Jump to content

The captain and the umpires

Go Lordie
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

Posted

Andy, George and Binman, help me out here, please. Is it just me or do others also think our captain’s demeanour with the umpires is a problem? Infringement decisions in ruck contests can be inscrutable at times, but I worry about the way Gawny converses with the umps. He often seems to be sarcastic, smiling as he delivers his own opinion on decisions. These exchanges can be quite protracted if he and the ump are jogging back to the centre, more concerning if it is the opposition that has scored the last goal. He argues without actually looking at the umpire (I admit this has to be the case when he is standing the mark and has to be on the alert in case the opposition plays on), but on other occasions it seems rude, even demeaning, to the umpire (as in: you’re not worth looking at as I give you the benefit of my opinion). I understand that, strictly speaking, it is only the captain who is allowed to engage the umpires (although that convention seems to be breaking down as umps do more to explain interpretations). This makes the captain’s relationship with the umps crucial on a psychological level. I wonder whether Gawny is costing us football capital (goodwill in other words) with the umpires, an expenditure which might come back to bite us in a close encounter in September.  Please tell me I am fretting over nothing. Go Dees.

  • Quote
    • Shocked 1
     
    • Author

    No, I was sent by the Collingwood cheer squad to sow doubt and disharmony ahead of Monday’s big game.  :)  Yes, actually, I did mean it. I’m concerned. Do you have a view on Max’s relationship with the umps?

  • Quote
    •  

    I’m sure the umps prefer Gawns sarcastic retorts to Selwoods constant whining.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Haha 2

    Maybe he’s complaining about all the off the ball and low level hits he cops that the umpires ignore

     

  • Quote
    • Like 3

    He may get a few less Brownlow votes. But that will just bump Clarry and Tracs chances

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    If the captain wasn't letting the umps know I'd be disappointed.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
     

    umpires have been horrendous this year and have way too much influence on a game. I don't care how they're treated tbh. 

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1
    • Haha 1

    • Author

    You’re right, Max Bob. I think I am related to Professor Lupin.

  • Quote
    • Shocked 1
    1 hour ago, GOLORDIE said:

    Andy, George and Binman, help me out here, please. Is it just me or do others also think our captain’s demeanour with the umpires is a problem? Infringement decisions in ruck contests can be inscrutable at times, but I worry about the way Gawny converses with the umps. He often seems to be sarcastic, smiling as he delivers his own opinion on decisions. These exchanges can be quite protracted if he and the ump are jogging back to the centre, more concerning if it is the opposition that has scored the last goal. He argues without actually looking at the umpire (I admit this has to be the case when he is standing the mark and has to be on the alert in case the opposition plays on), but on other occasions it seems rude, even demeaning, to the umpire (as in: you’re not worth looking at as I give you the benefit of my opinion). I understand that, strictly speaking, it is only the captain who is allowed to engage the umpires (although that convention seems to be breaking down as umps do more to explain interpretations). This makes the captain’s relationship with the umps crucial on a psychological level. I wonder whether Gawny is costing us football capital (goodwill in other words) with the umpires, an expenditure which might come back to bite us in a close encounter in September.  Please tell me I am fretting over nothing. Go Dees.

    That's captaincy big boy

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Haha 2
    44 minutes ago, Marty said:

    I’m sure the umps prefer Gawns sarcastic retorts to Selwoods constant whining.

    Maybe, though Selwood’s approach seems to reap more rewards. 

  • Quote
    • Shocked 1
    2 hours ago, GOLORDIE said:

    Andy, George and Binman, help me out here, please. Is it just me or do others also think our captain’s demeanour with the umpires is a problem? Infringement decisions in ruck contests can be inscrutable at times, but I worry about the way Gawny converses with the umps. He often seems to be sarcastic, smiling as he delivers his own opinion on decisions. These exchanges can be quite protracted if he and the ump are jogging back to the centre, more concerning if it is the opposition that has scored the last goal. He argues without actually looking at the umpire (I admit this has to be the case when he is standing the mark and has to be on the alert in case the opposition plays on), but on other occasions it seems rude, even demeaning, to the umpire (as in: you’re not worth looking at as I give you the benefit of my opinion). I understand that, strictly speaking, it is only the captain who is allowed to engage the umpires (although that convention seems to be breaking down as umps do more to explain interpretations). This makes the captain’s relationship with the umps crucial on a psychological level. I wonder whether Gawny is costing us football capital (goodwill in other words) with the umpires, an expenditure which might come back to bite us in a close encounter in September.  Please tell me I am fretting over nothing. Go Dees.

    Are you saying the umpires feelings get hurt and they then don’t uphold the rules of the game? 
    I thought they were profess.......

