What happened to the umpiring thread?
The AFL free kick ladder of the last five years
Collingwood and then the Bulldogs have had the best differential since 2017.
What happened to the umpiring thread?
The AFL free kick ladder of the last five years
Collingwood and then the Bulldogs have had the best differential since 2017.
Is it meant to be even?
No. The rules should be applied consistently but this doesn't mean there should be the same numbers with different teams and different individuals. If a player, or a team, consistently chooses to infringe (for whatever reason) then obviously you would expect them to be penalised more.
Some teams and individuals may choose to play more 'on the edge' a la Toby Greene and then they get more penalties - nobody would suggest that isn't appropriate, would they?
The Swans aren't dirty but I think our game style and techniques with and without the ball compared to other teams is a more likely explanation accounts for the free kick differential over a period of time than an umpire conspiracy. I don't discount the affirmation bias umpires get with home games, especially with more rabid crowds, but I don't think that accounts for the Bulldogs favourable differential.
All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001)
Season stats.
Bulldogs way way way out front.
We are equal 13th
The 2022 Free Kick Ladder after Round 20
Unfortunately, no surprises there.
When I've watched the Bulldogs, I've always felt that most of the free kicks they receive are there. Some are a bit iffy, but most of them are there. The huge advantage for them is that they get away with murder and the figures showing that they have given away the lowest number of free kicks this season verify that. They get free kicks that their opponents don't and especially on the forward line. I know I should've moved on from the 2016 GF but, till my dying day, I'll never understand how they were deemed to have broken the rules only 8 times in a full game of football.
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