Umpires hate Melbourne

[Macca 16,173]

1 minute ago, DV8 said:

Never thought of this before...  around local umpires in a smallish home City like Perth.

Now IF the umpires were too fair...  causing the local teams to lose more...  how would those Local umpires get along during their Weekdays ?   I reckon they would be under enormous pressure living in the vicinity of unhappy local footy supporters.

 

Shallow & cheapskate thinking by the AFL.... Or is IT...   on the other Hand...  do the AFL want the local Perth people, to have a strong Umpiring advantage,  over there ?.

The AFL loves being in the news ... any publicity is good publicity for them so people constantly talking about the umpires is probably music to their ears.

They have one eye on the money and the other eye on what makes them the money.  Makes good business sense and sport is big business these days.  The old days are gone.  We don't have to like it but we almost certainly have to live with it. 

A lot of the major sporting bodies act in similar ways ... always looking to be in the news.  Soccer,  the NBA & the NFL are 3 good examples.  Especially soccer ... the big money clubs control the sport.  As for FIFA - where does one start? 

[Dame Gaga 2,453]

1 hour ago, DV8 said:

Never thought of this before...  around local umpires in a smallish home City like Perth.

Now IF the umpires were too fair...  causing the local teams to lose more...  how would those Local umpires get along during their Weekdays ?   I reckon they would be under enormous pressure living in the vicinity of unhappy local footy supporters.

 

Shallow & cheapskate thinking by the AFL.... Or is IT...   on the other Hand...  do the AFL want the local Perth people, to have a strong Umpiring advantage,  over there ?

 

.

Imagine you are an umpire, going down to your local cafe or shopping centre, and being confronted by an irate West Coast or Freo supporter and copping a mouthful of abuse in your day to day life the same as you hear from the stands at the football grounds. Of course they are afraid to give decisions against the home teams, beside the fact they are open supporters of one of these teams themselves, and everyone in town knows it. This is why the AFL should seriously have impartial, non home town umpires to officiate these games. This is the LEAST they can do to fixing the perceived problem which so irks fans. It is such a simple solution and yet they do not do it. WHY? I am baffled.

[DV8 2,271]

1 hour ago, Dame Gaga said:

Imagine you are an umpire, going down to your local cafe or shopping centre, and being confronted by an irate West Coast or Freo supporter and copping a mouthful of abuse in your day to day life the same as you hear from the stands at the football grounds. Of course they are afraid to give decisions against the home teams, beside the fact they are open supporters of one of these teams themselves, and everyone in town knows it.

This is why the AFL should seriously have impartial, non home town umpires to officiate these games.

This is the LEAST they can do to fixing the perceived problem which so irks fans. It is such a simple solution and yet they do not do it. WHY? I am baffled.

If this were to cost a team hopeful of finals,  miss out...  then the Competition,  is-a-Farce.

[Males 574]

I don’t care if the umpires don’t get all the decisions correct, I don’t care if one umpire targets incorrect disposal more then push in the back etc, I care for consistency from that umpire for the full game though, no matter who the player or team is. There are plenty of umpires that I haven’t a clue to their name? Why? Because they tend to be the umpires that are consistent through the whole game.

Umpires copping abuse is a given, some supporters yell ball as soon as an opposition player gets it, then they abuse an umpire for no free kick, a free kick that if given against their team in the same situation would earn an umpire the same abuse. ??‍♂️ But I’d actually be interested in knowing if any of these umpires have copped abuse walking down the street during the week? Personally I would think it highly unlikely, even for a high profile umpire like Razor Ray?

[GCDee 3,004]

13 hours ago, chook fowler said:

Daisy Thomas got it right - F‘ing  cheats 

I actually cannot believe he was fined $7,500 and sent to the tribunal for that...

Surely these throw away comments are made in most if not every game. 

I really don't like Daisy, but he really got the short straw on this one... 

[Mazer Rackham 14,968]

10 hours ago, Dame Gaga said:

This is the LEAST they can do to fixing the perceived problem which so irks fans. It is such a simple solution and yet they do not do it. WHY? I am baffled.

Sometimes the answer is staring us in the face.

WHY? Because they don't think it's a problem!

If it was affecting TV audiences, sponsorships, or crowds, it would be fixed up pretty quick smart.

As it is, it's obviously not a concern for Gil and his merry crew.

