Wests - What happened

[Coastal Boy]

I was, in fact, slightly wrong with the measurements, but not the length figure.
These are the official dimensions sent out by the league for the finals' venues.

Blacktown Olympic Park = 165m x 135m
Bruce Purser Reserve = 155m x 135m
Henson Park = 155m x 120m

However be it 10m or 4m, it doesn't change the argument that it is too minor to be a significant problem.

IMO 10m is most significant. Consider the SCG is 13m shorter(to the best of my knowledge) than the MCG which most people would note is massive. The open expanses of Football Park in SA is only 5m longer and not as wide as the MCG. Every run you make is 5-10m longer.

[BeeEmmAre]

If your dimensions are correct Jonty, then one has to be wrong ... if that makes sense.

At both Purser and Blacktown the centre square is 50 x 50, unlike most in Sydney which are at 45 x 45m. In addition, the 50 m arcs are both true 50's at both grounds.

Therefore according to your above dimensions, the distance between the arc and the centre square at each end of Blacktown should be 5 metres longer than Bruce Purser. I assure you that is not the case which can be determined by looking at the TV coverage from both grounds.

At best, the difference in overall ground length (goal to goal) can only be that Purser is about 4m shorter than Blacktown.

Maybe someone can measure it on Google Earth one day when they both appear ....

I was, in fact, slightly wrong with the measurements, but not the length figure.
These are the official dimensions sent out by the league for the finals' venues.

Blacktown Olympic Park = 165m x 135m
Bruce Purser Reserve = 155m x 135m
Henson Park = 155m x 120m

However be it 10m or 4m, it doesn't change the argument that it is too minor to be a significant problem.

[tara]

Dunno ... how big is Queenstown Oval?

Queenstown is affectionaly known as the gravel pit isnt it Tom.

[Oscar]

Oscar,

You are way too intelligent and logical to be using Red and White online. Shouldn't you be on some ABC site like Q&A debating Tony Jones. Where's the emotional footy talk that you are so frigging good you beat anybody even on the Queenstown Oval in Tassie if need be.

Dunno ... how big is Queenstown Oval?

[Tom Wills]

Too intelligent for Red and White online

Oscar,

You are way too intelligent and logical to be using Red and White online. Shouldn't you be on some ABC site like Q&A debating Tony Jones. Where's the emotional footy talk that you are so frigging good you beat anybody even on the Queenstown Oval in Tassie if need be.

[Oscar]

Can't see how 10m difference in the length of a ground could cause a huge issue though. (Blacktown 165x120, Purser 155x120).

If your dimensions are correct Jonty, then one has to be wrong ... if that makes sense.

At both Purser and Blacktown the centre square is 50 x 50, unlike most in Sydney which are at 45 x 45m. In addition, the 50 m arcs are both true 50's at both grounds.

Therefore according to your above dimensions, the distance between the arc and the centre square at each end of Blacktown should be 5 metres longer than Bruce Purser. I assure you that is not the case which can be determined by looking at the TV coverage from both grounds.

At best, the difference in overall ground length (goal to goal) can only be that Purser is about 4m shorter than Blacktown.

Maybe someone can measure it on Google Earth one day when they both appear ....

[BeeEmmAre]

Eagles have not played at Blacktown - yes, that will be a question mark.

Can't see how 10m difference in the length of a ground could cause a huge issue though. (Blacktown 165x120, Purser 155x120) - and one of those teams that struggled at Purser was the Eagles' reserves (hard to see how the ground could bring them down, it would be more likely the fact the Bats are a bloody good team).
It could have more to do with Purser being on top of a hill in a windswept area and Blacktown being in a bowl created by the spectator hill around the ground.

[Carn the Lions]

interesting to note the 3 teams that won at Blacktown the week before struggled on the smaller Bruce purser. Will be interested to see how they bounce back on the bigger ground this week.

Have the eagles played at Blacktown this year?

If not that cant be a good thing goin into the granny. Reckon Wests/uni would fancy themselves in the big one

[shearer]

interesting to note the 3 teams that won at Blacktown the week before struggled on the smaller Bruce purser. Will be interested to see how they bounce back on the bigger ground this week.

[shinerunner]

Steve Hudson will be filthy! According to rule 5.5.4a, he should have had the shot on goal as captain! He doesn't get too many sausage rolls and probably would have enjoyed that one!

junior he probes would have missed that one anyway

[Junior]

Steve Hudson will be filthy! According to rule 5.5.4a, he should have had the shot on goal as captain! He doesn't get too many sausage rolls and probably would have enjoyed that one!

[Norris Lurker]

It was confusing for everyone at the ground trying to work out what was going on at the time.
In the 6 years I've been around the Sydney AFL, there have been 4 player counts; 2 of which have resulted in a team's score being wiped - all 4 of them were RWO report matches. But that count was the most confusing one I've ever seen....

[BeeEmmAre]

The way I saw it (from the scissor lift on the other side of the ground, but with binoculars on the whole incident and a feed from the umpire mikes) Watkins was sent from the field under the blood rule and T Lambert came to the line to replace him.
At the same time, Garner went to the bench and there was a confrontation outside the boundary - indeed up against the fence - involving all three players.
From what I have since heard, acting captain Bilkey then asked an umpire 'how many players do they have out here', which was interpreted as a request for a head count, which the umpire (sorry, can't say which one) instigated.
While this was happening, the altercation had broken up and Lambert had come onto the field, and one of the three field umpires (Richardson, Rutherford, Anderson) also ordered Watkins back onto the ground for the count.
Emergency umpire Hissey came out with Watkins, I believe to tell the field umpires that there wasn't a problem with numbers (there were, in fact, 17 on the ground when the count was called, not 19, because both Lambert and Watkins were tangling with Garner).
The count went ahead and 19 were recorded, but Hissey finally was able to relay the message that Watkins couldn't be counted - it was declared even and a misunderstanding.
The free kick and 50m penalty was paid to Wests' Troy Cole, who was the nearest player to Bilkey and the umpire when the count was called.
The reason he had to take two kicks from the goal square was that the goal umpire had taken his flags to the centre during the count and wasn't back in position when the first kick was taken.

Clear as mud I hope?

[Sometimes]

Rather opportunistically, Eagles coach calls a player count. Players line up, all OK, Wests awarded a shot on goal, twice, but only one goal recorded, confusion reigns supreme!!!!

Shouldn't that result in Eagles score reverting to zero if call count fails???

5.5.4 Correct Number and Request Without Merit Where a count reveals that the opposing Team has the permitted number of Players on the Playing Surface, the following shall apply:
(a) a field Umpire shall award a Free Kick to the captain or acting captain of the opposing Team, which shall be taken at the Centre Circle or where play was stopped, whichever is the greater penalty against the offending Team;
(b) a Fifty-Metre Penalty shall then be imposed from the position where the Free Kick was awarded; and
(c) if a field Umpire is of the opinion that a request was made under Law 5.5.1 primarily to delay play or such request did not have sufficient merit, the field Umpire shall report the Player who requested the count for Time Wasting under Law 19.2.2.

Free kicks were awarded to Wests accordingly, there was obviously some confusion surrounding it though with an extra player (who seemed to be around the interchange area then was ordered onto the field by the emergency umpire for the count, I think?) not being counted then leaving the field after the count.

[Hawknik]

Rather opportunistically, Eagles coach calls a player count. Players line up, all OK, Wests awarded a shot on goal, twice, but only one goal recorded, confusion reigns supreme!!!!

Shouldn't that result in Eagles score reverting to zero if call count fails???