Veteran AFL umpire 'proud' despite shock axing

3 years ago 376

Veteran AFL umpire Ray Chamberlain says helium has not been fixed a crushed for wherefore helium was dumped from this weekend's preliminary finals.

After officiating successful last Friday's semi-final betwixt Geelong and the GWS Giants, Chamberlain was near retired of the umpiring line-ups for the 2 finals this weekend.

It means that the 45-year-old's hopes of umpiring successful a 4th vocation expansive last this twelvemonth are each but over, with the expansive last umpires usually selected from the 2 prelims.

Despite being axed from the prelims 2 years running, Chamberlain said helium was dealing with this year's disappointment amended than past year, wherever helium admits helium was "filthy".

"I've had 15 antithetic types of telephone calls, truthful thing is simply a astonishment anymore. You're hopeful, you're surely hopeful," helium told SEN's Whateley.

"If I bespeak connected past year, I stewed connected it a spot and I was beauteous filthy much astatine me. I gave them (selectors) an accidental and a crushed to determination maine speech and I wasn't the champion mentation of myself. That didn't beryllium good with maine due to the fact that that was my fault.

"What I'm truly comfy astir this twelvemonth is I was capable to bash what I'm expected to bash for the players this year. I consciousness truly bully astir having done that."

When questioned implicit whether he'd received clarification connected the AFL's call, the seasoned authoritative answered: "Not yet".

While helium volition beryllium connected the sidelines for the biggest games of the year, Chamberlain said helium was "proud" of his showing.