     

    Razor copped abuse by a swan (think it was Papley) then paid frees to Hawthorn like they were going out of fashion. I think Razor should get an apology from the Swans player and then be dropped from his umpiring duties. He can’t be allowed to influence games due to his emotions thereby setting an example to the umpiring fraternity that they are impartial and need to view each incident on it’s own.  Similarly the rules need to be scrapped and rewritten to avoid this interpretation BS that confuses and frustrates everyone. 
     

    But yes I agree with you, Gawn gets violated against week in week out and the only reason I can’t think of is that he has [censored] off too many umpires.  Just lucky he is the best ruck by a country mile. 

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    • Love 1
    • Angry 1
    2 hours ago, GOLORDIE said:

    Andy, George and Binman, help me out here, please. Is it just me or do others also think our captain’s demeanour with the umpires is a problem? Infringement decisions in ruck contests can be inscrutable at times, but I worry about the way Gawny converses with the umps. He often seems to be sarcastic, smiling as he delivers his own opinion on decisions. These exchanges can be quite protracted if he and the ump are jogging back to the centre, more concerning if it is the opposition that has scored the last goal. He argues without actually looking at the umpire (I admit this has to be the case when he is standing the mark and has to be on the alert in case the opposition plays on), but on other occasions it seems rude, even demeaning, to the umpire (as in: you’re not worth looking at as I give you the benefit of my opinion). I understand that, strictly speaking, it is only the captain who is allowed to engage the umpires (although that convention seems to be breaking down as umps do more to explain interpretations). This makes the captain’s relationship with the umps crucial on a psychological level. I wonder whether Gawny is costing us football capital (goodwill in other words) with the umpires, an expenditure which might come back to bite us in a close encounter in September.  Please tell me I am fretting over nothing. Go Dees.

    You're fretting over nothing. Oh and if you get to the ground early and see the Umpires warming up you will often see Max wander over and chat to them.

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    razor is a reasonably good decision-maker more often than not

    nicholls is horrible, and hates melbourne ever since gawn belted away an errant bounce once

    they are incredibly precious but it's an unforgiving role - they are made to adjudicate on grey areas that can be interpreted differently by three blokes on the field at any time; they should make them full-time professionals and reduce it to two on field at all times

     

  • Quote
    • Like 7
    12 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

    The umpires department should take a leaf out of the rubgy union ref manual and allow none of that sh*t. From any player.

    Captain can still talk to the ref. But agree, it's time to stop the player backchat and abuse of the umpires. It's over the top these days. Also a pet hate of mine is appealing decisions like every player is fielding at short leg on a hat trick ball.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    • Angry 1
    10 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

    razor is a reasonably good decision-maker more often than not

    nicholls is horrible, and hates melbourne ever since gawn belted away an errant bounce once

    they are incredibly precious but it's an unforgiving role - they are made to adjudicate on grey areas that can be interpreted differently by three blokes on the field at any time; they should make them full-time professionals and reduce it to two on field at all times

     

    This is correct, i feel very sorry for them because it is becoming increasingly obvious that there are more split decisions than ever this season in particular.

     The AFL need to get a Forum at the end of the year to be attended by every Club representatives to sort out the interpretations/rules as a high priority task. Try getting the players to umpire and the umpires to play as a priority and make compulsory attendance to a conflab before the start of 2022.

  • Quote

    Having previously been a soccer referee (at a much lower level), I have on occasions, paid 50/50 decisions against someone who has abused me.  Also from a psychological point of view, to show that their behaviour will not Alter my decisions I felt obliged to continue to pay frees.

    Umpires are human, and no one likes being abused or disrespected.  It’s not in anyone’s interest to challenge decisions in anything but a respectful way.

    Having said this, it’s a professional environment, I’ll back Max in to determine what’s acceptable in that environment.  I’m sure if he thought he was making the situation worse he or goody would reign it back in.

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    I hope the umpires have a huge crackdown on throwing the ball next week (while we have the bye and don't get caught up in the confusion) and reset to players for the rest of the year. Too many left uncalled and randomly one will get called. I include shovelling in this which seems to have been "decriminalised".

    They fix that up and it will also help with HTB.

    Edited by Left Foot Snap
    Added

  • Quote
    16 hours ago, whatwhat say what said:

    razor is a reasonably good decision-maker more often than not

    nicholls is horrible, and hates melbourne ever since gawn belted away an errant bounce once

     

    Isn’t Nicholls retired?

    Haven’t seen him all year.

  • Quote
    •  
    Just now, Mazer Rackham said:

    The best umpires are the ones you don't notice

    so you are saying he must have retired then?

