Jack McMurray Sr.

First to 300

McMurray, ….who usually has charge of the junior final games, umpired and did remarkably well.

So wrote former Carlton and VFL umpires coach John Worrall after the Round 4, 1917 Victorian Football League (VFL) debut of Jack McMurray Senior.

Despite the positive feedback he umpired only another three matches that season and a total of 17 by Round 9, 1920. It was not the rapid rise often associated with the period. Harry Rawle's sixth match was the 1914 Grand Final and former Collingwood defender Alec Mutch umpired the 1923 Grand Final with only 8 games experience. However, unlike Rawle and Mutch, Jack McMurray endured and in August 1936, 20 seasons after that first match at the Brunswick Street Oval, he became the first umpire to officiate in 300 VFL matches. He eventually retired at the end of that season having compiled the colossal total of 307 matches (including 4 as a boundary umpire), 23 finals (including 5 Grand Finals) and a record 15 Interstate appointments.

Jack McMurray was born on September 21, 1890 in Port Melbourne. His family had deep roots in the local sporting community, his father, Arch, having played for 'The Borough' and South Melbourne during the 1880s as well as having represented Victoria.

McMurray first took up umpiring in the South Suburban competition aged 16 but the next year decided that he wanted to play and joined the Rosedale juniors at Port Melbourne. However being only lightly built at 155 cm and 50kg he reconsidered and in 1908 he returned to umpiring and officiated in the Metropolitan Junior Association.

Three years later and his progression found him umpiring in the Victorian Junior Association and in 1913 he was appointed to the Victorian Football Association (VFA). His potential was readily apparent and in 1914 he handled the First Semi-Final and two weeks later the Grand Final between North Melbourne and Footscray. In 1915 he umpired through the home and away season but could not dislodge Tom Kendall who umpired all three finals matches that year.

With the VFA in recession Jack tried his luck with the rival VFL that had continued to play throughout the Great War. In 1917 he debuted in the Fitzroy-Richmond match on Monday 4 June, 1917. While his progression may have been slow he was building a wealth of experience that would serve him well in the highflying career that was to follow. He closely studied Jack Elder's technique and put into practice what he saw.

The breakthrough came in June 1920 when he umpired the rest of the season in the seniors and was on his way – a first choice umpire week in week out. His first matches of significance were in the 1921 finals series and he umpired three of the four finals that year, Jack Elder being appointed to the Second Semi-Final.

The 1921 Preliminary Final between Richmond and Carlton was one of the most remarkable ever played and provided challenges for McMurray beyond the football.

The first half was a tough but clean affair played in ideal football conditions. Players went in hard and at half time the Tigers led by 17 points. During the interval one of Melbourne's most violent hailstorms struck the city and when the players returned the MCG was white with hail and flooded inches deep with rain. The same storm forced the abandonment of the VFA Grand Final being played at the Lake Oval, injuring former Collingwood player and future VFL Grand Final goal umpire Michael Madden, who was the field umpire – he required stitches to a head wound caused by the hailstones.

The second half was and absolute slog. In the impossibly wet and muddy conditions Carlton simply kicked, knocked and skidded the ball forward and within minutes had levelled the scores. In torrential rain and with lightening flashing, the teams traded goal for goal during the third quarter. With jumpers already navy and black and in the bog McMurray must have had great difficulty distinguishing players from either side. No doubt he invoked his maxim 'when adverse weather conditions are experienced an umpire must not be too technical'.

He also needed to manage a unique finals occurrence aside from the weather conditions – a behind post had to be replaced after it was knocked completely out of the ground.

With the Blues three points behind Fisher marked on the three-quarter time siren. He took his kick as the players trudged to the huddles. The ball landed 15 metres short but skidded through a pack of Richmond defenders to put Carlton ahead.

The final quarter was also played with the rain coming down but Richmond with two quick goals maintained a lead that saw them victorious.

