The "FFS umpiring, FFS" thread

I think your drawing a long bow with the 2013 stuff. Not to make this another saga thread but prior to that hawthorn game there was a pretty major fracture in the club that led to evans breaking down and resigning. We lost the hawks game by 9 goals, pies game by 80 odd and then belted by the eagles at home. I still remember dyson heppell giving up chasing an eagles player on the wing who ran on to kick an unpressured goal. I think they knew at that point they weren’t going to be allowed to play finals.

They stopped that year, and that reflected in the umpiring. No conspiracy.

1 Like

youd think telling players they aint playing finals would be a bigger influence than some flaky free kicks being handed out. AFL is closer to WWF than you thnk

Its a way of counting the old timers used to use, if you haven’t got a timer or a clock. One cat and dog, two cat and dog, three cat and dog and so.

1 Like

Reasonably well orchestrated the old NBA

The powers that be, can say something without actually saying it outright, so people get the message.

Simply let your views be known and how it should be and how you prefer it be. Very often that’s all that is needed.
Is that what happened, I don’t know but I do know that when the AFL are in “payback mode” they have a full kitbag of tools they can use. Incredibly creative and very effective. Read the book written about what happened to Dean Bailey.

1 Like

Peter_BerbA_kov_s_An4d
There were 18 free kicks in total tday - 9-9 - according to AFL stats. I’d guess the average is approx 40 per game. The whistle just seemingly disappeared today, for whatever reason, and it’s so inconsistent from week to week.

As to whether there’s genuine AFL directives with respect to preferred outcomes, I’d say there absolutely is. Last year’s Grand Final was a good example.

Just like finals, I believe they are instructed to be very minimalist because of the TV audience size which would have a lot of non regular football watchers, who would be somewhat bamboozled as to why certain free kicks are given. So in other words, the less the uneducated punter has to scratch his head about, the better. (according to them).

1 Like

Ah that was the problem. The Umpies swallowed the whistle.

Perhaps the sound of a whistle isn’t exactly de rigueur on ANZAC Day??

2 Likes

Tackling Too Hard is the rule of the week.

1 Like

Almost every game I’ve watched so far I see about half as many throws as actual handballs. Over-the-head ones, punching arm gets tackled ones, ‘I can’t move either arm - until my team-mate is right there’ ones, and just plain old shovelled out with the other hand in vaguely the same general area ones.
It’s seemingly become as much lip service as the use of the boot in a rugby league “play the ball”, ie just look like you’re trying, that’s all that matters.

I can’t really believe the umps are that shithouse at their jobs.
And my heart goes out to the 2-3 blokes they ping every game, total pot luck.

2 Likes

Growing up, the over the head one was always a throw, I’m sure of it

2 Likes

Totally. Especially given 100% of the time guys do it, the holding hand is throwing the ball up and over the head with the fist hand trailing.

I’ve got no problem with the over the head handball.
I think it deserves more scrutiny than the regular one, because there’s a larger chance of not executing it properly (or trying to), but the idea that a player can’t hold the above his head with one hand and punch it with the other is very silly.

Bringing back proper disposal is an interesting thought, but as some commentators have asked (Matthews has been leading it) why would you try to get first to the ball or make the play?
You’d have a free kick paid against you more often than not.

2 Likes

Well they seemed to be able to regurgitate it a few times when we had the ball. The issue was they paid 2 50/50 decisions against us and ignored 3 definite decisions when Collingwood had the ball.

1 Like

I heard him say that and I don’t really agree. Just might have to tweak “didn’t make an attempt” aspect of the rule

back in the olden days of Bombertalk someone did this in 2000 to show how we were being penalised unfairly or not getting the frees we should have gotten. It was a pretty impressive table took into account frees given for & against & ones missed & included all our opponent’s stats in every game they played too …the afl didn’t give two hoots & basically told him & us that we were delusional & that it was only coincidence & that we were winning by 10 goals every week so why were we worrying about it …why indeed.

1 Like

Probably old_#10

1 Like

Nope. Definitely no umpiring conspiracy. Nope.

5 Likes

If someone could tell me how many shots they had as a direct result of free kicks, that’d be great.

1 Like

I was more concerned with the treatment of Fyfe - throws it, not called - lies on the ball, gets tackled, holding the man - gets tackled, puts the ball on the ground, play on. And Troy Pannell is a confirmed cheat.

Who was the umpire who let Kersten blatantly throw, then pay Balic for ducking into a tackle? If it was the same umpire who pinged Hurley for throwing, then should be shot.

11 Likes