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Roos calls for full-time umpires
By Alex Brown, Karen Lyon
May 4, 2004
Swans coach Paul Roos and the umpires at the MCG.
Picture: Getty Images
Sydney coach Paul Roos, still angered by Saturday's controversial 10-point defeat by Essendon, has called on the AFL to pay umpires full-time salaries of $150,000 to $200,000 to bring them in line with the game's players, coaches and medical staff within the AFL.
Frustrated at umpiring errors in the game - two of which were conceded by AFL umpires' coach Rowan Sawers - Roos risked an AFL sanction by suggesting that James Hird's $20,000 fine for criticising umpires was "money well spent". Last night, Roos claimed the AFL placed amateur umpires in "an extremely difficult position" by failing to offer them a legitimate career path.
He said promising young officials should be identified, sent to a purpose-built umpiring academy and offered university scholarships in order to improve the standard.
"I spoke to (AFL football operations manager) Adrian Anderson last week with a few suggestions from us, just saying that if the AFL is worried about the image of umpires as we all are then they should offer them a full-time career," Roos said. "Bump up their salaries to $150,000 or $200,000 a year and give them a proper career path.
"The clear way forward is to have umpires as full-time professionals. I think at the moment they're all at a clear disadvantage and the AFL, and the whole industry, makes things extremely difficult for them.
"Footballers, coaches, club staff, doctors, fitness trainers and even Jeff Gieschen and Rowan Sawers are full-time. The umpires are the only ones who aren't and I feel for them. It's impossible to devote the time to their umpiring that everyone else within the AFL devotes to theirs."
Roos suggested officials meet early in the week to analyse video footage of recent matches, train with AFL clubs and tutor aspiring officials.
"We're frustrated, but we've moved on from the weekend," he added.
Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy was his usual ebullient self when told of Roos's comments. "I'll wait to see what the Sundance Kid has said. But is he suggesting that we haven't played any good footy at all? Does he really think that Essendon got every free kick it deserved or didn't have a few paid the other way?
"I felt we played better for more of the game than Sydney. That's the reason we won the game. We played better than them on the day. End of story."
Last night, Sawers admitted the Swans had been on the receiving end of two poor decisions in the final quarter. "There are a couple of decisions that went against Sydney in the last quarter but certainly there was a lot of others that were paid correctly," he said.
He referred to a decision against Craig Bolton that ended in a free kick and goal to Dean Solomon, which he admitted should have been the Swans' free kick. "It is disappointing, front-on contact, the Sydney player being pushed by Solomon, Solomon has got no eyes for the football, a free kick should have been payed to Bolton," he said.
Sawers also conceded the umpire missed a throw by Nathan Lovett-Murray to Matthew Lloyd that resulted in another late goal.
By Alex Brown, Karen Lyon
May 4, 2004
Swans coach Paul Roos and the umpires at the MCG.
Picture: Getty Images
Sydney coach Paul Roos, still angered by Saturday's controversial 10-point defeat by Essendon, has called on the AFL to pay umpires full-time salaries of $150,000 to $200,000 to bring them in line with the game's players, coaches and medical staff within the AFL.
Frustrated at umpiring errors in the game - two of which were conceded by AFL umpires' coach Rowan Sawers - Roos risked an AFL sanction by suggesting that James Hird's $20,000 fine for criticising umpires was "money well spent". Last night, Roos claimed the AFL placed amateur umpires in "an extremely difficult position" by failing to offer them a legitimate career path.
He said promising young officials should be identified, sent to a purpose-built umpiring academy and offered university scholarships in order to improve the standard.
"I spoke to (AFL football operations manager) Adrian Anderson last week with a few suggestions from us, just saying that if the AFL is worried about the image of umpires as we all are then they should offer them a full-time career," Roos said. "Bump up their salaries to $150,000 or $200,000 a year and give them a proper career path.
"The clear way forward is to have umpires as full-time professionals. I think at the moment they're all at a clear disadvantage and the AFL, and the whole industry, makes things extremely difficult for them.
"Footballers, coaches, club staff, doctors, fitness trainers and even Jeff Gieschen and Rowan Sawers are full-time. The umpires are the only ones who aren't and I feel for them. It's impossible to devote the time to their umpiring that everyone else within the AFL devotes to theirs."
Roos suggested officials meet early in the week to analyse video footage of recent matches, train with AFL clubs and tutor aspiring officials.
"We're frustrated, but we've moved on from the weekend," he added.
Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy was his usual ebullient self when told of Roos's comments. "I'll wait to see what the Sundance Kid has said. But is he suggesting that we haven't played any good footy at all? Does he really think that Essendon got every free kick it deserved or didn't have a few paid the other way?
"I felt we played better for more of the game than Sydney. That's the reason we won the game. We played better than them on the day. End of story."
Last night, Sawers admitted the Swans had been on the receiving end of two poor decisions in the final quarter. "There are a couple of decisions that went against Sydney in the last quarter but certainly there was a lot of others that were paid correctly," he said.
He referred to a decision against Craig Bolton that ended in a free kick and goal to Dean Solomon, which he admitted should have been the Swans' free kick. "It is disappointing, front-on contact, the Sydney player being pushed by Solomon, Solomon has got no eyes for the football, a free kick should have been payed to Bolton," he said.
Sawers also conceded the umpire missed a throw by Nathan Lovett-Murray to Matthew Lloyd that resulted in another late goal.
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