Ray Byrne

Ray Byrne (born 16 July 1953) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton, Collingwood and Geelong during his eleven-year career in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Byrne will be remembered as one of the most unfortunate players in the history of VFL/AFL football, as he turned out for two clubs in four Grand Finals, only to be on the losing side in each one of them (Carlton 1973, Collingwood 1979, 1980, 1981). At the time of his retirement Ray had played in 22 finals which at the time was the 6th most finals games in VFL History.

At the age of 19 Byrne played in Golden Square's 1972 Bendigo Football League Premiership side, as well as representing Bendigo Football League at Inter-League level alongside future Geelong player Kevin Sheehan, before joining Carlton who recruited him out of their residential zone.

At Carlton he went on to play 81 games from 1973 until his final game against Hawthorn in Round 6, 1978. Byrne took out Carlton's "Best First Year Player" award and appeared in a Grand Final in his debut season. By 1978 a major club upheaval that included the club going through three senior coaches (Ian Stewart, Serge Silvagni, & Alex Jesaulenko), and also his good friend Robert Walls had been traded to Fitzroy, he decided he wanted out too. He wanted to join Melbourne however it was Collingwood who made a deal with Carlton, trading a "Form Four" in exchange for Byrne, that Carlton went on to use to sign Robbert Klomp.