maybe the problem is none of the umpires seem to be from nsw
maybe the problem is none of the umpires seem to be from nsw
Theres not much left to say
The AFL is trying really hard to protect the overall image of the umpires and are trying to get us, the footy public, to have a positive perception of umpires in general. But the harder they try the worst it's getting. Having umps mic'd up, having them refer to players by their nickname but at the same time treating them like school kids with condescending remarks during broadcasts, the umpire FOOTY CARD, umpires week, absolute no criticism of the umps at all..it's just makes it easier to attack them as they are now perceived as weaker fools. Also the constant tinkering of the rules is not helping the cause at all. You don't go changing rules each week.
If the AFL really want us, the footy public, to respect umpires then bring them back down to normal levels. Sack the yes man in Geishen, have a weekly forum or a q&a regarding dubious decisions, allow the umps to admit they made a mistake..we are all human and bring back respect towards players. The umps just need to say "Number 31 good tackle but you got him high free kick to number 2" and not act like primma donnas.
And as for your last point the AFL only listens when $$$$$ is involved.
arent the umps still part time?
Theres not much left to say
Its sad the players dont understand what are fouls, coaches dont know how to train players how to tackle. unpires over rule each other. What chance have us supporters got.
I was a bit outraged by some of the HTB in the 1st qtr, but then we got at least one dodgy one back.
I'm amazed when a player is pinned to the ground with no way of getting rid of a ball, players laying all over their BACK, and then get pinged, HTB.
Swans players need to stop jumping on the ball they need to be a lot cleaner and play with a lot more skill, we go to the ground more often than other teams. Plus once you go to ground you take yourself out of the game. We lost 3 goals against the Saints by going to ground Grundy once and LRT twice. Players with clean natural ability will pin you or pressure you into making mistakes.
I dont think you are imagining it. I always look at the stats at 3/4 time and if the opposition have got heaps more frees than us you can bet your life in the last quarter they start giving us frees. I thought the umpiring yesterday was absolute rubbish. Worse that having the two baldies!!!
Someone please tell me I am imagining this?[/QUOTE]
My point is that this is a marketing issue. If this football code in such a highly competitive market such as metropolitan Sydney is going to be so poorly administrated where poor umpiring decisions or badly thought after rules, dominant a game, where body contact is basically condemned, where individual players are favoured or not favoured, I will be inclined to move on to follow another football code. Good luck GWS or indeed the Sydney Swans, if many others have the same attitude as me! It is very similar to how I feel about the tolerance of diving by referees in international soccer
Are there ANY umpires from NSW? I dont think it is just us either, I have spoken to supporters from other non Melbourne teams and they all think the umpiring is one sided. I concede that yesterday the Dockers were the better team, but I think the score would have been closer without the uneven umpiring. Goodsey was held by his arm all day and not a thing was done about it. Maybe Roosy should take a leaf out of Rodney Eades book and actually criticise the umps (a la Eades quote about what happened with Barry yesterday). The night Barry smacked Staker, it probably wouldnt have happened if the umps had given him a free for the way Staker was niggling him off the ball.
The Swans would be neglectful of their own supporters and stakeholders if they didn't at the VERY least submit a list of "please explains" to the AFL's umpiring department.
And what the heck, who gives really cares if that Andrian Anderson from the AFL fines the Swans $64.77 billion or whatever, for exercising the voice of 'free' speech.
I don't subscribe to any theories of bias - against the Swans or any other team. But I do wonder about how they train umpires on their decision making skills. Some of the blame has to go to the AFL / rules committee for coming up with so many ticky touch offences and interpretations that must make it hard for umpires but the complete inconsistency in how many rules are applied is frustrating and certainly impacts enjoyment of watching the game. My particular "favourites" at the moment - mostly due to complete lack of consistency in application - include:
- HTB decisions where a guy is jumped on as soon as he touches the ball. I understand that the AFL is trying to reduce stoppages by discouraging players to jump on the ball to hold it in, but they don't seem to have thought about what alternatives players have when the ball is in tightly contested situations. If a player has half the rest of the players lying on top of him and has had absolutely no prior opportunity, a free against is a pathetic outcome for the player first to the ball.
- holding the man frees 100m off the play, yet when two players are actually chasing a lose ball (especially in the forward line), the player behind seems able to scrag, jumper hold or do anything else to slow the leading player with very little chance of being pinged for it
- "pushes" in marking contests where the offending player is doing very little more than holding his ground. If a player has got into the best position to mark, and another player cannons into him and bounces off because the first player has the strength to hold his ground, why should that first player be penalised?
- players in front being edged out of a marking contest by the body of the player behind. I would prefer this wasn't a free to the player in front, but sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. During the Geelong game, the commentators were in raptures about the ability of Scarlett to move Bradshaw forward of the ball and take marks from behind, yet if anyone dares to do it to Riewoldt, the umpies blow the whistle straight away. This is one type of free where it seems the umpires definitely apply it differently depending on who the players involved are.
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