AFLW: Legendary AFL umpire Ray Chamberlain lured out of retirement to help help umpire shortage

Arguably, the most famous man in yellow, Ray Chamberlain, will be back behind the whistle with the AFLW, calling the respected umpire out of retirement to help combat a shortage of officials. Chamberlain boasted 377 games of experience, including two AFL grand finals, before retiring at the end of last season, but it’s been a short-lived break after the AFLW unveiled its umpire list for the upcoming season. He is one of three ex-AFL umpires, along with Jordan Bannister and Chris Donlon, to join the league, which is facing a shortage of umpires given the increasing overlap between the men’s and women’s competitions. “I’m incredibly excited to maintain my involvement in umpiring in the NAB AFLW Competition, having first been involved in 2020,” Chamberlain told the Herald Sun. “Being able to have a positive impact in mentoring the game’s next generation of on-field officials is something that I am passionate about. “The NAB AFLW Competition continues to evolve and provides a fantastic environment for umpires to learn and develop elite behaviours and standards.” AFL football boss Larua Kane said she hopes the addition of experienced AFL heads will help fast-track the development of younger umpires. “On behalf of the AFL, I’d like to congratulate all the umpires who have been selected to officiate the 2025 NAB AFLW Premiership Season, in what will be a special year for the league as we celebrate 10 seasons of the competition,” Kane said.“The 2025 list has a valuable mix of umpires who have developed through State League competitions and earned senior selection, and they will be supported by 11 former AFL umpires, three of whom have officiated an AFL grand final.“To have the experience of Ray, Jordan and Chris in the field will aid the development and help guide our younger umpires as they progress their careers at the elite level.” While there are a number of differences between the AFL and AFLW rule book, Chamberlain was confident he would be ready for the start of the season. “It does require a little bit of clearing out your brain, and reconfiguring about ‘where am I now and what am I doing’?,” he said. “They have slightly different interpretations this year with holding the ball, where you’ll see more free kicks paid. It helps open the game up and helps keep the ball in motion, which is really important. “There’s an element where you have to adjust your configurations in your brain, but it challenges you and you have to think and I enjoy that part of it. That, and the training. It’s not just throwing weights around at the local gym – you actually have to go and do some miles.”