"It's time": ABC legend announces retirement

ABC’s chief election analyst Antony Green has announced his plans to step down from the public broadcaster after 30 years in his distinguished role. 

Green announced that he would be retiring after the next federal election, which is rumoured to take place between March and May 2025. 

“By the time of the next election, I’ll be 68 and I know I’m not as sharp and quick as I was five years ago,” Green said, according to the ABC.

“It gets harder and harder. It’s like a footballer, sometimes they play on a season too long, and I’m making sure I don’t do that.”

Green, who has covered more than 90 Australian elections, said it was “time to retire” but he would “stay on” for a couple years “handing over work and doing other things”.

“Essentially I’m deciding to retire and work less,” Green said.

“I got this job as an election worker 36 years ago and I decided I enjoyed doing it – I’ve done a lot of development since. It’s been a long, fun journey.”

Green’s final on-air appearances will be the West Australian state election on March 8th and the federal election, which is yet to be announced.

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Casey Briggs will step in  as ABC’s chief election and data analyst after Green's departure, as she announced he would be missed. 

“For more than three decades Antony Green has set the bar for election analysis. He is sharp, fast and, even under the immense pressure of the night, manages to keep his sense of humour,” Briggs said.

“For me, it has been such a privilege to have had a front-row seat to watch and learn from the master at work."

“We will all miss him from our screens, but I’m thankful that at least we get a couple more chances to celebrate his monumental contribution to Australia and its democracy.”

ABC journalist Annabel Crabb said covering four federal elections with him had been “one of the great pleasures of (her) professional life”.

“What a gift it is to our democracy and to our national broadcaster that in 1989 this wee maths nerd saw the ad in the paper for a research position at the ABC and the late Ian Carroll recognised in him the sprouts of the Tree Of Wisdom he’d become!” Crabb wrote in a social media post.

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“A legendary figure. A migrant success story. A generous colleague.”

Image credits: ABC