Is this cheating? -Developing relationships with umpires off-field

[stevoswan]

This league becomes more of a joke under Gil the Dill everyday. So @@@@@@@ing corrupt and Hawthorn are treating it as their plaything. It's so unfair and skewed, it's maddening!

[AnnieH]

Send it to Eddie.
He's a journo.

[Sandrevan]

To me the question is - why do the AFL want Hawthorn to keep winning premierships? Is Gill McLachlan a supporter of Hawthorn? Mark Evans used to be Football Manager at Hawthorn.
In the 2015 gf I thought - yawn Hawthorn will win it again and they did.
If Hawthorn is 'developing relationships' with certain referees - isn't this a blatant conflict of interest. Umpire Schmitt - who we dislike - is a barrister. He would know all about conflict of interest.
Why would this be going on?
Do the AFL press know about this? There would be a huge story here. Or have Hawthorn developed a 'relationship' with members of the AFL press?
Are we just a bunch of conspiracy theorists and Hawthorn are simply the best team? After watching the game last Thursday I don't think Hawthorn are the best team - they needed umpiring assistance to win.
If Eddie Maguire has such an influence over the AFL - what is his role here? Perhaps he's good mates with the Hawthorn President. Eddie is very Victorian centric so I guess he doesn't want the non-Victorian teams to succeed. If the Magpies can't win it then why not the Hawks - at least it's better than the Swans or the Crows.
What does the 'A' in AFL stand for???

[barry]

Send it to Eddie.
He's a journo.

LOL.

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Notice how the Victorians are using the impending 10 year dominance of GWS to push for more pro-victorian agenda items.

Its all fear about the interstaters when the facts are
- Hawthorn has won the last 3, maybe 4, and Geelong 3 before that.
- GWS have never played a final yet.

By any measure, the last 10 years have been victorian dominated.

[Ludwig]

If Hawthorn is 'developing relationships' with certain referees - isn't this a blatant conflict of interest. Umpire Schmitt - who we dislike - is a barrister. He would know all about conflict of interest.

I thought he was a barista ?with a conflict of interest.

[Danzar]

I thought he was a barista ?with a conflict of interest.

Where do you manage to find these

[Nico]

Many years ago umpires used to socialise with players, officials & coaches after the game. Diesel Williams tells of an umpire who told him he'd never get a vote for the Brownlow while he was umpiring. This umpire cost Diesel a Brownlow in the last game of the season when he deliberately changed the other umpire's vote as senior umpire telling him Diesel doesn't get a vote. This is the reason the AFL decided it was better if umpires didn't socialise and mix with players on a regular basis. It could be seen as collusion with a particular footy club. There were many instances of this happening in the dark evil past of the VFL. One umpire called an Indigenous player a 'Little Black Bastard' in a game in the late '60's/Early '70's. In those days that sort of racism didn't get much press at all, it was expected. In 1977 I was in Melbourne and applying for jobs there were signs on the outside of businesses saying; 'NO BLACKS, NO JEWS, NO CATHOLICS'.

There were some relationships developed between players and umpires that were advantageous to the player. Peter McKenna openly admitted many years ago of having a very good relationship with many umpires. He got plenty of frees too. If you develop personal relationships with umpires they are going to give you more than the opposition. This is a form of cheating and should be shut down right now. I think the umpires were very kind to Hawthorn Thursday night and now I hear this I know why. McLachlin is a powder puff and will do anything the powerful clubs tell him to. There is no way any club should be paying AFL Umpire flight and accommodation or fraternising with umpires to gain advantage. This has to be shut down NOW. Evans what the @@@@ are you doing about this?

Evans...wasn't he football manager or something at Hawthorn?

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Where do you manage to find these

Too much spare time.

[Hotpotato]

Brad Seymour (AFL WRAP 2GB) just had a huge crack at the inappropriateness of the umps spending 5 days as guests of Hawthorn at a pre season camp .
Said it just shouldn't happen .
Have to agree .

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Actually it might have been someone called Gibbons who I've never heard of .

[Xie Shan]

Probably is a conflict of interest but there's nothing much we can do about it now sadly.

[Velour&Ruffles]

Brad Seymour (AFL WRAP 2GB) just had a huge crack at the inappropriateness of the umps spending 5 days as guests of Hawthorn at a pre season camp .
Said it just shouldn't happen .
Have to agree
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Actually it might have been someone called Gibbons who I've never heard of .

It's a massive problem. But the blame lies not with Hawthorn but with the AFL. If you're Hawthorn and can get away with it, why not do it? Hawthorn must be laughing in disbelief that they've been allowed to do this. But if you're administering a supposedly professional and impartial competition, literally a billion-plus dollar industry, what on earth are you thinking letting this happen? What possible justification is there for allowing this? It is further evidence of what an absolutely pathetic and biased administrator Gill the Dill is, and how much in the thrall of powerful Victorian interests he is (especially Hawthorn and Collingwood). The man needs to grow a pair of testicles (although developing a scrotum first would probably make that step more useful). He is a joke.

[Velour&Ruffles]

And by the way, the fact that this isn't an absolutely massive story in the football media also tells you a whole lot. They go into hysterics about GWS's academy when the Vic clubs whine after one big win, but it's basically crickets on something that goes to the integrity of every match that an unparalleled power club plays. FFS, it's no wonder I'm losing interest in this.

[barry]

Totally agree. But under gill the dills leadership it feels like its pointless to complain.