AFL finals: Stats reveal the best and worst umpires for every finals-bound team’s winning record

Which umpires will your team want blowing the whistle in September? Exclusive figures reveal the best and worst umpires for every flag contender.

Forget Tom Hawkins and Patrick Dangerfield.

There are two men Geelong will be hoping can get a call-up for their finals campaign – and they won’t be wearing the blue and white hoops.

As the Cats aim to hit back from last year’s Grand Final loss to Richmond, umpires Nathan Williamson and Andrew Stephens have been revealed as two potential keys for the Cats.

Exclusive Fox Lab statistics show the Cats have not lost a game which has been umpired by either Williamson or Stephens in the past five years.

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In an analysis of each team’s winning percentage by umpire since season 2017, News Corp can reveal which umpires each of the finalists will hope will be blowing the whistle at their matches this September — and a little bit of August — and which ones they won’t.

Figures show the Cats have a perfect winning record when Williamson (10 Geelong games umpired) and Stephens (12 Geelong games umpired) are officiating.

But Brendan Hosking is the umpire the Cats would be hoping they don’t get as their strike rate falls to 41.7 per cent when he holds the whistle.

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 umpire.

There is no suggestion of favouritism for any of the teams, just what the stats reveal.

Field umpire Nathan Williamson. Picture: Michael Klein.

Minor premier Melbourne boasts its strongest winning percentage when Stephens is officiating, triumphing 76.9 per cent of the time.

But the Demons strike rate drops to 30 per cent when umpire David Harris is on the field.

Veteran umpire Simon Meredith would be at the top of Brisbane Lions’ coach Chris Fagan’s list for finals.

In the 11 Brisbane games Meredith has umpired, the Lions have had a 72.7 winning rate.

Essendon would be disappointed Dean Margetts announced his retirement at the end of the home-and-away season as the Bombers had a 62.5 per cent winning record when he was umpiring.

Robert O’Gorman was the next best for the Dons, who won 58.3 per cent of their matches when he had the whistle.

Umpire Andrew Stephens tosses the ball into air. Picture: Michael Klein.

Margetts would have also been the top pick for GWS, who had an 80 per cent winning record in the games he officiated.

Curtis Deboy is the next best option for the Giants, who have won 10 out of 13 games he has officiated.

The Western Bulldogs would hope Chris Donlon gets a call-up, having won 72.7 per cent of their games he has umpired.

Port Adelaide are more than comfortable when Leigh Haussen is on the field, winning 90 per cent of the time. But their winning percentage drops to 36.4 per cent under umpire Jeff Dalgleish.

Sydney has its best record under a pair of umpires – winning 80 per cent of their games under Hayden Gavine and Andre Gianfagna.

Melbourne has won 69 per cent of games involving Ray Chamberlain.

Then there is the umpire who fans often love to hate, ‘Razor’ Ray Chamberlain – the veteran whistleblower who has become famous during his long career for his on-field banter with players.

The Fox Lab analysis shows Melbourne and Port Adelaide are the two teams who would most want to see Chamberlain in the finals.

The Dees have won 68.8 per cent of their games and the Power have won 66.7 per cent of their games when Chamberlain had the whistle.

But Essendon sits at the top of the list of the top-eight sides who would probably prefer to have any other umpire officiating their game.

The Bombers have only won 35.7 per cent of their games when Chamberlain was umpiring. It’s not much better for the Bulldogs, whose winning percentage drops to 36.4 with Chamberlain on the field.

BRISBANE LIONS

Games/ W/ D/ L/ %

Best

Simon Meredith 11 – 8 – 0- 3 – 72.7

Worst

Robert O’Gorman 13 – 4- 0 – 9 -30.8

ESSENDON

Games/ W/ D/ L/ %

Best

Dean Margetts (retired) 16- 10 – 0- 6 – 62.5

Robert O’Gorman 12 – 7 – 1 – 4 – 58.3

Worst

Brendan Hosking 12 – 3 – 0 – 9 – 25

GEELONG

Games /W /D /L/ %

Best

Nathan Williamson 10 – 10 – 0 – 0 – 100

Andrew Stephens 10 – 10 – 0 – 0 – 100

Worst

Brendan Hosking 12 – 5 – 0 – 7 – 41.7

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

Games/ W/D /L /%

Best

Dean Margetts (retired) 10 – 8 – 0 – 2 – 80

Curtis Deboy 13 – 10 – 0 – 3 – 76.9

Worst

Brett Rosebury 12 – 4 – 0 – 8 – 33.3

MELBOURNE

Games/ W/ D/ L/ %

Best

Andrew Stephens 13 – 10 – 1 – 2 – 76.9

Worst

David Harris 10 – 3 – 0 -7 – 30

PORT ADELAIDE

Games /W/ D/ L/ %

Best

Leigh Haussen 10 – 9 – 0 – 1 – 90

Worst

Jeff Dalgleish 11 – 4 – 0 – 7 – 36.4

SYDNEY

Games/ W/ D/ L/ %

Best

Hayden Gavine 10 – 7 – 0 – 3 – 70

Andre Gianfagna 10 – 7 – 0 – 3 – 70

Worst

Matt Stevic 14 – 5 – 0 – 9 – 35.7

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Games / W / D / L / %

Best

Chris Donlon 11 – 8 – 0 – 3 – 72.7

Worst

Craig Fleer 14 – 5 – 0 – 9 – 35.7

Originally published as AFL finals: Stats reveal the best and worst umpires for every finals-bound team’s winning record