouritism towards any of the teams, it’s just what the stats say.
Based on a criteria of a minimum of 10 games officiated for each club, we can reveal the best and worst winning record for every finals team by field umpire.
Umpire Andrew Stephens would be at the top of Cats’ coach Chris Scott’s list for the finals.
In the 10 Geelong games Stephens has umpired, the Cats have not lost a match.
Premier Richmond is more than comfortable with Chris Donlon on the field. The Tigers have a 90.9 per cent winning record when he is umpiring.
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And the Western Bulldogs have lost only one of the 10 games Leigh Fisher has umpired in.
At the other end of the scale, the Brisbane Lions haven’t tasted much success when umpire David Harris is blowing the whistle, losing 11 times in 12 matches.
But it’s a different story for Port Adelaide, which has an 80 per cent winning record with Harris.
Collingwood, meanwhile, has lost only three of 12 matches with umpire Nick Foot on the ground.
So who are the umpires the finals-bound teams want to see on the ground and those they don’t?
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Originally published as Exclusive figures reveal the best and worst umpires for every finals-bound team’s winning record