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No free kick for Bombers
By Peter Ker, Chloe Saltau
May 5, 2004
The Age, RealFooty
AFL operation manager Adrian Anderson has strongly rejected suggestions by Sydney coach Paul Roos that Essendon has received preferential treatment from umpires since James Hird's outburst against umpire Scott McLaren last month.
Anderson said he hoped to make contact with Roos in the near future to discuss his suggestion that Hird's $20,000 fine for abusing McLaren had helped the Bombers win friendly treatment from umpires.
"I would like to talk to Paul. I think we need to make a couple of things clear," he said. "The analysis that they (Essendon) have got more free kicks inside 50 and therefore they are getting favourable treatment is just completely wrong."
Anderson said the Bombers' sharp improvement in form was a significant factor in the number of free kicks awarded to the side.
Essendon had lost its opening two matches of the year by a total of 130 points at the time of Hird's attack on McLaren. Since then it had won four matches in a row and had jumped to sixth on the ladder.
"They just didn't have the ball inside 50 nearly as much; they were ranked 12th or 13th in the competition for inside 50 (at that time)," he said. "The umpires aren't treating Essendon any differently whatsoever."
Anderson said he was confident that most football fans did not believe Roos's comments to be accurate.
Western Bulldogs coach Peter Rohde was not unhappy when he heard Roos's quip on Monday that Hird's $20,000 fine was "money well spent".
Rohde's Bulldogs play the Bombers on Friday night and he said he was not concerned about the Bombers' increased free-kick count.
"I haven't got $20,000 to contribute," Rohde joked yesterday.
"That could be an underlying factor, but I'm not disappointed that Paul Roos said what he did."
? Women will eventually hold positions on the AFL Commission, league chief executive Andrew Demetriou said at a "women in football" forum last night.
Meanwhile, Melbourne director Beverley O'Connor confirmed on Talking Footy last night that a woman had been close to winning the Demons' chief executive position that was ultimately won by Ray Ellis in early 2003.
"In our last search for a CEO a woman was in the final three . . . she had done quite a bit of work in public sector, CEO management," she said.
Melbourne is searching for a new chief executive after Ellis's departure earlier this year.
By Peter Ker, Chloe Saltau
May 5, 2004
The Age, RealFooty
AFL operation manager Adrian Anderson has strongly rejected suggestions by Sydney coach Paul Roos that Essendon has received preferential treatment from umpires since James Hird's outburst against umpire Scott McLaren last month.
Anderson said he hoped to make contact with Roos in the near future to discuss his suggestion that Hird's $20,000 fine for abusing McLaren had helped the Bombers win friendly treatment from umpires.
"I would like to talk to Paul. I think we need to make a couple of things clear," he said. "The analysis that they (Essendon) have got more free kicks inside 50 and therefore they are getting favourable treatment is just completely wrong."
Anderson said the Bombers' sharp improvement in form was a significant factor in the number of free kicks awarded to the side.
Essendon had lost its opening two matches of the year by a total of 130 points at the time of Hird's attack on McLaren. Since then it had won four matches in a row and had jumped to sixth on the ladder.
"They just didn't have the ball inside 50 nearly as much; they were ranked 12th or 13th in the competition for inside 50 (at that time)," he said. "The umpires aren't treating Essendon any differently whatsoever."
Anderson said he was confident that most football fans did not believe Roos's comments to be accurate.
Western Bulldogs coach Peter Rohde was not unhappy when he heard Roos's quip on Monday that Hird's $20,000 fine was "money well spent".
Rohde's Bulldogs play the Bombers on Friday night and he said he was not concerned about the Bombers' increased free-kick count.
"I haven't got $20,000 to contribute," Rohde joked yesterday.
"That could be an underlying factor, but I'm not disappointed that Paul Roos said what he did."
? Women will eventually hold positions on the AFL Commission, league chief executive Andrew Demetriou said at a "women in football" forum last night.
Meanwhile, Melbourne director Beverley O'Connor confirmed on Talking Footy last night that a woman had been close to winning the Demons' chief executive position that was ultimately won by Ray Ellis in early 2003.
"In our last search for a CEO a woman was in the final three . . . she had done quite a bit of work in public sector, CEO management," she said.
Melbourne is searching for a new chief executive after Ellis's departure earlier this year.