Regarding the Walters free kick, the precedent was set by Mitch Robinson years ago when he was playing for fark carlton. He literally attacked Fletch’s armpit with his head and the umps paid Robinson the free.
Similarly Walters is lurching head first into Redman, and is given the free for incidental contact that he caused, whilst hitting Redman front on.
We just need to accept that we are always in the wrong because we’re bad people, and the AFL will never tick us off, like they do the umps.
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Watch the AFL make Thomas a scapegoat to show how they ‘support’ their umpires.
Also interesting to note last three times players have gone to the tribunal for umpire abuse Nicholls was involved. Maybe he is the issue, not the players.
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Slightly off topic - what would happen if our players stopped appealing for free kicks? E.g. instead of throwing an arm up to appeal for holding the ball, they use that arm to try and pin the ball… play through high contact… don’t fake contact etc. Would focusing on the game and not umpiring decisions give us an edge? Would our approach lead to less free kicks?
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You mean like Tippa?
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If Langford were playing for Collingwood it would’ve been paid 0 times out 100. It was a free IMO, but considering what they haven’t been paying, they easily could’ve let it go.
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I have a friend who is currently in AFL umpiring training
His words were: “if you think it is bad now wait 10 years. The good umpires are sick of being abused for trying to interpret the rules and leaving the profession. Anger should be taken out on the AFL and the rules not us. We don’t make the rules we try and interpret them as we are trained. We are never consulted about how to make it easier for us. Never
666 is ■■■■■■
Deliberate OOB is a joke, have last touch like the SANFL or leave it alone
HTB is the worst and most confusing rule”
He wants it all simplified and made easy to interpret. The games fundamental skills are kicking and handballing, if you don’t do either should be a free against you
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Are they being trained to incorrectly interpret the rules?
Things like “if have prior opportunity… must CORRECTLY dispose of… immediately once tackled”
They clearly are not adjudicating to the rules
If that’s by the AFL’s influence as we all expect since they can’t help themselves then need to give the umps some slack.
But frankly they could not be umpiring worse this year across all games it seems.
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I’ve been saying this for years.
Afl and Gill saying don’t criticize umpires is just a cop out for their own confusion of the rules. They’ve made it harder than ever for umpires- and never take responsibility for it. Same old bullshit misdirection.
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In all honesty I do feel for umpires. Getting abused constantly must be rough. They come into umpiring with a love for the game, and get given hell even in lower leagues. It is a wonder they stick with it, particularly because it is not a full time job (it should be at AFL level).
What frustrates me at AFL level is the inconsistency between umpires, and across games and teams. Then across the year, finals umpiring is usually nothing like regular season umpiring.
I preferred one umpire, sure they missed frees but I would rather a missed free than over officiating.
He’s the new Lindsay Thomas. Hate how he seems to get all he bullshit frees then never get any paid against him.
Remember the one last year when McNiece bumped him in the side and took a mark and the uno gave Walters the free? It was as inexplicable as the Redman one.
With a minute to go on Saturday he tunnelled McGrath who was about to mark. No free of course.
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It was for high, you can hear the umpire say high and he taps his stupid balding head to signify it.
Genuine attempt comes into then
If the umpire thinks you made a genuine attempt “play on”
Which is not in the rules for if had prior opportunity
He loves the game, not built to play it unfortunately but absolutely loves it
It’s his way of being involved in the game.
Although I’m not sure he will be continuing umpiring if things don’t change
They don’t worry about the immediately part either mind you, break one tackle, get nailed in the second, brought to ground then drop, flick, place ball on ground and it’s play on
Each umpire interprets prior opportunity differently thou
Interpretation is the problem. Get rid of it
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Seemingly it’s not Gil’s doing
Although he’s also probably one to say to them to keep the game going / pay less frees
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I still have a philosophical problem with ‘rewarding the tackler.’
Umpires aren’t there to reward players.
Penalise incorrect disposal.
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“Rewarding the tackler” only came into vogue in the 1960’s when one of the Sydney commentators moved to Victoria.
He was used to rugby, so always shouted out that the tackler needed to “be rewarded”.
Somehow it got to be part of the lexicon and changed the way the game is played…
The moral of the story is: even I you don’t know what you are talking about, shout and eventually people will back you.
Worked for ScuMo, too.
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Hopefully the bad ones are leaving as well.
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Any system where Langford was holding the ball, and Cripps/Stevenson/Moore/Hoskin-Elliot etc were all definitively stated as “correctly not htb” is just friggin laughable.
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