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Swans robbed: umps boss
By Tim Morrissey
May 3, 2004
AFL umpires coach Rowan Sawers admitted yesterday a controversial free kick awarded against the Swans, effectively ending Sydney's dramatic fourth-quarter comeback against Essendon, was the wrong decision.
Sawers and umpires boss Jeff Gieschen today will review several controversial decisions that marred Essendon's 10-point victory at the MCG on Saturday.
But the umps coach acknowledged yesterday that he did not need to take a second look at the free that was strangely awarded to Essendon half-back Dean Solomon which set up his third goal of the game.
"In relation to that, the free kick to Dean Solomon appears wrong," Sawers said. "It should have gone to Bolton and not to Solomon."
The word used in the Channel 10 commentary box to describe the Solomon free kick during their live coverage was "disgraceful".
Respected Ten colour commentator and former Collingwood premiership player Michael Christian believes the Solomon incident and several other contentious calls robbed Sydney of a chance to pull off one of this season's great escapes.
"Those decisions, especially the Solomon one, didn't directly cost the Swans the game but they certainly cost them a chance to win it," Christian said.
"We can't look into a crystal ball and say the Swans would've won but I tell you what, they had a fair bit of momentum up, they were playing well.
"However, the Solomon free kick snapped their momentum and probably their confidence a bit; as well it was a poor umpiring decision and it came at a critical time of the match.
"I though it was a mark to Bolton but secondary to that, even if it wasn't a mark, the rule and what the umpires have played all year is if you take your eyes off the ball and charge back at someone who is trying mark front on."
Only minutes before that decision Bombers spearhead Matthew Lloyd kicked his third goal also in controversial circumstances, snapping a stunning four-goal run by the Swans.
Sydney were on a roll after slashing a 41-point deficit to trail by 17 points with eight minutes remaining. But Lloyd was given a gift when teammate Nathan Lovett-Murray appeared to throw the ball off the ground, which should have resulted in a Swans free kick.
Those consecutive gift-wrapped goals pulled the plug on a Swans comeback. The club is privately fuming and is drawing up a long list of contentious umpiring decisions that went against them.
All Swans coach Paul Roos would say on the umpiring after the game was: "I'll certainly be making a phone call during the week".
On those other contentious umpiring decisions Sawers indicated the jury was out.
"We will review the game on Monday and we will go through the usual processes of reviewing a game and assist the umpires accordingly," he said. "Before we go through that process it would be premature to say one thing or the other."
Experienced Swans half forward Paul Williams knows the Swans only have themselves to blame for the loss after going goalless in the second term during a 12 goals to four Essendon run from the 26th minute mark of the first quarter to early in the fourth.
"It's disappointing ... we just have to cop it but we have got to make sure that if those calls go against us we haven't given away the lead that we did," said Williams.
"We probably only played half a game and you can't do that against quality sides."
* THE Swans expect an MRI scan on Adam Schneider's right leg today to confirm the young goal sneak has re-torn his hamstring and will miss the next four to six weeks.
By Tim Morrissey
May 3, 2004
AFL umpires coach Rowan Sawers admitted yesterday a controversial free kick awarded against the Swans, effectively ending Sydney's dramatic fourth-quarter comeback against Essendon, was the wrong decision.
Sawers and umpires boss Jeff Gieschen today will review several controversial decisions that marred Essendon's 10-point victory at the MCG on Saturday.
But the umps coach acknowledged yesterday that he did not need to take a second look at the free that was strangely awarded to Essendon half-back Dean Solomon which set up his third goal of the game.
"In relation to that, the free kick to Dean Solomon appears wrong," Sawers said. "It should have gone to Bolton and not to Solomon."
The word used in the Channel 10 commentary box to describe the Solomon free kick during their live coverage was "disgraceful".
Respected Ten colour commentator and former Collingwood premiership player Michael Christian believes the Solomon incident and several other contentious calls robbed Sydney of a chance to pull off one of this season's great escapes.
"Those decisions, especially the Solomon one, didn't directly cost the Swans the game but they certainly cost them a chance to win it," Christian said.
"We can't look into a crystal ball and say the Swans would've won but I tell you what, they had a fair bit of momentum up, they were playing well.
"However, the Solomon free kick snapped their momentum and probably their confidence a bit; as well it was a poor umpiring decision and it came at a critical time of the match.
"I though it was a mark to Bolton but secondary to that, even if it wasn't a mark, the rule and what the umpires have played all year is if you take your eyes off the ball and charge back at someone who is trying mark front on."
Only minutes before that decision Bombers spearhead Matthew Lloyd kicked his third goal also in controversial circumstances, snapping a stunning four-goal run by the Swans.
Sydney were on a roll after slashing a 41-point deficit to trail by 17 points with eight minutes remaining. But Lloyd was given a gift when teammate Nathan Lovett-Murray appeared to throw the ball off the ground, which should have resulted in a Swans free kick.
Those consecutive gift-wrapped goals pulled the plug on a Swans comeback. The club is privately fuming and is drawing up a long list of contentious umpiring decisions that went against them.
All Swans coach Paul Roos would say on the umpiring after the game was: "I'll certainly be making a phone call during the week".
On those other contentious umpiring decisions Sawers indicated the jury was out.
"We will review the game on Monday and we will go through the usual processes of reviewing a game and assist the umpires accordingly," he said. "Before we go through that process it would be premature to say one thing or the other."
Experienced Swans half forward Paul Williams knows the Swans only have themselves to blame for the loss after going goalless in the second term during a 12 goals to four Essendon run from the 26th minute mark of the first quarter to early in the fourth.
"It's disappointing ... we just have to cop it but we have got to make sure that if those calls go against us we haven't given away the lead that we did," said Williams.
"We probably only played half a game and you can't do that against quality sides."
* THE Swans expect an MRI scan on Adam Schneider's right leg today to confirm the young goal sneak has re-torn his hamstring and will miss the next four to six weeks.
