2 Andrew Stephens 16 Brendan Hosking 25 Shaun Ryan and making sense of their destruction

[Sameolds2010]

They only get paid $2000 per game? That’s super stingy.

The “best” umpires are on $150K plus, all up.

And they don’t have to wait around at chemist warehouse

[choppsuey]

They only get paid $2000 per game? That’s super stingy.

plus a season retainer of up to ~$100k.

[up_up]

He identifies as a Pies supporter and begins the rant at about 9.15, concludes his review of the game saying that it might not really be a thriller because of the bad umpiring. Shaun Ryan, do we have a problem here?

[Sameolds2010]

There’s absolutely going to be unconscious bias, but it’s far more likely to be towards or against individuals than clubs.

I once met 3 umpires (all AFL/VFL level) & was surprised that all of them stated they barracked for the Dogs claiming that like umpires they were the underdogs. It was no surprise to me that the 2016 Grand final was the most biased I’ve ever seen. Given that that vast majority of people wanted to see the dogs win (me included) & fark Sydney with their AFL handouts, that GF wasn’t heavily scrutinised. WB were plus 112 free kicks for the year - the highest I could find going back to 2003.

The other shining example of blatant bias is of course WC. They have received a whopping 919 more free kicks over the last 16 seasons than they have conceded. Thats nearly double their nearest rival & for comparison we are minus 166. Our best season overall for free kick differential was 2016 so you can’t possibly make the case that better sides get the frees.

Boooooooooo

[Number10]

It takes a good few years to understand all the idiosyncrasies of the game.

A lifetime of watching AFL for me yet there are many moments during matches these days where the whistle blows and I have no idea why. I can only imagine the confusion for international viewers.

[AD_Don]

Not as an on field umpire.

They get rostered as on field umpires and may get another game as the emergency umpire.

[Killer_Mike]

The constant changing of rules an interpretations doesn’t help.

I think they should just leave tighten up the rules so there’s no grey areas and then stop messing with it.

[westozziebomber]

The “best” umpires are on $150K plus super, c**ts.

EFA

[Albert_Thurgood]

There may not be a deliberate bias, however there is very likely a subconscious bias against us given the umpires along with everyone else have been told adnausium for the last 6 years that Essendon is the root of all evil.

Or perhaps it’s us as fans that are looking for something that isn’t there?

We have our bad days with the umpires, but so does everyone.

Really? Please tell me the last day Collingwood has as bad a treatment from the maggots as they dished out to us last week. Or the last day Hawthorn had as bad a treatment as has been dished out to us for any game against them in the last 40 years.

I am sick of these Vichy statements made without any consideration for the weight of historical evidence.

[Albert_Thurgood]

Because the general level of umpiring has been getting worse and worse and I want the AFL to finally acknowledge that they have to do something about it. Honestly, I have never heard commentators going on about bad decisions by the umpires as much as this season. I want it to reach a tipping point.

Yep - but the tipping point will be that the AFL reigns in the commentators again so they make anodyne comments like “I missed that” or “The umpire must have had a better angle there” or “Essendon Player X was a bit unlucky there” or “Hawthorn/Collingwood/WCE/Sydney/FCFC Player Y was a bit lucky there” etc etc.

[AD_Don]

Hawthorn got screwed against the Bulldogs earlier this year. Would have won without some inexplicable umpiring decisions gifting goals to the bulldogs.

[Albert_Thurgood]

Mysterious are the ways of the maggots.

But I was asking about when was the last time, if ever, any of those sides had been stitched up playing against us, Essendon. Sorry if that was not clear.

[ALBIE_YEO]

The “best” umpires are on $150K plus super, c**ts.

EFA

Essential fatty acids ?

[StealthBomber]

Brace yourselves… there’s a whole lot of my countrymen who’ve all become Collingwood supporters overnight. Call it the Mason Cox factor.

Yeah, it’s a farking nightmare.

[StealthBomber]

I don’t know how to explain the rules to anybody… but then again, the umpiring these days kinda makes it impossible.

[up_up]

I am sick of these Vichy statements

Me too @Albert_Thurgood : what about some new adjectives, Quisling, Lord Haw-Haw, Tokyo Rose? Vichy is getting to @percebushby Anglo-Saxon levels now.

[percebushby]

I am sick of these Vichy statements

Me too @Albert_Thurgood : what about some new adjectives, Quisling, Lord Haw-Haw, Tokyo Rose? Vichy is getting to @percebushby Anglo-Saxon levels now.

Her sƿutelað seo gecƿydrædnes ðe

[dingus]

we’ve always been at war with Eastasia.

Thank you, this is superb.

[Henry_s_Angry_Pills]

May come as a shock but I actually think I read it somewhere.

[dingus]

I think it comes from a book about Essendon’s glorious, drought-breaking premiership year.