This weekend Ian Burrows will cement his place among the greatest-ever servants to the game of Australian Rules Football.
When he takes the field for the 439th time on Saturday to officiate in the Collingwood vs Brisbane preliminary final, he will break the record for the most games umpired as a boundary umpire in VFL/AFL history.
This comes just a week after he broke Darren Wilson’s long-standing record of 48 AFL finals.
Burrows’s longevity is unmatched. Over 20 consecutive seasons of AFL boundary umpiring, he’s achieved every goal there is for a boundary umpire to set.
His trophy cabinet includes 10 AFL Grand Final medals, three All-Australian blazers (2010, 2012, 2015) and two Murray Williams Shields (2014, 2016). His incredible Grand Final tally puts him in an ultra-exclusive group of just five umpires – across all disciplines – who have umpired 10 or more VFL/AFL Grand Finals.
When asked why he fronts up year-in year-out and commits to the gruelling preseasons even in his early 40s, Burrows’s answer is simple.
“I love footy.
“There’s no better feeling than walking out to a packed MCG.
“Most of all, I love hanging around with my mates and being able to train with them. It’s a great environment of mateship as well as an elite sport setup.”
At a loose end having finished his junior footballing, Burrows was put onto the idea of umpiring by his Dad.
“My old man saw an ad in the paper asking for local footy umpires. So I thought maybe I’d have a go at boundary umpiring.”
Since his AFL career began back in 2006, football and the way it’s umpired has changed dramatically. For boundary umpires, the biggest change has been the shift from three to four umpires.
“When I came on it was one each side,” recalled Burrows.
“The person on the bench side would get a rest half-way through the quarter.
“That kind of running is way different to the running we do these days.”
Despite the addition of a fourth umpire, the physical demands placed on the boundaries haven’t diminished.
“Some say ‘that’s easy now that you’ve got four’, but play moves pretty quick and we’re expected to be in better positions than we used to be.
“There’s a lot of high intensity running whereas maybe back in the day there was a lot of gut running.”
Once in the AFL system, Burrows made an immediate impact. After taking home the Bill Sutton Medallion in 2007, he followed this with selection for the 2008 AFL Grand Final, achieved in just his third year.
Among all of the highs of his highly decorated career, Burrows says that the first Grand Final holds a special place.
“Getting that call to say you’ve been selected for a first Grand Final, that’s pretty amazing.”
Apart from his first, there’s another Grand Final that Burrows ranks highly; a game so unique that it’s only occurred three times in the history of the AFL. The 2010 drawn Grand Final.
“I still remember that last minute or so … looking up at the scoreboard and going ‘uh oh, it’s a draw and it’s very late in the game’ and suddenly you’re thinking, this could end in a draw.”
Off the field, the doyen of the AFL boundary group has maintained an excellent standard of commitment to umpiring.
Burrows has served in the AFL Umpires’ Leadership Group, and on the AFLUA Executive Committee. Further, he contributes to the coaching of VFL boundary umpires and mentors some of his junior AFL colleagues.
With his wealth of experience and his consistent success, you might expect him to be harbouring some secret, some special formula or technique he’s honed that’s kept him at the top of his game for so long.
But Burrows knows, as all the greats do, that there is no hack, no shortcut and no easy way. The veteran’s advice is simple; nothing beats honest hard work.
“First thing, train hard.
“I always try to do that every summer and make sure I’m fit for the season.
“I always sort of say, ‘focus on the basics and get the basics right’.
“And of course, a bit of luck comes into it.”
438 games into his career and now umpiring with the sons of his former colleagues, more is no longer always better when it comes to his training these days.
“[You] try to be smart, especially now, about how you do things, so you’re really well prepared for games.
“Each year I go away and say, ‘hey, what are the things I need to work on, or how do I maintain the high standard?’
“Some of that nowadays might be doing a bit less or being a bit smarter about what you do, rather than going out and doing more or doing things harder.”
Once again umpiring deep into the finals and in contention for an 11th Grand Final, Burrows is often asked about whether he’ll go on.
“A lot of my mates that I started out with have obviously finished … as those guys go out you do start to question, ‘do I still belong here?’”
Despite this, however many times the question of retirement has come up, he’s come to the same conclusion.
“If you’re still enjoying it and you’re still performing at a reasonable level, then why not keep going on?”
The AFLUA congratulates Ian on his remarkable achievement and wishes him every success and enjoyment on Saturday, along with the recognition he so thoroughly deserves.
Article by Jackson Kerr