TL;DR: the AFL don't care

[Macca 16,173]

26 minutes ago, GCDee said:

I actually cannot believe he was fined $7,500 and sent to the tribunal for that...

Surely these throw away comments are made in most if not every game. 

I really don't like Daisy, but he really got the short straw on this one... 

No he didn't

He got off lightly

Back in my day you would have sent off and incurred a suspension for talking in such a disrespectful way to an umpire

He should thank his lucky stars

How would you like to be insulted like that? 

[Clintosaurus 6,394]

The AFL should do what the NFL does and have the same 4 umpires (including the emergency umpire) work together for the whole season. This would get them more consistent in decision making among their group.

We also do not know what the umpires coaches are instructing the umpires with. This is where the favouritism, differing treatment comes from.

[Mazer Rackham 14,968]

Daisy Thomas ... if he had made the comments publicly, then throw the book.

But he didn't. The ump wasn't even mic'ed up. He shouldn't be abusing the umpire, so penalise him. But let the punishment fit the crime. Making it public only increases the problem for the AFL.

Speaking of crimes ... the whole affair is a crystallisation of the way the AFL have lost control of the refereeing of their comp. From the AFL web site:

In pleading guilty, Thomas admitted to calling Barlow a "f***ing cheat" after misunderstanding the umpire's instructions to Giants players as the officiator attempted to sort starting positions before a restart of play.

The Giants had seven men in their forward 50 after a goal, before Barlow attempted to assist them in avoiding receiving a warning due to the AFL's newly imposed 6-6-6 rules.

Thomas, who didn't believe umpires were allowed to do this, called to Barlow and repeatedly said: "You can't tell them that d***head … you're a f***ing cheat."

It has since been confirmed by the AFL that boundary and field umpires have been instructed to assist teams in ensuring they uphold the starting position rules, and that teams were informed of this prior to the commencement of the 2019 season.

WTF? "the umpire's instructions to Giants players" ... "Barlow attempted to assist them" ... "umpires have been instructed to assist team in ensuring they uphold the starting position rules " ...

WHY are the umps coaching the players? They are supposed to know the rules. I can understand some leniency or a moratorium for the first 2 or 3 rounds ... but we're getting to the halfway point of the season.

All they need to do is give ONE free kick ... especially if that results in a goal.  Coaches will go ape and the teams will sort out 666 in no time flat. This helicopter parenting by the AFL is what is causing the problem.

[GCDee 3,004]

5 minutes ago, Macca said:

No he didn't

He got off lightly

Back in my day you would have sent off and incurred a suspension for talking in such a disrespectful way to an umpire

He should thank his lucky stars

How would you like to be insulted like that? 

Again, high pressure environment, they are all big boys... It's not like its the first time the umpire had heard the word [censored]. 

Not sure what you mean exactly by "your day" you did mention in a previous post you were around to witness the 1960's so I am sure you remember BT going bonkers as umpires during his playing days throughout the 80s, if not see below...

 

I would sure as hell prefer to be called a [censored] cheat than deal with what the umpires dealt with in "your day"

I am not saying what Daisy did is right and yes he did deserve a fine... but it was probably 3 times more than what it should be, and why the tribunal hearing? They hung him out to dry for no real reason. A simple fine post match by the MRO for umpire abuse would have been sufficient... 

If the umpire cannot handle being called a cheat and it has affected his life outside of football then I suggest he needs to find a new career. Back to my previous post these people are paid very well in a high pressure work place, the reason they get paid well is to do their job well (as I mentioned previously the umpires are shocking at) and to deal with the pressure that comes with being in the spot light.  

 

[Clintosaurus 6,394]

Geelong got a free paid for a goal square infringement from a centre bounce (Dogs player wandered out but did not get back in time), but only after Gary Rohan complained to the goal umpire, who obediently blew his whistle. Can't say I have seen one of those paid until then. Not sure if the goal ump 'assisted' the Dogs player to get into the goal square.

[sue 8,402]

17 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Daisy Thomas ... if he had made the comments publicly, then throw the book.

But he didn't. The ump wasn't even mic'ed up. He shouldn't be abusing the umpire, so penalise him. But let the punishment fit the crime. Making it public only increases the problem for the AFL.

Speaking of crimes ... the whole affair is a crystallisation of the way the AFL have lost control of the refereeing of their comp. From the AFL web site:

In pleading guilty, Thomas admitted to calling Barlow a "f***ing cheat" after misunderstanding the umpire's instructions to Giants players as the officiator attempted to sort starting positions before a restart of play.

