Umpires Rubbish

[Dr. Gonzo 22,523]

When will they be accountable for their poor decisions?

When they are made professional and umpire to the rules instead of trying to manufacture an aesthetic outcome.

[leucopogon 1,468]

I reckon you should have no marks from backwards kicks, although that would screw up our possession game wouldn't it?

[obbafan 128]

I agree with Finey from SEN. For me he nailed the problem in one. The umpires are being asked to change the way the game is played through their decisions rather than simply applying the rules as they stand. As a consequence, the holding the ball rule has become an absolute lottery as has the deliberate our of bounds and high contact. It's admin not the umps in my opinion. Having said that, Razor Ray can give it away based on what I saw from him this weekend..

Totally agree. When some rules are enforced and others ignored it looks like an ideological campaign. This is what I want the game to be and as umpire's boss I can make it happen. The player being positive and trying to make something happen should always get the benefit of the doubt. Being jumped on by a number of opposition players, often clearly in the back, before having any chance to dispose is NOT holding the ball. Most often this season it has been what for the history of this game has been illegal contact with the back of the play maker. Equally throwing the ball away when tackled is not legal disposal. These two interpretations are altering the fundamental way the game is played. Bravery, initiative and skill have become a liability in the close contests that have such a fundamental part in our game. Gieschen struggled to find a balance but that was what he was he was after. Campbell seems to think he can fundamentally change how the game is played because he knows better.

[nutbean 8,837]

Chris Dawes' first free of the season, and it wasn't even warranted.

Putrid infuriating garbage week in, week out.

They have been holding him and hanging off him every week and the first one they pay was just not there.

[Dr. Gonzo 22,523]

They have been holding him and hanging off him every week and the first one they pay was just not there.

It was clearly there - I was sitting on the Southern Stand wing and you could clearly see his jumper being pulled from that angle, the jumper was stretched out it was clear as day.

[monoccular 16,218]

Totally agree. When some rules are enforced and others ignored it looks like an ideological campaign. This is what I want the game to be and as umpire's boss I can make it happen. The player being positive and trying to make something happen should always get the benefit of the doubt. Being jumped on by a number of opposition players, often clearly in the back, before having any chance to dispose is NOT holding the ball. Most often this season it has been what for the history of this game has been illegal contact with the back of the play maker. Equally throwing the ball away when tackled is not legal disposal. These two interpretations are altering the fundamental way the game is played. Bravery, initiative and skill have become a liability in the close contests that have such a fundamental part in our game. Gieschen struggled to find a balance but that was what he was he was after. Campbell seems to think he can fundamentally change how the game is played because he knows better.

Beautifully put.

Now why can't Campbell come out and say PUBLICLY that THE prerequisite for a HTB decision is a correct tackle, and a missed genuine opportunity to dispose of the ball correctly. That looks pretty simple to me, even for an ex-Richmond player. And IF the tackle is incorrect, than the play maker gets the kick. Even simpler.

[titan_uranus 22,538]

The umpire pointed the wrong way.

This as far as I'm concerned is completetly unacceptable from an umpire and to then call advantage once everyone had stopped (becuase they thought it was a Melbourne free kick) should be a punishable offence.

That was sickening. So blatantly unfair.

[JackVineyForPresident 310]

The Doggies vs Geelong match has just set a new standard for rubbish umpiring. Not sure if any of you are watching, but this is insipid. The most one sided umpiring in the dogs favour i have ever seen.

[monoccular 16,218]

I was watching briefly and dispassionately bits of the WCE Sydney game - I just cannot fathom how when a player with the ball has an opponent lying on his back it can be anything other than "in the back".

That just seems so basic.

[Demon Dynasty 15,646]

Forget Melbourne for a second, even though that was a pathetic umpiring display, especially the first half.

The Carlton vs GWS match was the worst umpired match i have ever seen. 22-8 free kicks, yet some were absolute [censored] rubbish. The Carlton supporters continue to complain about the umpiring.

