AFL umpire ‘Razor’ Ray Chamberlain announces his retirement

The AFL’s most-recognisable umpire is calling quits on his time in green, with ‘Razor’ Ray Chamberlain announcing his retirement alongside two other highly-experienced officials.

MELBOURNE. 24/02/2023. AFL. St Kilda vs. Melbourne at Moorabbin. Umpire Ray chamberlain back in action. Pic: Michael Klein

Ray Chamberlain, one of the AFL’s most experienced and recognisable umpires, will hang up his whistle at the end of this season after two decades and 385 games, including 31 finals and three grand finals.

Chamberlain, 47, told his fellow umpires of his decision at training on Tuesday, after what has been a challenging past few seasons with an ongoing battle with injury issues.

It came on a night when another highly-regarded veteran AFL umpire Chris Donlon also signalled his intentions to retire this year after 422 games, while long-time boundary umpire Michael Saunders will also step aside at the end of the season after 300 games.

In what has been a season of heightened focus on the AFL umpiring fraternity, the loss of two veterans in Chamberlain and Donlon with 807 games of experience will put more pressure back on the AFL core group heading into 2025.

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon backed the umpires recently saying the standard of officiating was “good as it’s ever been” which came against the backdrop of intense criticism from a wave of past players, some coaches and the media.

Known by players and footy fans as ‘Razor Ray’, Chamberlain sits in 10th place in terms of games umpired in the AFL, while Donlon is three places ahead of him in seventh spot.

Chamberlain has battled back problems for several years with the AFL earlier this year granting him special dispensation to throw the ball up in the centre square rather than bouncing it in an effort to prolong his career.

He didn’t umpire in last year’s finals series because of two bulging discs in his back that prevented him from bouncing the ball at times last year.

He has only officiated in three games this season, with his most recent being last Sunday’s Carlton-North Melbourne game at Marvel Stadium.

Chris Donlon will be retiring at the end of the season. Picture: Michael Klein

Chamberlain umpired the drawn and replay grand finals of 2010 between Collingwood and St Kilda, as well as the 2019 grand final between Richmond and Greater Western Sydney.

Donlon, also 47, officiated in the 2011 grand final between Geelong and Collingwood.

Chamberlain’s crisp and sometimes cheeky banter with players on the field – and his role in the media explaining the complex art of officiating – helped him become one of the instantly recognisable faces in footy over the past two decades.

The former schoolteacher grew up in the ACT and joined the VFL in 1999, with one of his highlights being umpiring the 2003 VFL reserves grand final.

He joined the AFL roster in 2004 and rose up the ranks to officiate in his first grand final in his seventh season.

With the bouncing of the ball putting a strain on his back and shoulders – as it does for most umpires, Chamberlain conceded in 2017 that the mental toll on him was such that he would sometimes throw up before some games and needed a shoulder reconstruction as a result.

At the time, he led a campaign to ban the bounce as a health and safety issue for umpires, saying: “I know it causes guys — not just myself — extraordinary levels of anxiety when really they should be focusing on the job at hand.”

“I’ve got no doubt it would be a really positive move for umpiring and the game in general.”

Chamberlain will continue to umpire until the end of this season before finishing up, but will likely retain some of his media roles.