The Giants had seven men in their forward 50 after a goal, before Barlow attempted to assist them in avoiding receiving a warning due to the AFL's newly imposed 6-6-6 rules.

Thomas, who didn't believe umpires were allowed to do this, called to Barlow and repeatedly said: "You can't tell them that d***head … you're a f***ing cheat."

It has since been confirmed by the AFL that boundary and field umpires have been instructed to assist teams in ensuring they uphold the starting position rules, and that teams were informed of this prior to the commencement of the 2019 season.

WTF? "the umpire's instructions to Giants players" ... "Barlow attempted to assist them" ... "umpires have been instructed to assist team in ensuring they uphold the starting position rules " ...

WHY are the umps coaching the players? They are supposed to know the rules. I can understand some leniency or a moratorium for the first 2 or 3 rounds ... but we're getting to the halfway point of the season.

All they need to do is give ONE free kick ... especially if that results in a goal.  Coaches will go ape and the teams will sort out 666 in no time flat. This helicopter parenting by the AFL is what is causing the problem.

RIght on in bold.  No wonder we get inconsistent outcomes.  Some are helped to avoid breaking the rules, some are warned and some are pinged.  What a mess. 

And this is not the only instance of umpires selectively telling players what the rules are.  There are several examples, but the most outrageous is warning a player kicking for goal after the siren to not move off his line.  

The umpires should keep out of it and assume the players know the rules.   It is on-field coaching which is totally unacceptable since there is no way the umpires can do it evenly.  

Edited May 21, 2019 by sue

[Macca 16,173]

47 minutes ago, GCDee said:

Again, high pressure environment, they are all big boys... It's not like its the first time the umpire had heard the word [censored]. 

Not sure what you mean exactly by "your day" you did mention in a previous post you were around to witness the 1960's so I am sure you remember BT going bonkers as umpires during his playing days throughout the 80s, if not see below...

 

I would sure as hell prefer to be called a [censored] cheat than deal with what the umpires dealt with in "your day"

I am not saying what Daisy did is right and yes he did deserve a fine... but it was probably 3 times more than what it should be, and why the tribunal hearing? They hung him out to dry for no real reason. A simple fine post match by the MRO for umpire abuse would have been sufficient... 

If the umpire cannot handle being called a cheat and it has affected his life outside of football then I suggest he needs to find a new career. Back to my previous post these people are paid very well in a high pressure work place, the reason they get paid well is to do their job well (as I mentioned previously the umpires are shocking at) and to deal with the pressure that comes with being in the spot light.  

 

I completely disagree with just about everything you've said ... we are worlds apart.  I played in the 80's but have been watching the sport since the late 60's

I am not sure we have heard the end of this either ... it's about time the umpires took some affirmative action.  Not many people have to go about being insulted the way umpires are whilst trying to do their best.

I can understand the emotion attached on game day and perhaps a day or 2 later but this umpire bashing is a 365 days a year thing for many.  Obsessive/Compulsive/Addicted springs to mind.

And if we didn't have umpires we wouldn't have a game.  Do you want them all sacked?

Are there any umpires that you don't dislike ... if so,  name them.  And if you can't name one umpire that you don't dislike,  you must dislike every one of them

So name the umpires that you don't dislike.  I am going to need 10 or 12 names not just a couple.

Prove to me that you're not heavily biased in this area.

[GCDee 3,004]

4 minutes ago, Macca said:

I completely disagree with just about everything you've said ... we are worlds apart.  I played in the 80's but have been watching the sport since the late 60's

I am not sure we have heard the end of this either ... it's about time the umpires took some affirmative action.  Not many people have to go about being insulted the way umpires are whilst trying to do their best.

I can understand the emotion attached on game day and perhaps a day or 2 later but this umpire bashing is a 365 days a year thing for many.  Obsessive/Compulsive/Addicted springs to mind.

And if we didn't have umpires we wouldn't have a game.  Do you want them all sacked?

Are there any umpires that you don't dislike ... if so,  name them.  And if you can't name one umpire that you don't dislike,  you must dislike every one of them

So name the umpires that you don't dislike.  I am going to need 10 or 12 names not just a couple.

Prove to me that you're not heavily biased in this area.

