Collingwood fans have been called out as boos echoed around the MCG when ‘Razor’ Ray Chamberlain was granted a guard of honour after officiating his final game. ‘Razor Ray’ officiated his 389th and last game in Collingwood’s victory over Melbourne on Friday night with the 47-year-old saying goodbye after more than 20 years involved in the AFL.

“Never seen you smile so big Brian,” Chamberlain joked when speaking to Brian Taylor before his final game. “20 years…it feels like it has gone in a minute. I think I may have had six good ones too,” Chamberlain added with a smile. While everyone was wishing Chamberlain the best before the game, the post-match scenes left many viewers with a sour taste in their mouth.

Both Darcy Moore and Max Gawn lined-up with their team as the players applauded ‘Razor’ Ray down the tunnel. Fans also waved and cheered goodbye to the popular umpire. Although boos surprisingly rang around the ground at the MCG with some fans either joking or taunting the umpire after years of making calls out in the middle.

And fans from rival clubs have called out the supporters who jeered Chamberlain as an ’embarrassing’ act for an official that has given so much to the game. Others felt the boos were part of the theatre and ‘Razor’ Ray would have expected the reception. Regardless, fans were divided over the scenes at the MCG.

Chamberlain become an iconic figure in the community after Channel 7 commentator Taylor nicknamed him ‘Razor Ray’ early in his career. Chamberlain admitted a few years ago he had become accustomed to the criticism that comes with being an umpire, but he loved his job. “Over the years I’ve learned to understand that generally speaking, people who make reference to ‘Razor’ I’ve never had the privilege to meet them, they haven’t met me,” he said in 2018.

“They just know whoever this umpiring persona is and so I’ve learned to compartmentalise it, the good and the not so good. When I come home, I’m just dad, or ‘Oi, take the bins out’ and then when I go to the footy, I put up with whatever that is. I wouldn’t change any of it.”

Ray Chamberlain involved in bizarre Collingwood finale

Chamberlain’s final game wasn’t without its drama with the fourth quarter halted due to severe weather. The Magpies defeated Melbourne by 46 points at the MCG in front of a sporadic crowd who braved the rain.

As Collingwood and Melbourne’s seasons were winding down with 9:31 minutes left in the game, lightning prompted the umpires to suspend play. A mandatory 20 minute delay was enforced.

The players had to wait out the disruption before returning on the field at 10.23pm to finish their season in a whimper. And this left fans baffled to why the game continued. Many claimed the captains should have the power to call off the contest if such a delay occurs and nothing is at stake.

Regardless, Nick Daicos returned to put up a Brownlow Medal worthy performance in the final quarter. Patrick Cripps will have one final game to respond. Cripps is the favourite, but the race will go down to the wire for the two favourites.

Popyrin staying cool ahead of US Open title tilt

Alexei Popyrin is vowing to “stay in the moment” as he strives to parlay his rich form into an audacious US Open title triumph.

As speed demon Alex de Minaur cools his jets, Popyrin spearheads a seven-strong Australian challenge on the opening day of the season’s final grand slam in New York.

Seeded for the first time at a slam, the world No.28 opens his campaign against Soonwoo Kwon on Monday (Tuesday AEST), a fortnight after becoming the first Australian in 21 years to snare a prestigious ATP 1000 crown.

The mighty feat has eluded the likes of de Minaur, Nick Kyrgios and former US Open junior champion Bernard Tomic over the past two decades.

But with seeded status also comes hype and pressure for the Montreal Masters champion.

It’s why Popyrin isn’t making any bold promises ahead of his opener, focusing only on Kwon.

A one-time world No.52, Kwon is playing on an injury-protected ranking after being sidelined for months with a shoulder issue and slumping to No.342.

Popyrin, though, is treating the South Korean with the utmost respect.

“I don’t think any match will come easy at the US Open,” he told AAP.

“You’re not guaranteed a walk in the park. It’s nothing like that.

“Every player outside the top 32 can play tennis. Every single match is going to be super, super tough.

“If you go in thinking it’s going to be a walk in the park until around three, then you’re going to lose first round.

“So I know it’s a cliche answer but I’m going to take it one match at a time because that’s literally how it is for me.”

In career-best form, the 25-year-old took down five top-20 rivals in a row, including three from the top 10, to reign in Canada.

Significantly, given the hot and steamy conditions in New York, he also feels supremely fit and ready to go the distance if confronted with the grand slam grind of five-set tennis.

“I’m feeling amazing, probably the best I felt physically my whole career,” Popyrin said.

“We’re putting in the hard work for me to be able to feel like this, which is important.

“I’ve played a lot of five setters and been able to get past a few so I do love five-set matches.

“I feel like they’re my kind of favourite maybe because there’s so many momentum changes.

“There’s so many points in the match that you can take advantage of or kind of lose the advantage and, for me, that’s what tennis is also about.”

If he lives up to his 28th seeding, Popyrin could face defending champion Novak Djokovic in the third round in what would be the pair’s third grand slam tussle of the year.

The super Serb needed four sets to prevail both times at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, but Popyrin is refusing to entertain the prospect of another showdown with the 24-times major winner, publicly at least.

“Like I said, I like to stay in the moment,” he said.

