Retrospective rules/penalties are obnoxious in all walks of life. Sure, make a rule 'from now on' if you want, but imagine if the government made a rule that if you have 3 parking infringements in the last 10 years and get another one, your car will be compacted.

Why can't we ever hear something like this from the MFC:

Under a rule change announced this week by the AFL, any player who makes careless contact with an umpire four or more times in a two-year period faces being sent to the tribunal and a possible ban.

Hardwick savaged the “frustrating” late-season change.

“If it leads to a suspension, look out from our point of view,” Hardwick told reporters on Thursday.

“I know we’re the Gold Coast Suns. And don’t get me wrong, Matt Rowell is a superstar. But if this was spoken about with Nick Daicos, Collingwood would tear the place down.

The AFL administration is a pathetic joke

Found it interesting the increase of charges; is it because the game is getting quicker and less contested? We've had the extra umpire for a while but it's still going up.

There have been 63 charges laid for careless umpire contact so far in 2025 following 56 charges in total in 2024 and 20 in 2023.

31 minutes ago, roy11 said:

Found it interesting the increase of charges; is it because the game is getting quicker and less contested? We've had the extra umpire for a while but it's still going up.

Didn’t four umpires only come in last season? Explains the big jump following 2023.

Edited July 3Jul 3 by Ethan Tremblay

Gold Coast are 100% spot on in their response.

Just now, Ethan Tremblay said:

Gold Coast are 100% spot on in their response.

I love Hardwick comparing to Collingwood

Would have loved him to be at the club when Gus happened.

2 hours ago, sue said:

Retrospective rules/penalties are obnoxious in all walks of life. Sure, make a rule 'from now on' if you want, but imagine if the government made a rule that if you have 3 parking infringements in the last 10 years and get another one, your car will be compacted.

Why can't we ever hear something like this from the MFC:

Because we are as weak as pss

If #32 didn't have such hilarious pigeon toed flipper feet, maybe he wouldn't be getting in everyones road so often when penguin-ing his way out of a centre bounce?

The umpires clearly state that they are going to move straight back after a ball up / throw up.

Yet the players continue to stand behind the umpires and try to use them to block their opponent.

I have absolutely no issue with fines and / or suspensions if it makes the game safer for the umpires.

It is tiresome to hear the Scott babies and Hardwick whining about every little thing that happens in the game.

15 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

Didn’t four umpires only come in last season? Explains the big jump following 2023.

Pretty sure 4th umpire on field came in in 2023.

Either way we have had 7 more charges than 2024 and there's still 8 more rounds of the season and finals to come.

Just saw another umpire shirtfront against Caddy. He will probably get a fine.

Got me thinking and I think I’ve found a solution:

Edited July 5Jul 5 by DiscoStu17

On 04/07/2025 at 08:45, poita said:

The umpires clearly state that they are going to move straight back after a ball up / throw up.

Yet the players continue to stand behind the umpires and try to use them to block their opponent.

I have absolutely no issue with fines and / or suspensions if it makes the game safer for the umpires.

It is tiresome to hear the Scott babies and Hardwick whining about every little thing that happens in the game.

Just a quick question.

Have you ever seen an umpire go forward after a ball up/throw up?

10 minutes ago, rjay said:

Just a quick question.

Have you ever seen an umpire go forward after a ball up/throw up?

quite right. I have no idea why the umps indicate where they are going to run back to. They always run back at right angles to the line of their shoulders, ie. straight back. They don't convey any extra information to the players by indicating.

If they don’t want to wear a bubble, or maybe a hula hoop skirt? Or dress up as Davros?

I can see now that they will put a 2m x1m shaded area next to the Centre circle that will be verboten for players to enter.

Pay a free kick against every time a player stands behind the ump to use them to block their opponent. Oh that's right Daicos does it the most.

Edited July 5Jul 5 by Clintosaurus

If there were no umpires on the ground they couldn't get in the way.

How about a team of x umpires where there are x camera angles on the match, x being increased as needed. The off-field umpires pay the frees with the most senior one overriding any conflictig decisions. Obviously you'd need someone on the ground wired to the decisions of the off-field umps to convey the decisions to the players. .But he might never move out of the centre circle (and have a very loud whistle), or maybe the boundary umps could convey decisions to players too.

But then who would we hate.....Back to the booze.....