Lord Nev

Not as convinced as you about this mate. I'm starting to wonder if the way he's talking about Weid since the post-match presser is more giving him encouragement as they prepare him for the blow of being dropped for Brown. Possibly also a little bit for supporters too given how much attention Weid seems to get.

The comments were that interest in watching the game is falling, and sure that was made within the context of the dissent rule. The data doesn't back up that assertion though. If the context was one persons interest - sure, that's their statement of fact. However, that's not what the comment was.

No, that's not what happened Sue. Not sure why you're trying to be misleading here? The comment was: "...a lot of people are finding themselves less and less interested in the game due to the constant changing of rules, poor umpiring and the standard of games. The AFL is focused so heavily on TV rights and media deals, but if nobody wants to watch games, then those deals won't be worth much in the future." That's a pretty assumption filled broad comment (without data to back it up), and it's absolutely not 'someone posting the new rule will cause them to lose interest...'

Of course it has if you're comparing it to round 1. Round 1 is always the highest ratings. The fact is the TV ratings numbers are up. HIGHEST EVER round 1 TV ratings. Dees v Dogs second highest ever home and away game TV ratings. FTA TV audiences are (so far) down by 8% on last year, BUT streaming service ratings are up by 19%. Are we blaming umps for that too? Are they secretly working for Kayo? Also, as far as the numbers go: Round One was the highest attended round of football in Victoria since Round One, 2018, with Wednesday night's season opener between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs the highest-ever attended home-and-away match between those two clubs. Thursday night's Carlton vs. Richmond match was the second highest sporting event in the country since the COVID-19 pandemic, coming second only to the ANZAC Day match in 2021. Friday night's St Kilda vs. Collingwood match was the highest home-and-away crowd at Marvel Stadium since 2019 while Saturday's Country Game between Geelong and Essendon was the Cats' fourth-highest attended game in the last five years. Sunday's Hawthorn vs. North Melbourne match was the highest-attended match between those two sides since 2016. While football fans attended matches in strong numbers they also tuned into the broadcasts in record numbers nationwide. In New South Wales, the Sydney audience was up 20 per cent compared to Round One, 2021 with the GWS GIANTS vs. Sydney Swans recording the largest ever Round One Saturday twilight TV audience in Sydney. In Brisbane, the Brisbane Lions vs. Port Adelaide match was the second largest ever Round One Saturday TV audience. Meanwhile, the Adelaide Crows vs. Fremantle match saw the largest Round One Sunday TV audience in Adelaide in five years. The St Kilda vs. Collingwood Friday night match saw the largest pay TV audience compared to all Friday night matches during the 2021 home-and-away season and was up 35 per cent compared to Round One last season. https://www.afl.com.au/news/724566/afl-thanks-supporters-as-crowds-return-and-high-ratings-deliver-a-strong-start-to-the-2022-toyota-afl-premiership-season

I believe in the end they decided it wasn't the droids they were looking for...

If this was true then TV ratings would have taken a hit also, maybe even more so given that's where more of the casual footy fan will be counted as opposed to at other teams' games. The AFL recorded it's HIGHEST EVER round 1 ratings numbers this year. The numbers just don't back up this argument.

This is incorrect. All 116 AFL umpires are on one-year performance-based contract, that like players, end on October 31. The AFL Umpiring Department is currently working through a list management process to determine who will be offered a new 2020 contract and who won’t. This year there were a number of umpires “put under review” towards the end of the season. For many it was the first indication that their time on an AFL umpire list (field, boundary or goal) might be tenuous. Like AFL Clubs the AFL has an umpire’s list manager who reviews the performance of all our umpires and looks to the state league competitions to see who is coming through the ranks. The list manager is then responsible for the transition process of the list ready for the October 31 deadline when the lists need to be lodged and those who will not be offered a contract need to review their circumstances. Some will retire, some will go back to state leagues to mentor young umpires through the system whilst a few will join the coaching ranks and use their skills and expertise that way. https://aflua.com.au/umpires-and-players-tread-the-same-path/ AFL umpires’ coach Hayden Kennedy runs the meeting, with input from assistants Michael Vozzo, Bryan Sheehan and Michael Jennings, who have graded each game and will meet individually over the first part of the week with every umpire. Analyst Briana Harvey and AFL national umpiring director Wayne Campbell also sit in. Using software from Champion Data, every on-field decision for each umpire is charted by time, zone, the players involved, whether it was correct, missed or unwarranted, what sort of contest it was, the reason for the decision (or non-decision) and with a comment from the coach. Each centre bounce is also graded as follows: straight, offline, badly offline, recalled. It is a painstaking but necessary process, with every umpire assessed for about three minutes each. Everything gets noticed – even the fact one umpire went an entire match without taking a bounce. https://www.afl.com.au/news/444965/umpire-insider-reviewing-the-reviewers

