Media stunt - let's ask for a "please explain" from AFL

[anne]

While you are sending letters or CDs how about sending one to the AFL asking them to check deposits into McInerneney's bank account. Pretty suspicious that he was so against the Swans.

[Bron]

Agree absolutely.

I think we should do more. Letters/emails/faxes to every newspaper, TV station, sports journo we can think of.


What do the Swans have to do to get competent umpires?

In the first final, supposedly a showcase for the AFL, the result is a four point win to the Eagles. In a low scoring game, at least 18 points (26% of the winning score) or 3 goals were decided by blatant incorrect umpiring decisions. Once is a mistake, twice raises concerns, but three or more times is totally unreasonable.

As a fan, I don't seek an unfair advantage for my team. All I ask is that they are afforded impartial, competent and consistent umpiring, every week - and most particularly in finals. We want to play the opposition, not the opposition AND the umpires.


Coming home from the game after watching it at the Alex, I rang 2UE to voice my concern. Stan watzisname said that the commentators were extremely critical of the umpires. It's not good enough.

I also spoke with Tony Squires at the Alex and urged him to make loud complaint.

Bottom line, well we could have won, even playing against the umpires. We had a couple of poor shots at goal that would have got us home. So, we know we can beat both Crows and Weagles at home if we play our best, so we should be able to do it at the MCG. Let's get on and do it!

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by ugg
It just happened to be the only HTB decision all night (inconsistent with the other non-HTB decisions I might add) and it occurred late in the 4th quarter. Seems a bit more than questionable IMO.

We did get one free for HTB - I think it was Schneider who ran down one of the midfielders in the middle of the ground. But that was the only one I can recall apart from LRTs.

[Newbie]

If we ask going to ask for a "Please explain", it is better to ask for the standing down of the umpires involved. Otherwise, they could hide under the AFL shield again and again.

We must go directly after the individuals if we got any chance of making sure, it wont ever happen again.

The umpires might not be so nice to us but once their jobs are in the line, the sentiment would take a step back I think.

[Thunder Shaker]

The umpires are human. They make mistakes. For all we know, they may feel terrible about one or two mistakes that cost us the game.

This is why I want to approach this strictly from a constructive point of view. I want the AFL to explain why those decisions and non-decisions were paid the way they were. If the umpires got it wrong, the appropriate steps should also be taken to ensure that doesn't happen again. Did the umpires succumb to the lure of the home crowd? Make sure they don't ever umpire in Perth or Adelaide again. Did the umpires get it wrong? Drop them.

Whatever we do, we should treat them with respect. They are human too.

Paul Roos got it right when he chose to defend the umpires a few weeks ago. Where many problems lie with umpiring is not the umpires, but the rules of the game. For many rules, the umpires must make a decision based on opinion, not fact. Such a decision must be made within a second or two. This is why the giving of a free kick for kicking the ball out of bounds on the full is rarely controversial - it's a rule based on fact. Conversely, the paying of a free for deliberate out of bounds is much more likely to be controversial. Therefore, deliberate out of bounds must be recodified to be a more fact-based rule.

[Ugly Duckling]

Problem is they may be human, but so are we all. If any of us put in a job like this at work we would be shown the door or at the very least undergo a performance review... but week and week again they are aloud to continue the abismal displays with no concequences for their actions, I mean if you can get away with be biased why wouldnt they, they are only human.

[Diego]

I am sure like any big corporation the AFL will send you a templated letter with the typical rubbish and they will sweep it under the carpet.

They won't do anything about it. That?s what hurts. They just won't do a thing about. They can see the umpires are f up atm.

[Charlie]

That's why it shouldn't be sent via post.

We should knock on the door of AFL House and demand to show it to Demetriou ourselves.

[Newbie]

Originally posted by Thunder Shaker
The umpires are human. They make mistakes. For all we know, they may feel terrible about one or two mistakes that cost us the game.

Yes anyone could make a mistake but humans who can not umpire a game competently should not be umpiring, full stop.

Players would love to play but the incompetents are dropped. Why cant the same thing apply to the umpires.

They might feel terrible about their mistakes but it does not anyway show they are competent enough to umpire the game.

Call for the sackings of all umpires involved is just.

[OldE]

So we seem to all agree that this is a good idea. So who is going to do it?

I would happily volunteer, but I don't have the necessary technology. I am happy, however, to write letters to media people, etc. If someone can make the CD, I am more than happy to oversee its distribution.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by eirinn
So we seem to all agree that this is a good idea. So who is going to do it?

I would happily volunteer, but I don't have the necessary technology. I am happy, however, to write letters to media people, etc. If someone can make the CD, I am more than happy to oversee its distribution.

I don't know how to do it, but I'll be at AFL House if it gets off the ground. Assuming, of course, that we all agree that we are aiming for the moral high ground and that noone does anything stupid.

[timbo]

i reckon we should all go to umpire training during the week wearing our swans gear.

don't say anything to them, just watch them during the whole session. that'll put some pressure on.

[Diego]

I can put it on DVD if somebody can get me the footage.

Anyone around Prahran/Windsor/St Kilda area with a dvd recorder who happened to record it last night?

[Diego]

Originally posted by timbo
i reckon we should all go to umpire training during the week wearing our swans gear.


don't say anything to them, just watch them during the whole session. that'll put some pressure on.

ahhh haha top idea. I would just sit there and stare at maclaren. Would make him cry i thinks.

Where do they train??

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Jeffers1984
I would add Barry Hall getting chopped in the arms in the 1st quarter as another one. Another set of rules for Barry.

Second qtr (it was to the left hand edge of the screen and I'm pretty sure it wasn't the last qtr).

Craig Bolton in the back when he clearly took a mark (in the last qtr IIRC).