I think we will need to agree to disagree here... 

No, clearly you need umpires to have a game... I just would think with the amount of money the AFL brings in they could have Full time and better quality umpires as I have previously mentioned... Too many of them are completely incapable of doing their job correctly, as we have discussed these could be a number of factors, lack of training, skill, knowledge or they might not just be up to officiating on the big stage. 

I'll ask you a question how could do you explain the constant discrepancies in decisions made each an every game which we can agree is more than the odd mistake? 

C'mon mate ask any AFL fan to name 12 umpires let alone 12 umpires they don't disagree with is something I can guarantee you 99.9% of the footy watchers cannot do. Umpires are not meant to be known, the reality is they shouldn't really even be noticed, the only time I ever look up an umpires name is when I am suspicious of them being corrupt... Margetts, Parnell, Stevic and Nicholls are my top culprits.. The only reason these names are getting discussed is because of how corrupt and or bad at their job they are.

There is no "good game" for an umpire, they either do their job and not [censored] up or they do [censored] up and get discussed. 

To try and answer your questions regarding the umpires I like, I think Leigh Fisher does a decent job, Razor seems fair however does love the TV time but one thing you can say for him is that he is consistent. I also don't mind Rosebury as an umpire again seems to be quite consistent. 

I am sure there are more quality umpires out there which I have not named which I do not know... Likewise there would be more incapable umpires which I haven't named as well. 

Long and short of it the entire department is a mess, umpires should not be getting involved to assist the players ala the GWS v Carlton game, they are there to officiate and that is all, something they need more coaching and practice in so we have more consistent decisions. 

[Macca 16,173]

6 minutes ago, GCDee said:

 

The bias against umpires is firmly entrenched in many ... from a young age we are taught to hate the umpires and see them as the enemy.  So trying to change the habit of a lifetime is near impossible for most.  We know no other way to address the issue ... unless there is another way.

But my comments aren't aimed at the majority ... more so a percentage of the majority who are up to doing an about-face.  And you are not one of those persons.  But our discussion allows me to air my views and target that percentage of people.  It is not really you that I am trying to convince.  You've made up your mind.

Again,  I see what everyone else sees.  I see all the mistakes but I apportion blame at the custodians who run the sport and the game itself.

The umpires are just the most obvious easy targets.  And I reckon a lot of people have never thought about it nor have they ever been challenged about it. 

Have you ever met anyone that never blames umpires? I have met plenty.  But on this site,  why would anyone speak up?  'Bossdog' used to but he's no longer here (I wonder why?) 

As for the 3 umpires that you named and apparently 'like' (Fisher,  Chamberlain,  Rosebury)  most here would probably disagree.  But I wonder if they will come at you about your views?  Probably not.

But if they do come at you,  you're going to have to argue on their behalf.  That would be funny.

[Deemania since 56 6,119]

On 5/18/2019 at 1:02 PM, Sorry kids said:

Human nature. You are working in Perth, everyone you meet excluding Freo people want WC to win. You get to the ground and 50,000 people cheer your every good decision in their favour and jeer every one against. And then one side is Premiers and another is, well, you know. Who do you think will get the best deal.

It still equates to being the best deal for the best AFL take - mid to longer term. 

[wrecka45 92]

Margetts on the radio in Perth.

Advised that he, the controlling umpire, thought it was a dangerous tackle, but a non controlling umpire said in his ear piece said holding the ball so he paid that instead. YOU ARE THE CONTROLLING UMPIRE. Advised that he saw smiths arms pinned, saw him land him on his head in a dangerous position, thought Jetta shouldn't have made the tackle action and yet still paid holding the ball. Joke.

Also states that he or Dalglish works with West Coast once a week! WC are training to how those two guys interpret during the week and then getting those two umpiring almost every home game.....is there any surprise that WC benefit from his and Dalglish decisions on a weekly basis??

He made the point that requesting umpires at training was club driven and that "some clubs" do it and some don't. Given he is based in Perth it would infer that Freo don't do it. If you talk to Fremantle supporters in Perth they would advise that those two umps rarely give freo the same benefit that WC get 

[FireInTheBennelly 4,022]

24 minutes ago, GCDee said:

I think we will need to agree to disagree here... 

No, clearly you need umpires to have a game... I just would think with the amount of money the AFL brings in they could have Full time and better quality umpires as I have previously mentioned... Too many of them are completely incapable of doing their job correctly, as we have discussed these could be a number of factors, lack of training, skill, knowledge or they might not just be up to officiating on the big stage. 

