we got bloddy Goldspink

[Dpw]

The frees cost us nothing, the bombers switched off and we never gave up we improved once the bombers took there foot of the gas.

We drasticaly need to work on our clearances.

[ugg]

You must be kidding, the one awarded to Solomon for god knows what when we had kicked 4 straight goals absolutely killed the momentum.

[Diego]

I am still trying to work out why that free was paid??

[SWANSBEST]

To say that the frees cost us nothing is absolute nonsense. Even the half wit commentators were making reference to the dubious nature of a lot of the frees. The worst decision was the free against Craig Bolton after taking a fair mark.

[Dpw]

Could of, should of and maybe? you play the cards as they lay, I have seen games where we have been on the other end but I don't see anyone jumping up and down then. Its part of the game always has been always will be.

[dendol]

i have never been this angry after a loss. Firstly, to our total inability to win any ball at the stoppages. Then when we looked like we were mounting a challenge, that ****wit of an umpire pays the free AGAINST Bolton, then gives the 50.

Positives - if any can be found, was that although we got smashed in the clearances, we were always in touch, scoreboard wise. But really, any momentum swings our win were snuffed out by the umpires today. It really makes it tough when its 22 vs 25.

[j s]

Now we know which umpires the $25,000 went to!

[swans_premiers]

****in great umpiring today.

[hammo]

The umpires should send back their pay cheque for that performance.

[floppinab]

Originally posted by Diego
I am still trying to work out why that free was paid??

My guess is that he didn't pay Bolton the mark (why is anybodies guess), in the following battle for the ball Bolton's arm slips up over Solomons head and he pays high on Solomon.
Go figure!

[NMWBloods]

That was one of the worst displays of umpiring I have seen. Sure, we lost the game (and played abysmally), but when you lose by 2 goals and the opposition gets five goals from frees, something is wrong.

The worse offender was the young guy, Simon Meredith, who was officiating his first AFL game and paid more free kicks than the other two umpires put together.

Some of the shockers included:

- while shepherding the ball through, Lloyd grabs Barry around the head - no free kick.

- in the pack, Lloyd and Barry have a slight hold on each other, no affect on the contest, punched through for a point, Lloyd gets a free kick.

- Misiti dives on the ball, Schneider straddles him, as often happens, Misit gets a free kick for in the back instead of losing it for holding the ball.

- Hird is tackled, gets rid of the ball and falls forward. Bolton also falls forward - minimal contact - Hird gets a free for in the back directly in front.

- Solomon is tackled and actually throws the ball over his head with one hand, ball goes to Lovett-Murray and then throws to Lloyd, who kicks a goal.

- Solomon running with the flight of the ball, never looks at it, interferes with Bolton who is trying to mark, and Solomon is given a free for too high!!

Just a @@@@ing disgrace. The commentators said many times that the umpires were shocking and giving the game to Essendon in the last quarter. Of course, it's our own fault for playing like idiots and getting ourselves in so much trouble.

[Plugger46]

Absolutely robbed.

Those 2 free kicks in the last qtr, the one to Misiti and the one to Solomon really killed us, along with our inability to kick goals in the 2nd quarter when we had all the play. At the game, I couldn't work out why Goodes wasn't awarded that mark in the 2nd quarter? Haven't seen a replay, was there anything in it? If you watch closely, directly after the Misiti goal, Lovett-Murray threw the ball out to Lloyd who goaled. No free kick paid.

I am disgusted.

[dawson]

Originally posted by Plugger46
Absolutely robbed.

Those 2 free kicks in the last qtr, the one to Misiti and the one to Solomon really killed us, along with our inability to kick goals in the 2nd quarter when we had all the play. At the game, I couldn't work out why Goodes wasn't awarded that mark in the 2nd quarter? Haven't seen a replay, was there anything in it? If you watch closely, directly after the Misiti goal, Lovett-Murray threw the ball out to Lloyd who goaled. No free kick paid.

I am disgusted.

You took the words out of my mouth Plugger46. I have spoken before about dodgy handballs coming out of a pack of bodies and that would have to be just about the most blatant I have ever seen.

As Solomon, was taking his shot for goal at the end of the match, I was thinking that if I was me I would kick the ball out of bounds on the full to show to the umpire that he had really made a bad decision.

Not sure if it would ever happen, but there are times like that when the decision is so blatantly wrong that you would like to think that sportsmanship could still prevail.

[dawson]

On bomberblitz.com, Lovett-Murray's new nickname is Murali!

[Nico]

You must the one against Ball in 3rd Q. The Ump has not even walked in to throw,it up, Ball and opposition ruckman just start to jostle for position and Ball gets a free against him. This happens at every stoppage around the ground. They get it up the ground for a goal. Strewth. Every time we got momentum they got a goal from a free.