Goldspink said he agreed with the concept of what they're doing but the implementation isn't right yet. That seems to be the crux of a lot of the posts you appear to be arguing against.

Really? Out of the 3 (which is hardly a broad scope) who are quoted in the article, one says abuse is part of the game, one says they understand why it's being done then raises the issue of not enough umps, and one completely agrees with what 'Macca' has been saying. I notice you also left the quote from Brad Scott out of your post: “Seeing 12, 13, 14, 15-year- old boys and girls umpiring and copping abuse on the field from players and supporters alike is not acceptable. What happens at elite level flows through to community level,” he said.

ssstwitter_1650370156.mp4

Has some very similar elements to the AFLW one, so I wonder if Krstel Petrevski designed this one as well? There's some great information about the meaning behind it all here: AFLW: Every club's 2022 Indigenous Round guernsey

Fair enough. I guess I'm just using that term to cover the range of things, apologies for not making that clearer. For mine, I think the dissent issues etc are a pathway to abuse, so I probably lump them in together.

You've got to go hard to make cultural change. I don't like where the rule is at the moment, but I also understand where it's come from, where it's going, and that it will settle in eventually and do it's job. I hated the 666 rule and the stand rule when they first came in, but now that they've settled into the game I think they've made it better and more exciting. Something had to change with how umpires were treated. Also - "Yet again"? What? I didn't even mention 'arm raising'.

Bit of conflating of issues going on here. Umpires 100% should be fully paid, full time employees of the AFL. It's utterly bizarre a billion dollar industry has part time employees, picked from a dwindling talent pool, in positions of such importance to the game. This would obviously improve the standard of umpiring, there's no argument there. But... No matter the standard of umpiring, there should be more respect towards them. It's completely stupid to imply 'well they wouldn't get abused if they got more calls right'. There is no excuse, let alone such a flimsy one. Plus, doesn't matter how much you offer to pay them; coping abuse every week from thousands of people (let alone what they must get on social media etc) will mean they won't stay around long; and less and less people will choose it as a profession.

So it's never happened before but is now 'inevitable'....

This old chestnut gets dragged out about every single rule change. Has a Grand Final ever been decided by a 50 meter penalty?

There's a massive shortage of umpires, this obviously affects the quality. The AFL have identified they believe part of the reason is the abuse they cop week in week out - hence the new harsh rule. If you want better umpire performance, then unfortunately the available data suggests the new rule is needed.

In the post-match presser Goody talked about how they've spent a fair bit of time working out the best forward structure and they believe they have that now. Can't see us playing the 3 permanent talls anymore. Would be similar with the backline I imagine given Tomo came out for Petty. Wing won't happen IMO, we've got that covered now.

Totally agree, but that's why I think labeling someone 'a tool' without all the information might not be a great move.

Did you hear what Clarry said though?

What part/quote exactly makes you think that?

If we're thinking of the same one, where May ended up standing on the goal line, the umpire could be heard telling him it was against Oliver, cos Maysie was pretty confused!

Do you know for certain that's what it was for? TMac was acting like a pork chop all game, sooking about every umpire decision, I reckon it may have been cumulative after a few warnings. That one was against Oliver, not Lever if we're thinking of the same one. Don't love the rule, but it's 'settled' somewhat since first coming in and will eventually find it's place.

They don't give flags for pressers though.