I admit I was a biased observer( going for Sydney for Dees’ sake), BUT ......... 28 frees to 15 in Scraggers’ favour, despite less possessions. 
Very similar to their GF win, when their run with the frees was unbelievable against the Swans.

They’ve been doing it to us for DECADES!

We need to find out what it is that the umpires like about them, and copy it.

If we meet them in the GF it’ll happen again.   Nothing more certain.

Its not just the frees. The umps let them move both ways with steps to either side before calling play on. Then quickly yell “ play on “ when the opposition even look to one side. Similar bias with adjudicating the length of very short passes.

Has anyone else noticed this?

6 minutes ago, Jumping Jack Clennett said:

I admit I was a biased observer( going for Sydney for Dees’ sake), BUT ......... 28 frees to 15 in Scraggers’ favour, despite less possessions. 
Very similar to their GF win, when their run with the frees was unbelievable against the Swans.

They’ve been doing it to us for DECADES!

We need to find out what it is that the umpires like about them, and copy it.

If we meet them in the GF it’ll happen again.   Nothing more certain.

Its not just the frees. The umps let them move both ways with steps to either side before calling play on. Then quickly yell “ play on “ when the opposition even look to one side. Similar bias with adjudicating the length of very short passes.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Prior to this round they were leading the Free Kick Differential by nearly 30.

Also they are the only team that consistently gets away with blatant throwing of the ball.

Definitely something in it.

Would really rather not having to play them in finals

21 minutes ago, Jumping Jack Clennett said:

 Similar bias with adjudicating the length of very short passes.

Has anyone else noticed this?

If any-one gets away with extremely short passes it's us I reckon.
If I was an opposition supporter I wouldn't be happy with some of the passes we've gotten away with.
But seeing I'm not I just sit quietly and yell at opposition short passes.
I also feel they are more likely to be allowed if they're kicked backwards or the result of a turnover.

Edited July 11, 20213 yr by Fork 'em

1 minute ago, Fork 'em said:

If any-one gets away with extremely short passes it's us I reckon.
If I was an opposition supporter I wouldn't be happy with some of the passes we've gotten away with.
But seeing I'm not I just sit quietly.

I don’t agree that we’re any worse than other sides on short kicks. But Fork’em,( love the sobriquet),have you noticed how well Footscray go with all the other adjudication?

Did anyone notice when a free was paid to the Dogs and the ball went out of bounds? A Dogs player picked it up over the line and played on. The umpires let them take the advantage. What?!

19 minutes ago, Jumping Jack Clennett said:

I don’t agree that we’re any worse than other sides on short kicks. But Fork’em,( love the sobriquet),have you noticed how well Footscray go with all the other adjudication?

Nah.
I only watch our games these days so only see the opposition then.
Might see a qr or 2 of some.
Might watch some highlights of others.
Don't really like the way the game is played or umpired anymore to be honest.
Alot of dodgy stuff gets ignored, sick of advantages the big dollar clubs get, the biased draw etc, etc.

Edited July 11, 20213 yr by Fork 'em

Definitely surprised that Geelong ain't higher up the free kick ladder.

I swear this has been the case since I was a kid. Still have nightmares of a match in 94 at the MCG when Iligia Grgic would get a free kick at pretty much every ruck contest. 

Dogs should be renamed Throwdogs, get away with more than any other team. I don’t know why!

53 minutes ago, Fork 'em said:

If any-one gets away with extremely short passes it's us I reckon.
If I was an opposition supporter I wouldn't be happy with some of the passes we've gotten away with.
But seeing I'm not I just sit quietly and yell at opposition short passes.
I also feel they are more likely to be allowed if they're kicked backwards or the result of a turnover.

Stop being so fair ?

Today's game was a disgrace. Sydney did extremely well to win with the umpires against them all game. It's a continual trend with Bulldogs games - they always get the rub of the green! Some would say it got them a recent flag.

Edited July 11, 20213 yr by Northern Summer

1 hour ago, Fork 'em said:

If any-one gets away with extremely short passes it's us I reckon.
If I was an opposition supporter I wouldn't be happy with some of the passes we've gotten away with.
But seeing I'm not I just sit quietly and yell at opposition short passes.
I also feel they are more likely to be allowed if they're kicked backwards or the result of a turnover.

The adjudication of the length of passes and whether it has gone the required distance or not is so inconsistent from kick to kick.

Often a ball has clearly traveled the required distance only to be called play on and then seconds later it clearly travels less than 15 and is called a mark. 

The only consistent thing about it is that interpretation is just as horrendous from match to match. 

The umpires favour them, it is as simple as that. Been happening for years.

I really hate the way they play. Not only do they throw it most times, the way they constantly milk free kicks, some will say it's clever, I don't like it.

1 minute ago, A F said:

I really hate the way they play. Not only do they throw it most times, the way they constantly milk free kicks, some will say it's clever, I don't like it.

