1 hour ago, buck_nekkid said:

Being at the ground, it looked like Norf were into us all day, and we copped the Umpiring from hell.

Reading the reports, it sounds like we started the niggle, and what I observed were retaliations.  Maybe we started something we didn't understand - we started with a bit of niggle, and the umps were off-side to us all day.  Any small thing, they were already convinced that we were the baddies and had to be punished.  Norf were the poor suffering little angels that had to be protected.  No wonder they were joking at 3/4 time.  And any time they punched us?  Just fair payback.

I was howling blue murder in the stands - but what if it was stupidity of our own design?

What started the "niggle" was Higgins decking Oliver right in front of the ump after about 10 minutes of the start and no free. And our players getting held off the ball and throat-punched all over the ground. Higgins gave away a free because he throat-punched Bernie, and complained that it shouldn't have been a free because it was "only" a throat-punch.

You heard what Scott said in his presser - the MRP has set the standard. They knew exactly what they were doing.

Why any Melb supporter would want to try to excuse an umpiring exhibition like that is simply beyond me.

6 minutes ago, Akum said:

You seriously think that umpiring was evenly bad for both sides???

We got the rough end of the pineapple, but I am saying that you can't expect umpiring as atrocious as that to also be even handed.

The ump on the day signal high against Salem then advantage. Don't know where the high was but that was the call/signal. 

23 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

That was so amazingly bad!!  Higgins took 3 or 4 steps, was tackled and misses the ball.  You could clearly hear the umpire say 'skill error'! 

Skill error!!  I went ballistic!  Since when is a skill error a reason not to pay a free.

While we are talking biases - the commentary was one of the worst ever - exonerating north players while claiming ours staged the effects - it even spilled over into their news bulletins.  A deliberate attempt to influence any MRP members watching the game or the news, knowing that 'force' is a criteria. 

Edit:  Jimmy Bartel is an MRP member, he was also on the Ch 7 commentary team. Very susceptible to commentator biases, however unconscious that may be.

He was calling skill error in relation to calling it deliberate out of bounds (if it is the incident I am thinking of). He did also get a foot to it, just. It came off the side of his boot, there is no way it would have the momentum it did unless it hit his boot. I went nuts when I first saw it but the replay showed he did kick it (just).

49 minutes ago, Ted Fidge said:

Bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label for the person who can find the words "skill error" in the AFL 2016 Laws of Australian Football. (There doesn't seem to be a 2017 version.)

I'll make it easy. Find just the word "skill" anywhere in the rule book.

I'm more concerned that the word "skill" might be missing from the MFC coaching manual.

From where I sat, the "niggle" started before the first bounce - Zeibell and Higgins into Viney in the centre. Clearly a Scott/Norf directive. All the anger here is directed toward Clown 16 - who I agree is one of the worst going around - it is all about him (a bit like our mate Razor). However please, please do not let No 20 off the hook - who for a period in the second half appeared to give Norf a series of highly dubious "contact" frees. Or for that matter No 16 who was standing next to Bernie when he got whacked. I suspect, no comment as usual from our AFL. And these clowns will be running around next week.

2 hours ago, praha said:

Stop with this "please explain" BS. It was a bad umpiring performance but making a song and dance about it deflects attention away from the real issue and dilutes actual player performance. I'll be disappointed if the club said anything. We didn't lose because of the umpiring. Get over it.

No it doesn't.

We lost because we played poorly, and the club already acknowledged it. 

But if we don't make a song and dance about our players being physically targeted outside the apparent rules of the game, and us getting the rough end of some absolutely puzzling decisions, we will continue to get shat on every single game by the umps, because we are a small voiceless club. Enough is enough.

Games are becoming unwatchable, and the MRP are partly to blame.

Hogan got done for 2 weeks for punching a player, and so he should have. Yet here is Cotchin doing the same thing and not so much of a fine. Disgusting pathetic double standards, that allows outright thuggery which in the real world would result in a criminal conviction. 

The Salem free kick.

The deliberate against Hibberd.

Watts pushed in the back flat on his face.

Another holding the ball where one of our players was grabbed by the ankles.

Numerous not paid 50mtr penalties.

The list goes on....

4 minutes ago, rjay said:

The Salem free kick.

The deliberate against Hibberd.

Watts pushed in the back flat on his face.

Another holding the ball where one of our players was grabbed by the ankles.

Numerous not paid 50mtr penalties.

The list goes on....

Double manning of mark despite Ump saying not to....but doesn't do anything about it. Ffs

If I was umpiring, we'd be 9:0  !!

Another one that resulted in a North goal, was when North kicked it out on the full on the southern wing.  We had a clear view down the boundary line and it was OOF by a good metre.  Paid a mark, that kick was marked by a North forward who goaled.  The boundary umpire was 5 metres away and called nothing.  The whole southern stand erupted.

When the margin is 14 points, don't tell me the non-decisions by umpires don't affect games. 

