i think the fourth umpire has actually made things worse

it actually increased the chances of poor decisions because umpires situated down field are overruling umps closer to the play

but the interpretations is where the real bias shows through

insufficient intent, HTB and pushes in the back, sometimes given sometimes not. and always seemed to favour the pies today

So many bad and looked like such a bias to Collingwood decisions. It's pretty shocking being on the receiving end of some of that [censored].

4 minutes ago, BDA said:

i think the fourth umpire has actually made things worse

it actually increased the chances of poor decisions because umpires situated down field are overruling umps closer to the play

but the interpretations is where the real bias shows through

insufficient intent, HTB and pushes in the back, sometimes given sometimes not. and always seemed to favour the pies today

In the second quarter, Chin (I think it was him, it was the other side of the ground to me) was spun in a tackle and his release handball ended up goijg out of bounds.
Decision: Insufficient Intent and free to Collingwood

About 10 minutes later, N Daicos was spun in a tackle and handballed it directly out of bounds.
Decision: Throw in.

IMHO they should both be throw-ins, but the inconsistency was glaring.

Demons' supporters can be accused of bias and red/blue tinted specs, but have a look at the reaction of neutral viewers on social media. They're as furious as we are at the umpiring.

Of course, maybe there are no neutrals when the pies are playing ...

3 minutes ago, Big Col said:

In the second quarter, Chin (I think it was him, it was the other side of the ground to me) was spun in a tackle and his release handball ended up goijg out of bounds.
Decision: Insufficient Intent and free to Collingwood

About 10 minutes later, N Daicos was spun in a tackle and handballed it directly out of bounds.
Decision: Throw in.

IMHO they should both be throw-ins, but the inconsistency was glaring.

Yes I saw that and went ape****! It’s hard to reconcile this rubbish with so called semi professional umpires.

And then we had the phenomenon of the distant whistle. Several times it came from one extreme end of the ground, calling a holding free amongst a pack of players grappling for the ball around the centre of the ground. You know what would the 2 closest umpires know?

There were a number of puzzling decisions but it could have been worse.

One thing that I can't understand is how we did not get a single free kick in the third quarter until more than 18 minutes into the term. there were at least three in that time that could easily have gone our way - more if the umpires picked up ruck infringements against Max.

Its just blatant...we get a free called against us for something seemingly not worthy of it...then pies do exact same thing and somehow its not a free kick or worse yet they figure out a way to pay another free kick for pies.

Incredible and hard to fathom why umps don't get raked over the coals for that kind of inconsistency.

@binman agree with your comments about the umpiring and the blatant apathy of the AFL to invest in better standard by making them full time professionals and accountable.

Let it rip in the pod this week. Just give it two smoking barrels.

We are always going to get poor decisions in any sport but I think the most frustrating thing about the AFL is the lack of discussion from the media. Their silence is deafening and it seems to be a taboo topic for fox and channel 7. Our decision making and execution going into the forward 50 is the main reason we lost today but a 20- 29 free kick count certainly didn’t help , especially the Melksham one.

Put the whistle away, to many free kicks.

4 umpires and they’re all trying to insert themselves on the game. It’s not working.

17 minutes ago, Tigger said:

the most frustrating thing about the AFL is the lack of discussion from the media

don't be expecting anything from the media

they are there to spruik the product and make money, not to hold the AFL to account

its the same across the entire media landscape

The run of frees to Collingwood many on marginal decisions at key moments was like them having a 19th player on field.For the Demons the umpiring was like having a monkey on your back.

Both 50 metre penalties were massively disproportionate to the ‘sins’ purportedly committed. Kossie was absolutely mauled by Daicos and punished for not being ‘sporting enough’ to pick up the ball.

Collingwood are very adept at slowing down the play, pushing out opponents at the back of packs or sometimes into potentially dangerous contested situations. Add their propensity for ducking into tackles and head throwing antics. The sham appears to be well choreographed, an endemic part of their playbook. As Gordon Gecko opined on field success by any means is ‘good’ in an amoral AFL landscape.

A supposedly professional ‘sporting’ competition with amateur part time adjudicators. That all said today’s result can not be just attributed to umpiring ‘standards’.

In the heat of the battle we were own worst enemies. Follies in decision making and skills made the difference in the clinches.

Edited Monday at 11:053 days by Tarax Club

The thing I noticed today more is the delay in between decisions.