McMurray now established himself as 'the' umpire of the period, having almost a monopoly on finals, interstate and carnival matches. He was in charge of the first half of the only match ever between the VFL and VFA Premiers. Played in 1924, after a particularly unsuccessful League final series experiment, Footscray defeated Essendon and McMurray shared duties with the VFA's representative James Leheny. Leheny must have impressed because he went on to umpire 62 VFL games in subsequent years.

By May 1929 the Great Depression had just begun to bite when McMurray received an offer from the Northern Tasmanian Football Association. Despite being at the height of his career and umpiring 12 of the last 15 finals series matches Jack took the job. He was appointed to umpire for £15 a week, at the time the highest fee ever paid. According to the local press his excellent decision making, consistency and strong control did much to improve the standard of play in Tasmania. He returned to Melbourne at the end of the season and was immediately reappointed to the VFL for 1930.

While he was a consistent umpire during the home and away matches for the next six seasons, McMurray was only appointed to four further finals. His return to the VFL coincided with the instigation of a fully independent umpires appointment board that removed appointments completely from the clubs. Whether this or his Tasmanian sojourn was a factor in the comparative dearth of finals later in his career is difficult to know.

Certainly McMurray had the respect of the players who knew that they could not put anything over the veteran and the respect was mutual. McMurray wrote in 1929, "The League appoints me to control a game, and I have to justify its confidence in me by handling the game firmly and to the best of my ability. I can truly state that nearly every man playing football is a good fellow and gives little trouble."

In 1933 McMurray umpired the Second Semi-Final between South Melbourne and Richmond. It was a classic contest between the season's ladder leaders. The Tigers led by twenty-six points at half time but South's 'Foreign legion' mounted a barnstorming finish to snatch the lead and victory in time on of the final quarter.

That McMurray was appointed to this match was some indication of the respect he had in the eyes of the Board given that he was in control of their only home and away meeting and his role in the finish that was as sensational as the semi-final.

Only one minute remained in their Round 8 clash when South attacked and Reville scored a behind to narrow the gap to eleven points. Tiger full back Maurie Sheehan, who had returned the ball to play via drop kicks all day, decided on a place kick for this kick-out. He fiddled around, piled dirt into a tee and patted the earth, all the while further up field the Tigers were adjusting their defence and picking up loose Swans. Finally after 28 seconds and two warnings McMurray had had enough.

He took the ball off Sheehan and gave it to Hall of Fame full-forward Bob Pratt who immediately goaled to leave South Melbourne only 5 points down. Despite the fact that the siren sounded soon after the ensuing bounce giving the Tigers their victory, there were arguments, protests and even an appeal to the ANFC several years later.

Displaying their usual simplistic thinking and despite popular support for his decision the VFL ruled that Jack had 'acted incorrectly' because 'time-on' was being added and therefore time could not be being wasted. This, of course, left the picture of Sheahan still kneeling in the square at sunset and the question about where the line would be drawn. McMurray's opinion never changed – it was blatant time wasting, regardless of whether time-on was being added, and had to be penalised. No doubt he would feel justified with his decision being enshrined in the current 'Laws of Australian Football'.

Jack McMurray signalled his intention to retire after his final home and away match in 1936 but after pleas from the Umpires Board and the VFL decided to umpire one final season in the country leagues. At the end of 1937, aged 47, he left the field for good. McMurray was regular attendee at football and the Grand Final Umpires Annual Dinner. He was made a life-member of the League in 1980 matching his 1933 Life Membership of the VFLUA. At that time the VFLUA awarded life membership for meritorious service not length of service – although Jack would have qualified on all counts. McMurray was further recognised by the awarding of the Jack McMurray Scholarships. These were presented to the best two first year umpires on the Cadet Squad list each year between and 1987 and 1991 by the then VFL Commission.

Jack McMurray passed away in July 1988 aged 97 in the suburb where he was born, raised and spent his life – Port Melbourne. His legacy for umpiring and football was immense and his inclusion in the AFL Hall of Fame is just reward for a life well lead.