I'll ask you a question how could do you explain the constant discrepancies in decisions made each an every game which we can agree is more than the odd mistake? 

C'mon mate ask any AFL fan to name 12 umpires let alone 12 umpires they don't disagree with is something I can guarantee you 99.9% of the footy watchers cannot do. Umpires are not meant to be known, the reality is they shouldn't really even be noticed, the only time I ever look up an umpires name is when I am suspicious of them being corrupt... Margetts, Parnell, Stevic and Nicholls are my top culprits.. The only reason these names are getting discussed is because of how corrupt and or bad at their job they are.

There is no "good game" for an umpire, they either do their job and not [censored] up or they do [censored] up and get discussed. 

To try and answer your questions regarding the umpires I like, I think Leigh Fisher does a decent job, Razor seems fair however does love the TV time but one thing you can say for him is that he is consistent. I also don't mind Rosebury as an umpire again seems to be quite consistent. 

I am sure there are more quality umpires out there which I have not named which I do not know... Likewise there would be more incapable umpires which I haven't named as well. 

Long and short of it the entire department is a mess, umpires should not be getting involved to assist the players ala the GWS v Carlton game, they are there to officiate and that is all, something they need more coaching and practice in so we have more consistent decisions. 

Exactly right. Any sport I've ever watched has been about the players, not the bleeding umpires (try telling Razor - who I don't mind either by the way). It's obvious when they've done a good job because nobody is talking about them, and that's probably 90% of games. And in those 90% of games, nobody would know the umpires names, or even care. When something is amiss is when people start talking about and naming umpires, and those names you've highlighted appear regularly in this type of discussion.

Personally I couldn't care less who umpires a game, as long as it's fair. I'll even forgive errors, but blatant failures for whatever reason, shouldn't be tolerated. The 3 I saw in that game were: 1) Tim Smith, 2) throw in goal square, and 3) Hurn kick-in. All 3 would've been the focus of attention and all 3 should've been seen.

I don't think we should be putting this in the too hard basket, that's just defeatism at it's best, and if people are happy to live like that then good luck to them. Not me. There's been some good suggestions on here, here's my 2 bob

• AFL Umpiring to become a full time occupation with bigger matches receiving bigger match payments.
• AFL Umpiring to be broken into 'teams' with changes only being made to teams when forced (injury/personal/performance).
• Umpire team performance to be assessed after each game with each individual umpires performance score combining for a team score. Team scores used to rank teams with the higher ranking teams given priority for bigger matches.
• Neutral umpire teams to be used in all games (difficult, especially in Vic, but with some brainpower can be done).
• Transparency in AFL umpiring KPIs and statistics.
• AFL umpire microphones removed from broadcast transmissions. To be recorded though if evidence needed in certain scenarios.
• No on-field coaching from umpires. Clarification is fine, i.e. come back 2 metres to the mark.
• Both coaches to provide a performance rating for each umpire in every game, with feedback used to coach umpires. These ratings can be combined over the year to provide an umpires award. MEU Most Effective Umpire, or something like that. Could also be used as a component of the umpires performance score as above.
• Feedback from umpires on the most difficult rules to adjudicate as well as new attempts by (Hawthorn) players to circumvent rules. Discussion over ways to combat these issues.

That's a start. I doubt any of it will happen because quite clearly what supporters want doesn't align with what the AFL wants.

 

[FireInTheBennelly 4,022]

28 minutes ago, Macca said:

The bias against umpires is firmly entrenched in many ... from a young age we are taught to hate the umpires and see them as the enemy.  So trying to change the habit of a lifetime is near impossible for most.  We know no other way to address the issue ... unless there is another way.

But my comments aren't aimed at the majority ... more so a percentage of the majority who are up to doing an about-face.  And you are not one of those persons.  But our discussion allows me to air my views and target that percentage of people.  It is not really you that I am trying to convince.  You've made up your mind.

Again,  I see what everyone else sees.  I see all the mistakes but I apportion blame at the custodians who run the sport and the game itself.

The umpires are just the most obvious easy targets.  And I reckon a lot of people have never thought about it nor have they ever been challenged about it. 

Have you ever met anyone that never blames umpires? I have met plenty.  But on this site,  why would anyone speak up?  'Bossdog' used to but he's no longer here (I wonder why?) 