Countryman Rinky Hijikata, who made the fourth round as a wildcard last year, and debutant Adam Walton also open their campaigns on Monday, as do four Australian women.

Former quarter-finalist Alja Tomljanovic and teenager qualifier Maya Joint both face unseeded players.

Kim Birrell plays Paris Olympics silver medallist Donna Vekic, the 24th seed, while fellow qualifier Priscilla Hon will really have her work cut out against back-to-back Australian Open champion and world No.2 Aryna Sabalenka.

The 10th-seeded de Minaur is among 13 Australians scheduled for first-round action on Tuesday.

AUSSIES IN FIRST-ROUND ACTION ON DAY ONE OF THE US OPEN IN NEW YORK (TUESDAY AEST)

MEN

28-Alexei Popyrin v Soonwoo Kwon (KOR)
Rinky Hijikata v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
Adam Walton v Alexandre Muller (FRA)

WOMEN

Priscilla Hon v 2-Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
Kim Birrell v 24-Donna Vekic (CRO)
Maya Joint v Laura Siegemund (GER)
Alja Tomljanovic v Ann Li (USA)

Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton charged, facing ban

Stephen Crichton is set to be rubbed out of Canterbury’s blockbuster clash with Manly after the Bulldogs captain was hit with a grade-two careless high-tackle charge.

Crichton was on Saturday morning charged over the shot that left Roger Tuivasa-Sheck with a concussion, prematurely ending the Warrior’s season and leaving the Auckland-based club seething.

The Bulldogs centre can accept the one-match suspension with an early guilty plea, or fight the charge and risk a second game on the sideline against North Queensland in round 27 if he loses at the judiciary.

Crichton could have been facing more time on the sideline had the match review committee deemed the hit to be a shoulder charge.

But the contact with Tuivasa-Sheck’s head was instead considered a high tackle, allowing him to return for the final home-and-away round with an early plea.

Crichton was not sin-binned for the hit which came at a crucial point in the Bulldogs’ 34-18 win.

With the Warriors already down a centre through the injured Adam Pompey, Tuivasa-Sheck was forced to leave the field with his side up 18-16 and did not return.

Had Crichton been sin-binned, the Bulldogs would have been down to 12 men and the Warriors could have activated forward Tom Ale as 18th man.

Warriors coach Andrew Webster hit out at the decision, accusing bunker officials of not knowing what they were doing.

“I’m struggling to understand how a shoulder can go into Roger’s head, and the bunker can see it at a critical time of the game (and nothing happens),” the usually reserved Webster said.

“We lose Roger for the game and we have to reshuffle our team … and nothing gets done to them.

“We have to protect our players. I just don’t see the consistency one bit around that.

“Roger will miss next week now, couldn’t come back. And their player goes on. That’s it. I’m just frustrated how that just happens.

“I think they need to know what they’re doing. I don’t think they know. I don’t think they understand. The wording around what they say just isn’t clear. It’s hard.”

The decision not to sin-bin Crichton also raised eyebrows and questions over consistency given other sin-bins dished out in round 25.

Manly second-rower Haumole Olakau’atu was sin-binned in his team’s loss to Wests Tigers on Thursday night.

But the Sea Eagle only received a grade-one charge from the match review committee, with the hit deemed not as bad as Crichton’s.

A win over seventh-placed Sea Eagles on Friday evening would keep Canterbury’s top-four hopes alive, while a loss would put them at risk of missing out on a home final.

Warriors pair Jazz Tevaga and Addin Fonua-Blake, along with Brisbane’s Brendan Piakura and Parramatta’s Reagan Campbell-Gillard, can all take fines for offences on Friday night.

Four of Bangladesh’s top seven batters have hit defiant fifties in a spirited fightback to help the visitors to 5-316 in reply to Pakistan’s 6-448 declared in the opening Test in Rawalpindi.

After Shadman Islam (93) and Mominul Haq (50) steadied the innings, Mushfiqur Rahim and Litton Das forged an unbroken 98-run stand for the sixth wicket on Friday to keep Bangladesh in the contest.

Bangladesh finished the third day 132 behind but will expect Mushfiqur (55) and Litton (52) to help erase the deficit when they resume on Saturday.

Resuming on 0-27, the Bangladesh openers found runs difficult to come by as the Pakistan fast bowlers, particularly Naseem Shah, bowled with great discipline.

Naseem was finally rewarded when wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan flew to his left to take a stunning one-handed catch after Zakir Hasan (12) had slashed hard at the ball.

Khurram Shahzad squeezed one through the bat-pad gap of Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (16) to reduce the visitors to 2-53.

Shadman combined with Mominul in a 94-run stand to dispel fears of any collapse but his second Test hundred did not materialise.

After Khurram removed Mominul, Mohammad Ali ended Shadman’s 183-ball vigil by bowling him through the gate. The opener hit 12 fours.

Allrounder Shakib Al Hasan made a quick 15 before hitting a delivery from Saim Ayub straight to Pakistan captain Shan Masood at extra cover.

Mushfiqur and Litton, however, looked comfortable on a pitch where bowlers from both sides have had to toil for success.

Pakistan tried a short-pitch barrage against Litton, who plundered 18 runs from a Naseem over that included three fours and a six en route to his 52-ball fifty.