Normally, my opinion on umpiring is irrelevant, since I can't be dispassionate about Melbourne. (I reckon we were robbed against Footscray,Hawthorn and North, and yesterday with the Bullants).

Watching Sydney/Carlton this afternoon(and holding a candle to neither of them), I was pretty disappointed ,(though not surprised)with the standard.

They were far too technical in the first half. Watching slo-mo replays, one could usually justify their decisions. But most of the time , a "play-on" call would have been the more sensible option.

When the game got tense( the last quarter and a half), they completely changed their interpretations......there were very few frees(throws, in-the-backs and head-high tackles went unpunished).

Nothing in the rules stipulates that the judgments should be affected by the state of the game. Of course umpires let the game flow as much as possible when the game gets close.That's how they should umpire from the start! But don't try to be smart by calling dicey frees at the start of the match. The worst was McBurney,who should know better, with all the experience(and big money!) he's got.

By the way, was he the ump who refused to believe Scwarta when the ball was flat(penalised him for time-wasting), then changed his opinion later on? I think so.

like the Bennell call when he took 12 steps kicked a goal and was called for 'travelling' dont know the AFL term..

I thought the umpiring was very favourable to Carlton in the 3rd quarter.

Especially for the Walker goal that got them level, a blatant throw was just before that.

like the Bennell call when he took 12 steps kicked a goal and was called for 'travelling' dont know the AFL term..

"Run too far".

"Run too far".

thats what i was looking for.. Its something you do not hear often.

Give the umpires a break. It's a very hard game to umpire. Let alone when you have Murphy playing to get free's and appealing to the umpires every second moment. And then you have Waite taking a dive every chance he gets.

Give the umpires a break. It's a very hard game to umpire.

I actually thought they let the game go and did not get sucked in by a number of players playing for frees.

I thought they paid what was reasonably there and provided good oversight to allow the game to be a real battle in the last qtr.

like the Bennell call when he took 12 steps kicked a goal and was called for 'travelling' dont know the AFL term..

If he wasn't selfish and gave the handball it wouldn't matter

They really let it go in the first quarter, didn't they!!! FOURTEEN FREES!!!!

With the same interpretations in the last quarter there would have been 56!!!!

More importantly, I did enjoy watching the Ratten press conference. Had Judd sitting next to him looking like the biggest sooky-la-la.

watch how often judd goes to ground and how easily. its disgraceful and hardly manly

by this i mean he doesnt slip, he gets a touch and pretends to be shot

I actually thought they let the game go and did not get sucked in by a number of players playing for frees.

I thought they paid what was reasonably there and provided good oversight to allow the game to be a real battle in the last qtr.

Yep. I agree with you. My point is it would be hard to work out what is a free and what isn't when carlton players would play it up every second time.

I thought the umpiring was of a good standard

watch how often judd goes to ground and how easily. its disgraceful and hardly manly

by this i mean he doesnt slip, he gets a touch and pretends to be shot

Ugh. Could not disagree more. And a petty whinge at best.

Judd was magnificent in the third quarter and almost singlehandedly took Carlton from miles back in the game. Sydney had to work hard in the last to subdue him. Manly??.FMD.

Ugh. Could not disagree more. And a petty whinge at best.

Judd was magnificent in the third quarter and almost singlehandedly took Carlton from miles back in the game. Sydney had to work hard in the last to subdue him. Manly??.FMD.

im not talking about when he has the ball. when he is off the ball, he will go to ground with the slightest bump, diving for frees. watch carefully.

i watched the game, i know how good he is when he has the ball.

im not talking about when he has the ball. when he is off the ball, he will go to ground with the slightest bump, diving for frees. watch carefully.

i watched the game, i know how good he is when he has the ball.

Judd would be one of the best balanced footballers in the game even with all the treatment and attention he gets.

and that is exactly why its a joke that he goes to ground so easily when he is bumped fairly by his tagger

and that is exactly why its a joke that he goes to ground so easily when he is bumped fairly by his tagger

Do little things always bug you like that? Honestly its small beer for all the attention Judd deals with.

Judd was magnificent in the third quarter and almost singlehandedly took Carlton from miles back in the game.

And this is why Carlton will not win a flag.