As for the 3 umpires that you named and apparently 'like' (Fisher,  Chamberlain,  Rosebury)  most here would probably disagree.  But I wonder if they will come at you about your views?  Probably not.

But if they do come at you,  you're going to have to argue on their behalf.  That would be funny.

You keep spewing this line. It simply isn't true.

Nobody is taught to hate umpires, officials, anyone. It's learned through the feeling of being 'wronged', and I think the word hate is way over the top. Supporters may hate decisions, but not the individuals making them. I think you'll find people move on, whilst noting the perceived wrong-doer for future reference. Their's no hate for them.

As I said, the majority of people don't notice the umpires in over 90% of games. It's where they clearly fail in their role that these issues arise. You wouldn't be able to count how many mistakes umpires made in that game, but the 3 in question were absolute ball-tearers, and without those 3, nobody would be complaining about the umpiring at all.

I understand you think it's all too hard, and you're defeated, that's fine. Others don't and would rather look at what options there are for improvement. Are you up for that discussion?

 

[sue 8,402]

I am totally staggered by what Wrecka45 posted. Umpires go to club's training!!! WTF? 

You could knock me down with the proverbial feather.  Unless they were to rotate around the country and around the clubs uniformly this seems totally unacceptable to me.  Fairness must be done AND be seen to be done.  Seems neither is fine by the AFL.

[Macca 16,173]

1 minute ago, FireInTheBelly said:

 

I have probably put up more possible answers than anyone else ... try reading all my post properly.  Read post #136.

90% of games the umpires aren't noticed?  You have got to be joking.  If anything,  it is the other way around

And yeah,  people hate umpires all right.  On this site alone the hate spews forth and they get called cheats constantly.

You do it yourself ... go back and have a read on what you've said over time.  Even on this thread IIRC.

You just don't like what I have got to say ... it might be best if you put me on ignore.  Trust me,  I am not going to mind.

[FireInTheBennelly 4,022]

1 minute ago, Macca said:

I have probably put up more possible answers than anyone else ... try reading all my post properly.  Read post #136.

90% of games the umpires aren't noticed?  You have got to be joking.  If anything,  it is the other way around

And yeah,  people hate umpires all right.  On this site alone the hate spews forth and they get called cheats constantly.

You do it yourself ... go back and have a read on what you've said over time.  Even on this thread IIRC.

You just don't like what I have got to say ... it might be best if you put me on ignore.  Trust me,  I am not going to mind.

Have to agree to disagree I'm afraid my friend. I'm not going back to read all your posts again, you've bombarded this thread good 'n' proper. I recall you put forward some possibilities for improvement, which is all I was asking. Hopefully we can have a few more people post suggestions.

Since you've done your homework on me, go and look at how many games I've commented on regarding umpiring, and compare that to the total number of games over that period. Let me know if you get anywhere near 10% (umm, you won't).

I call my mates cheats at Yahtzee all the time, doesn't mean I hate them. They're not precious enough to be offended either.

[FireInTheBennelly 4,022]

15 minutes ago, sue said:

I am totally staggered by what Wrecka45 posted. Umpires go to club's training!!! WTF? 

You could knock me down with the proverbial feather.  Unless they were to rotate around the country and around the clubs uniformly this seems totally unacceptable to me.  Fairness must be done AND be seen to be done.  Seems neither is fine by the AFL.

Quite right. It is so clearly a conflict of interest to have that happening, and then the umpire in question umpire that team's games.

I'm amazed an organisation such as the AFL allows that to happen.

[GCDee 3,004]

18 minutes ago, sue said:

I am totally staggered by what Wrecka45 posted. Umpires go to club's training!!! WTF? 

You could knock me down with the proverbial feather.  Unless they were to rotate around the country and around the clubs uniformly this seems totally unacceptable to me.  Fairness must be done AND be seen to be done.  Seems neither is fine by the AFL.

I guess accepting the Brown paper bag on match day might be a bit too public? 

[sue 8,402]

16 minutes ago, FireInTheBelly said:

Quite right. It is so clearly a conflict of interest to have that happening, and then the umpire in question umpire that team's games.

I'm amazed an organisation such as the AFL allows that to happen.

What do you think about that Macca?  Was stopping this in your list of ways to improve umpiring?  If not, it should be added.