Umpire Hosking ( 16) I think made one call all day, apart from "ball up"

9 minutes ago, rjay said:

The Salem free kick.

The deliberate against Hibberd.

Watts pushed in the back flat on his face.

Another holding the ball where one of our players was grabbed by the ankles.

Numerous not paid 50mtr penalties.

The list goes on....

and 2 trips to players running to goal.

Bugg dumped after a mark.

Throat punch to Oliver.

Scragging Oliver at every bounce.

Numerous holding the ball decisions, including the most blatant 10 metres from our goal.

In a close game 22 -10 frees that is 5.5 per quarter to Roos to our 2.5. Huge difference in a tight game. 

Several soft frees to Roos forwards none to us.

When you can name that many incorrect decisions you have bad umpiring.

What would Scott, his brother or Eddie do if it was their club? Blast it across the media and complain to the Umpire's department.

I'd calmed down a bit until I opened this thread. 

1 minute ago, george_on_the_outer said:

When the margin is 14 points, don't tell me the non-decisions by umpires don't affect games. 

A bigger factor is our not showing up til 1/4 time.

It's time to factor in that the umpiring is diabolical, every game every week, and that it is not a refereeing of the rules, but rather a hazard to be negotiated like windmills in mini golf.

3 minutes ago, george_on_the_outer said:

Another one that resulted in a North goal, was when North kicked it out on the full on the southern wing.  We had a clear view down the boundary line and it was OOF by a good metre.  Paid a mark, that kick was marked by a North forward who goaled.  The boundary umpire was 5 metres away and called nothing.  The whole southern stand erupted.

When the margin is 14 points, don't tell me the non-decisions by umpires don't affect games. 

Umpire Hosking ( 16) I think made one call all day, apart from "ball up"

There were a few occasions that ball seemed out  but was somehow in 

2 minutes ago, Redleg said:

and 2 trips to players running to goal.

Bugg dumped after a mark.

Throat punch to Oliver.

Scragging Oliver at every bounce.

Numerous holding the ball decisions, including the most blatant 10 metres from our goal.

In a close game 22 -10 frees that is 5.5 per quarter to Roos to our 2.5. Huge difference in a tight game. 

Several soft frees to Roos forwards none to us.

When you can name that many incorrect decisions you have bad umpiring.

What would Scott, his brother or Eddie do if it was their club? Blast it across the media and complain to the Umpire's department.

And we do .....'crickets' 

Was at the ground and lost my sh*t at the Salem one. From what I saw, Salem was rugby tackled over the boundary line when he didn't even have the ball. His head hit the hard turf  towards the fence so he was dazed. I feared he may have suffered another concussion but luckily he was ok. The umpire then called a free and advantage to North? After Salem was spear tackled without the ball?! Half the players stopped because it was an obvious free kick to Salem, who was winded and might not have been able to take the free kick due to the dangerous tackle he had just received. Ball then fired up the other end and North score. Madness. A blatantly wrong decision that effected the outcome of the game.

The Hibberd deliberate out of bounds call was also ridiculous. He attempted to handball it while under pressure, the ball was hit over the line off the North players arm. Deliberate out of bounds called. It didn't even go out of bounds from a Melbourne player! Umpire nearby says nothing, umpire 50 metres away over-rules him and calls deliberate. How the [censored] that works I'll never understand. As if the umpire 5 metres away who saw it clearly doesn't say to the one 50 metres away 'actually the ball came off a North player and was in a pressure situation. We should ball it in. Also, you're a stupid bald c*nt with the umpiring skills of a dropped cumquat'.

Then there was the illegal hits. Oliver was clocked in the jaw with no repercussions. Early in the second quarter Ziebell was going so hard at his guts while on the ground that I thought he was trying to give him a caesarean. Vince copped a smack in the jaw. He also copped a firm hit to the guts right infront of an umpire, who did nothing. Not even a free kick. The hit was hard enough the Bernie was vomiting on the bench moments later. The North player (think it was Higgins) who hit him should get suspended for 3+ weeks. If Lewis and Hogan got suspended for hits, then those North hits deserve equal penalty. Ofcourse they'll be ignored because it's all a crock of sh*t and the MRP are soft bias flogs who aren't held accountable by anyone.  

I'm not blaming the umpiring for the loss. If we were good enough from the opening bounce we would've won. The umpiring however was some of the worst I've ever seen and I hope the club query them about it. Things like the Hibberd one need clarification as otherwise players in pressure situations near the boundary line know the have to clear it towards the centre, as if it goes out of bounds, even from an opposition players contact, you'll be pinged for deliberate.  The rule changes are ruining the game, and poor umpiring is effecting the results of matches. 

I don't like to complain about the umpires but that was [censored] appalling.