I found today play would continue but then about 10-15 seconds later an ump would then make a decision or you notice an ump looks at another ump as if they're to scared to make a decision

2 hours ago, Notorious Dee said:

Mother frs on the take, especially that umpire 17.

I think he was involved in most of the controversial ones and coincidentally of course, all went in the Pies favour.

I read that 7 of there 11 goals were from frees or 50s, can anyone confirm?

21 minutes ago, Tarax Club said:

Kossie was absolutely mauled by Daicos and punished for not being ‘sporting enough’ to pick up the ball.

That was the easiest 50m penalty to pay, incredibly dumb by Kossie.

7 minutes ago, deegirl said:

Making them professional and paying them a decent wage would help with retention. How many good umpires have given it away because it’s too much to work full time and work a second part time job as an umpire.

This is one of the arguments against full time umpires, in that many of them have well paid careers already that they’d then have to give up if they wanted to continue to umpire. The pay would need to be competitive - also because it’s a fairly dead end job with a finite shelf-life, in a similar way to playing is.

As mentioned by another poster above, one of my pet hates is players driving their heads into the torso of an opponent, and getting a free kick. I recall at least two today both of course to Collingwood.

Some day, sooner or later, the “ducker” WILL suffer a broken neck and the buttee will be made to feel guilty and probably face a long suspension

If there was one rule I could change it would be to penalise the player who drives his head into an opponents torso, putting himself at risk of life changing injury

Of course the AFL will do nothing until the tragedy occurs, then wring its hands in mock sorrow They could fix it this week even without changing the rules, just the “interpretation” Players would very soon stop doing it if penalised every time

The free kick to Cameron for head high when in fact he took rivers legs from under him. That was a beauty

3 hours ago, The Cult of Disco Turner said:

It is driving me away from the sport.

1000% this.

I watch maybe one game a week outside of our game now. Between the shocking umpiring and the shocking standard of some games, I find footy hard to watch.

Worst umpiring I have EVER SEEN.

FU UMPIRES. YOU F’d up

10 minutes ago, monoccular said:

As mentioned by another poster above, one of my pet hates is players driving their heads into the torso of an opponent, and getting a free kick. I recall at least two today both of course to Collingwood.

Some day, sooner or later, the “ducker” WILL suffer a broken neck and the buttee will be made to feel guilty and probably face a long suspension

If there was one rule I could change it would be to penalise the player who drives his head into an opponents torso, putting himself at risk of life changing injury

Of course the AFL will do nothing until the tragedy occurs, then wring its hands in mock sorrow They could fix it this week even without changing the rules, just the “interpretation” Players would very soon stop doing it if penalised every time

100% with you on this 'mono', I've written about it on this forum many times in the past.

It's so dangerous that I would go one step further and make it a reportable offence.

I don't fear as much for the [censored] that does it but the poor player who would have to carry the thought that he was part of causing another human to be paralysed.

17 minutes ago, Nasher said:

This is one of the arguments against full time umpires, in that many of them have well paid careers already that they’d then have to give up if they wanted to continue to umpire. The pay would need to be competitive - also because it’s a fairly dead end job with a finite shelf-life, in a similar way to playing is.

But so is footy.

If you paid umpires well and made them full time Professionals you would get more kids getting involved in umpiring at the lower levels, and hence more opportunities to get good umpires at the top level.

Right now being an umpire is not a viable career path. It’s a part time hobby. Make it a career that people can easily get 15+ years out of and make good money, and you’ll see how the standard rises. If we can grow umpires at lower levels, exactly in the same way we do players, the standard will lift. We train them from under 13s or whatever, and they work on their craft 5 days a week once they get to the big leagues.

Umpires can’t even bounce the [censored] ball these days!

Most people don’t stay in one career forever. Umpiring is something you can do for many many years at the top level if you keep fit, which if you’re a full time professional you can absolutely achieve.

Disgusted.

My first and last post. Like a lot who view this forum, I am a long-time lurker and not a commentator on the daily and weekly proceedings and perceptions of our football club.

I don’t know how I came to follow Melbourne because I came from a football family, that is soccer. Probably because Melbourne was a successful team in the 60’s and I was at a young age, I was impressed. Suffice to say the generations after me, due to me, have grown even more fierce in their support and attachment even though I find this hard to believe even now. They are paid members and support the club in other financial ways. They went to the match today, I didn’t partly because you see the close up play better on the screen at home, although you forfeit the atmosphere, player positioning and momentum. Secondly, I can’t stand the Collingwood supporters, who always outnumber the opposition supporters and scream out for decisions they know at best are 50/50 and often are not even there, what’s the term? - “Unsporting like.”