I have had enough of the umpires umpiring games with lob-sided and rubbish decisions. Yes, i understand that they have a tough job, but get real, it has been pathetic this year.

The holding the ball rule changes from minute-minute. The holding the man rule is god damn pathetic.

AFL, please establish some consistency, i have had enough.

There is actually no holding the ball rule even though the umps sometimes refer to it as that in their call... as far as i understand it is incorrect disposal.

Strict adherance to this rule and there will be more throws/incorrect disposals paid. This equals many more frees being paid and congestion being cleared after the free kick instead of "another" maul being potentially formed as more players get around the contest and attempt to close the ball in for another throw up/stoppage.. Throwing has now become an art form amongst most AFL clubs and players. The game is now unrecognisable from the style and intent that AFL was and is meant to be played from roughly 5 to 6 years back and certainly isn't the AFL i grew up watching through the 70s, 80's, 90's and early to mid 2000s.

#Note to the AFL I'm finding the World Cup strangely addictive.

Ditto red eye. I can no longer watch other AFL games of football and am slowly turning my eye to the round ball and also more intensily towards NFL from here. Both sports are rarely tampered with by the rule makers and you know exactly what the rules are most weeks, with some minor tinkering by the NFL once in a blue moon.

And I counted three throws out of packs to Norfs advantage, two resulted in goals. I must watch the replay to confirm I suppose but really at the time your first impression was the player could not have had two hands free to get such a crisp ball out to a receiver on the run.

No need to watch replays. This is part of the game now. Just watch the disposal/throw with one hand by Liberatore when being tackled by Viney as he lay on his back with about 3 minutes to go in the last quarter against the Doggies. 3 umpires and 2 boundaries around the ball and only 2 players involved and "not one" umpire could see a blatent one handed toss lol. Too funny. But unfortunately the game has literally gone to the Dogs!

There were 3 critical non-decisions against us in that last 3 minutes against the Doggies....

1. Vince was clearly held by the guernsey when going for the ball after a ball up 30 meters out directly in front. No penalty.

2. Libba clearly threw/tossed the ball into the air when being tackled by Viney in the Doggy's HFF.

3. Murphy was clearly caught holding the ball running off the defensive square by Barry.

Yet the one tiggy touchwood free that was very marginal WAS paid, in the back to a doggies player with the ball in dispute in the middle of the groud just after the last miracle goal by pokeinyourbelly.

This is what frustrates fans into turning away from our once great game. I am one of those. After 44 years i'm switching off until i hear they've fixed both the crazy 120 interchange and throwing/tossing/shuffling the ball as well as paying incorrect disposal as it should be paid after any half decent prior opportunity (ie., 2 to 3 steps after taking control of the ball).

They need to umpire to the rules, simple really. The current umpire bosses, Evans, Campbell and Kennedy under the direction of the AFL are so obsessed with continuos movement that they have screwed the game.

You can say that again rjay. 120 interchanges (more if you take subs etc into account) and the umps inability/incompetance or unwillingness to pay enough incorrect disposals (frees) for throwing the ball are killing this game, ironically by not paying free kicks as required under the written rules and ensuring further numbers are able to get to the ball and hem the ball in for a further stoppage ie., slowing the game down!

This and the fact that we still have all Bomber players (some of whom admitted to taking) who more than likely took banned substances still playing the game 18 months after the drug scandal broke!! They shouldn't even be fielding a team at the moment. The AFL and the game iteslf has now lost all credibility IMO.

I will continue to support the club financially but that's it for me.

I'm over AFL. I will continue to watch the highlights of our matches and the occasional match but i'm over the rest of the comp. It's just unwatchable now and too frustrating, even when watching two teams i don't follow.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Rusty Nails

[Ted Lasso 16,896]

The rules are changed far too often and it must make it so difficult for the umpires to keep up, having said that there is no excuse for not smarting up, how long has Joel Selwood gotten away with dropping down to get the high tackle?

it needs to be simplified so if the game is on the line they don't either make a bad decision or make a bad decision by not making a brave decision, it's such a fine line.