I hope the club makes an issue of it

8 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Was at the ground and lost my sh*t at the Salem one. From what I saw, Salem was rugby tackled over the boundary line when he didn't even have the ball. His head hit the hard turf  towards the fence so he was dazed. I feared he may have suffered another concussion but luckily he was ok. The umpire then called a free and advantage to North? After Salem was spear tackled without the ball?! Half the players stopped because it was an obvious free kick to Salem, who was winded and might not have been able to take the free kick due to the dangerous tackle he had just received. Ball then fired up the other end and North score. Madness. A blatantly wrong decision that effected the outcome of the game.

The Hibberd deliberate out of bounds call was also ridiculous. He attempted to handball it while under pressure, the ball was hit over the line off the North players arm. Deliberate out of bounds called. It didn't even go out of bounds from a Melbourne player! Umpire nearby says nothing, umpire 50 metres away over-rules him and calls deliberate. How the [censored] that works I'll never understand. As if the umpire 5 metres away who saw it clearly doesn't say to the one 50 metres away 'actually the ball came off a North player and was in a pressure situation. We should ball it in. Also, you're a stupid bald c*nt with the umpiring skills of a dropped cumquat'.

Then there was the illegal hits. Oliver was clocked in the jaw with no repercussions. Early in the second quarter Ziebell was going so hard at his guts while on the ground that I thought he was trying to give him a caesarean. Vince copped a smack in the jaw. He also copped a firm hit to the guts right infront of an umpire, who did nothing. Not even a free kick. The hit was hard enough the Bernie was vomiting on the bench moments later. The North player (think it was Higgins) who hit him should get suspended for 3+ weeks. If Lewis and Hogan got suspended for hits, then those North hits deserve equal penalty. Ofcourse they'll be ignored because it's all a crock of sh*t and the MRP are soft bias flogs who aren't held accountable by anyone.  

I'm not blaming the umpiring for the loss. If we were good enough from the opening bounce we would've won. The umpiring however was some of the worst I've ever seen and I hope the club query them about it. Things like the Hibberd one need clarification as otherwise players in pressure situations near the boundary line know the have to clear it towards the centre, as if it goes out of bounds, even from an opposition players contact, you'll be pinged for deliberate.  The rule changes are ruining the game, and poor umpiring is effecting the results of matches. 

I know we have an auto-censor on Demonland, but I really do think it's totally inappropriate to use this language. To call someone bald is so unfair. It's not like he has a choice.

15 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I know we have an auto-censor on Demonland, but I really do think it's totally inappropriate to use this language. To call someone bald is so unfair. It's not like he has a choice.

LOL.

I hate North and I hate the umpires. I had a bad day.

2 hours ago, Stretch Johnson said:

I don't like to complain about the umpires but that was [censored] appalling.

I hope the club makes an issue of it

They usually don't. Didn't hear umpiring mentioned in Goodwin's presser either.

5 hours ago, Wiseblood said:

I had Norf supporters around me who were clapping that decision.  Ignorant wastes of space.  Wood clearly knocked his handpass over the line and they called it deliberate.  On a day of shocking decisions, that was the worst.  Not only that, the umpire who was there called it out, yet another umpire from 50 meters away over ruled him.  Ridiculous.

and the boundary umpire was close by with perfect vision, yet stayed mute nor was his opinion asked for. i was 150m away and saw it clearly (i was on a good angle)

2 hours ago, george_on_the_outer said:

Another one that resulted in a North goal, was when North kicked it out on the full on the southern wing.  We had a clear view down the boundary line and it was OOF by a good metre.  Paid a mark, that kick was marked by a North forward who goaled.  The boundary umpire was 5 metres away and called nothing.  The whole southern stand erupted.

When the margin is 14 points, don't tell me the non-decisions by umpires don't affect games. 

Umpire Hosking ( 16) I think made one call all day, apart from "ball up"

We were in the demon seats next to the MCC and heard the roar when he kicked the ball and obviously expected out on the full.  Didnt see it obviously from where we were but the resultant booing was pretty damning that the wrong call had been made.

Dont think anyone has mentioned two instances within about 10 seconds of north players being tackled and clearly missing the ball with their disposal by foot, play on both times.....will have to watch the replay to see exactly when it was but it was blatant

4 minutes ago, Travis16 said:

We were in the demon seats next to the MCC and heard the roar when he kicked the ball and obviously expected out on the full.  Didnt see it obviously from where we were but the resultant booing was pretty damning that the wrong call had been made.

Dont think anyone has mentioned two instances within about 10 seconds of north players being tackled and clearly missing the ball with their disposal by foot, play on both times.....will have to watch the replay to see exactly when it was but it was blatant

2nd quarter. Only 20 metres out so it's likely a goal would have resulted (unless Buggy got the free)

The one that pizzed me off the most was Ziebell's trip of Hannan. A trip is a trip - it doesn't even have to be intentional, it's a free kick. If paid at worst Hanna would have had a set shot from 50. Instead it was let go and the ball goes to the other end for Higgins to goal. Not only did they score but our momentum was stifled for a few minutes.
Pay that obvious free and we could well have gone into half time a couple of goals ahead rather than trailing by two points.