The other aspect that repulses me is the silence of the media, a huge and growing industry where the individuals are too timid regarding the consequences of speaking up in regards to contentious issues of umpiring and other issues because of worry for their employment, from their employer. Then that employer is at times in bed with the A.F.L. itself.

As a result, for the first time in over sixty-five years I will not listen, go, or see live or via replay a Melbourne match that features Collingwood. I switched it off at half time because I was close to breaking the screen and decided to write this instead. If we win then I can watch a replay. This is my new default position, regarding this particular fixture.

What annoys me the most however is that the situation can be improved greatly. We all know how difficult rule interpretations are, especially in our code with its shifting emphasis and complexity and inadequate use of technology.  We only have to look at concussion rulings of recent years.

 It is time the A.F.L. made umpiring into a profession, where at least for a short course umpires are taught to disregard crowd reactions. It is a disgrace, and supporters are right to believe there is conspiracy regarding the powerful and rich and neo baby clubs, in the A.F.L. If there is no conspiracy then we are left with the unsavory hints of corruption and there is already too much in professional sport already. Money breeds it like flies on a cow [censored].

Don’t forget, I saw the game when it was a refined version of the thuggish suburban leagues that surrounded it and where you were lucky to come away without the stench of alcohol spilt on your clothes, (before alcohol free areas).

If the A.F.L. professes good causes like the Daniher one, and it professes the family and inclusive charter, there is no room for amateur hour from the media and headquarters, regarding umpiring.

I will send this to Brad Green and Andrew Dillon, it is all I can do.

If anybody knows their emails, please let me know.

Thanks for reading

p.s I just found out we lost by a point.

15 minutes ago, HeavendHell on Earth said:

Disgusted.

My first and last post. Like a lot who view this forum, I am a long-time lurker and not a commentator on the daily and weekly proceedings and perceptions of our football club.

I don’t know how I came to follow Melbourne because I came from a football family, that is soccer. Probably because Melbourne was a successful team in the 60’s and I was at a young age, I was impressed. Suffice to say the generations after me, due to me, have grown even more fierce in their support and attachment even though I find this hard to believe even now. They are paid members and support the club in other financial ways. They went to the match today, I didn’t partly because you see the close up play better on the screen at home, although you forfeit the atmosphere, player positioning and momentum. Secondly, I can’t stand the Collingwood supporters, who always outnumber the opposition supporters and scream out for decisions they know at best are 50/50 and often are not even there, what’s the term? - “Unsporting like.”

The other aspect that repulses me is the silence of the media, a huge and growing industry where the individuals are too timid regarding the consequences of speaking up in regards to contentious issues of umpiring and other issues because of worry for their employment, from their employer. Then that employer is at times in bed with the A.F.L. itself.

As a result, for the first time in over sixty-five years I will not listen, go, or see live or via replay a Melbourne match that features Collingwood. I switched it off at half time because I was close to breaking the screen and decided to write this instead. If we win then I can watch a replay. This is my new default position, regarding this particular fixture.

What annoys me the most however is that the situation can be improved greatly. We all know how difficult rule interpretations are, especially in our code with its shifting emphasis and complexity and inadequate use of technology.  We only have to look at concussion rulings of recent years.

 It is time the A.F.L. made umpiring into a profession, where at least for a short course umpires are taught to disregard crowd reactions. It is a disgrace, and supporters are right to believe there is conspiracy regarding the powerful and rich and neo baby clubs, in the A.F.L. If there is no conspiracy then we are left with the unsavory hints of corruption and there is already too much in professional sport already. Money breeds it like flies on a cow [censored].

Don’t forget, I saw the game when it was a refined version of the thuggish suburban leagues that surrounded it and where you were lucky to come away without the stench of alcohol spilt on your clothes, (before alcohol free areas).

If the A.F.L. professes good causes like the Daniher one, and it professes the family and inclusive charter, there is no room for amateur hour from the media and headquarters, regarding umpiring.

I will send this to Brad Green and Andrew Dillon, it is all I can do.

If anybody knows their emails, please let me know.

Thanks for reading

p.s I just found out we lost by a point.

Agree, they need to be full-time and solely focused on umpiring as a job. It’s a billion dollar industry. It’s also a very difficult game to umpire, so give them the best opportunity to succeed.