Interestingly BT was talking about Weightman before the game, sayng how good he was and how they had got him because we went for Kossi, then halfway through the game he said how Weightman continually tries to look for frees and should just concentrate on playing the game.

I watched most of the game today and I couldn't believe the frees the Dogs got, especially when it looked as if they had offended and it should have been against them. That's double edged, they get one when they should have lost one,

Have you noticed how players from all teams whinge and moan to the umpires? Especially Richmond. Some RFC players have even been known to spray personal abuse at the umps at breaks or after the game. The umps must enjoy that treatment. Is it any coincidence that RFC has a massive free kick differential against them?

All teams ... except one. I can't remember Dogs players carrying on at the umps. Is it a strategy? Play nice and the umps will reward you, maybe unconsciously.

In major league baseball in times gone by, when a new player came up to bat for the first time, the umps would test him out by calling near misses as strikes. Just to see if he would complain or if he just silently wore it. If the player wore it, the umps considered him a good sport and from then on, the guy would get the benefit of close calls.

Not saying that's what's going on here ... naked favouritism ... but the Dogs may well have a strategy to exploit human nature, especially in an era where umpire abuse/appealing/whingeing/moaning is rampant. The umps might not even realise they're doing it!

I'm not buying the conspiracies. 

I reckon it's a number of factors:

1. Nice guys:
Some of their best players - Macrae, Bont etc are nice guys and fair players. Compared with some of ours - Gawn used to give the umps a serve, Oliver was awful - you get the umpires onside or off by your behaviour, that's human nature.

2. The Duckers and divers:
Lachie Hunter is the number 1 transgressor. Weightman's not a bad prototype. McLean an all time classic. We have Spargo but that's about it.

3. Aggressive zone defending. The Dogs backline often play in front and pretty much play as the forwards. That means they get the free kicks for pushes in the back or chop of the arms and also means they don't give away the same free kicks by playing from behind. Someone like Lever will always have a better for/against than Steven May, just from the way they play and the Dogs whole side is more like Lever.

I think the main one for us to take from them is to be more professional and respectful to the umps. Gawn has matured in that way and probably gets looked after a bit better now - although not nearly as well as he should. Oliver and even Petracca can probably improve a lot there.

6 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

2. The Dockers and divers:
Michael Walters is the league's number 1 transgressor. His whole game revolves around trying to milk a free. It's reached a point where it interferes with his game mindset.

 

Edited for accuracy.

The rest I agree with

7 minutes ago, Roger Mellie said:

Edited for accuracy.

The rest I agree with

Across the league, yes you're probably right. He's in truly awful form too and you have to think it plays a role. 

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

The adjudication of the length of passes and whether it has gone the required distance or not is so inconsistent from kick to kick.

Often a ball has clearly traveled the required distance only to be called play on and then seconds later it clearly travels less than 15 and is called a mark. 

The only consistent thing about it is that interpretation is just as horrendous from match to match. 

I'd like the umpires to call frees that have always been in the game and be consistent with those.
You shouldn't be able to throw it.
Kicks need to travel more than 15m.
Push in the back needs to be paid.
Holding the man while h'es leading the race for the ball should be called.
A tackled player shouldn't be able to be spun 405deg before being called for holding the ball.
Blokes diving into tackles for head high contact should get told to play on.
A player shouldn't be able to waltz around the man on the mark who is being to "STAND" etc, etc.
The list goes on.
The umpiring as a whole is deplorable these days.
 

9 hours ago, Jumping Jack Clennett said:

I admit I was a biased observer( going for Sydney for Dees’ sake), BUT ......... 28 frees to 15 in Scraggers’ favour, despite less possessions. 
Very similar to their GF win, when their run with the frees was unbelievable against the Swans.

They’ve been doing it to us for DECADES!

We need to find out what it is that the umpires like about them, and copy it.

If we meet them in the GF it’ll happen again.   Nothing more certain.

Its not just the frees. The umps let them move both ways with steps to either side before calling play on. Then quickly yell “ play on “ when the opposition even look to one side. Similar bias with adjudicating the length of very short passes.

Has anyone else noticed this?

Regularly noticed over a few seasons. They also have exclusive rights to 'hold' players rather than defend allowably, and 'arm chop' at marking contests. Without the sum total of these umpiring anomolies, they would most probably still be a mid-ladder basket-case again.

9 hours ago, Win4theAges said:

Definitely surprised that Geelong ain't higher up the free kick ladder.

Cats have a few home games in the last six to push that number up.

9 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Have you noticed how players from all teams whinge and moan to the umpires?

I'd really love to see an end to the tedious habit of players standing with their arms outstretched and staring at the umpire as if they were a slips cordon appealing for an LBW.

 

2 minutes ago, demonstone said:

I'd really love to see an end to the tedious habit of players standing with their arms outstretched and staring at the umpire as if they were a slips cordon appealing for an LBW.

 

Football has become a music video for "What about me" by Shannon Noel.