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.