  • Quote

    • Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
    Reply to this topic...
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • NON-MFC: Round 13

      Follow all the action from every Round 13 clash excluding the Dees as the 2025 AFL Premiership Season rolls on. With Melbourne playing in the final match of the round on King's Birthday, all eyes turn to the rest of the competition. Who are you tipping to win? And more importantly, which results best serve the Demons’ finals aspirations? Join the discussion and keep track of the matches that could shape the ladder and impact our run to September.

        • Haha
      • 34 replies
      Demonland

    • PREVIEW: Collingwood

      Having convincingly defeated last year’s premier and decisively outplayed the runner-up with 8.2 in the final quarter, nothing epitomized the Melbourne Football Club’s performance more than its 1.12 final half, particularly the eight consecutive behinds in the last term, against a struggling St Kilda team in the midst of a dismal losing streak. Just when stability and consistency were anticipated within the Demon ranks, they delivered a quintessential performance marked by instability and ill-conceived decisions, with the most striking aspect being their inaccuracy in kicking for goal, which suggested a lack of preparation (instead of sleeping in their hotel in Alice, were they having a night on the turps) rather than a well-rested team. Let’s face it - this kicking disease that makes them look like raw amateurs is becoming a millstone around the team’s neck.

      • 1 reply
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Sydney

      The Casey Demons were always expected to emerge victorious in their matchup against the lowly-ranked Sydney Swans at picturesque Tramway Oval, situated in the shadows of the SCG in Moore Park. They dominated the proceedings in the opening two and a half quarters of the game but had little to show for it. This was primarily due to their own sloppy errors in a low-standard game that produced a number of crowded mauls reminiscent of the rugby game popular in old Sydney Town. However, when the Swans tired, as teams often do when they turn games into ugly defensive contests, Casey lifted the standard of its own play and 
 it was off to the races. Not to nearby Randwick but to a different race with an objective of piling on goal after goal on the way to a mammoth victory. At the 25-minute mark of the third quarter, the Demons held a slender 14-point lead over the Swans, who are ahead on the ladder of only the previous week's opposition, the ailing Bullants. Forty minutes later, they had more than fully compensated for the sloppiness of their earlier play with a decisive 94-point victory, that culminated in a rousing finish which yielded thirteen unanswered goals. Kicks hit their targets, the ball found itself going through the middle and every player made a contribution.

      • 1 reply
      Demonland

    • REPORT: St. Kilda

      Hands up if you thought, like me, at half-time in yesterday’s game at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs that Melbourne’s disposal around the ground and, in particular, its kicking inaccuracy in front of the goals couldn’t get any worse. Well, it did. And what’s even more damning for the Melbourne Football Club is that the game against St Kilda and its resurgence from the bottomless pit of its miserable start to the season wasn’t just lost through poor conversion for goal but rather in the 15 minutes when the entire team went into a slumber and was mugged by the out-of-form Saints. Their six goals two behinds (one goal less than the Demons managed for the whole game) weaved a path of destruction from which they were unable to recover. Ross Lyon’s astute use of pressure to contain the situation once they had asserted their grip on the game, and Melbourne’s self-destructive wastefulness, assured that outcome. The old adage about the insanity of repeatedly doing something and expecting a different result, was out there. Two years ago, the score line in Melbourne’s loss to the Giants at this same ground was 5 goals 15 behinds - a ratio of one goal per four scoring shots - was perfectly replicated with yesterday’s 7 goals 21 behinds. 
      This has been going on for a while and opens up a number of questions. I’ll put forward a few that come to mind from this performance. The obvious first question is whether the club can find a suitable coach to instruct players on proper kicking techniques or is this a skill that can no longer be developed at this stage of the development of our playing group? Another concern is the team's ability to counter an opponent's dominance during a run on as exemplified by the Saints in the first quarter. Did the Demons underestimate their opponents, considering St Kilda's goals during this period were scored by relatively unknown forwards? Furthermore, given the modest attendance of 6,721 at TIO Traeger Park and the team's poor past performances at this venue, is it prudent to prioritize financial gain over potentially sacrificing valuable premiership points by relinquishing home ground advantage, notwithstanding the cultural significance of the team's connection to the Red Centre? 

      • 4 replies
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Collingwood

      After a disappointing loss in Alice Springs the Demons return to the MCG to take on the Magpies in the annual King's Birthday Big Freeze for MND game. Who comes in and who goes out?

        • Like
      • 246 replies
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: St. Kilda

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 2nd June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we have a chat with former Demon ruckman Jeff White about his YouTube channel First Use where he dissects ruck setups and contests. We'll then discuss the Dees disappointing loss to the Saints in Alice Springs.
      Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
      Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

        • Clap
        • Love
        • Like
      • 47 replies
      Demonland
    View All