5 Months on Prelim Final Umpiring

[Reggi]

Having recently re-watched this game, the only way to describe Goldspink and McLaren is that they must be cheats.

The Cole inquiry scope should be opened up to see if the AWB was secretly funneling funds to these two scumbags via Iraq in a secret plot to help the aints.

You would think 5 months on you could watch a winning final, but I cannot watch this game without going beserk at the unbelievable - cheating - umpires.

Summed up by Steve Silvagni's continuous groans at the decisions. It is appaling.

And the question needs to be asked will this continue this year

[Matt79]

Reggi,

I totally agree mate! Perhaps most of the time we could be accused (as most 1 eyed supporters) that we are slightly biased!! But still to look back at that game 6 months on and still be dumbfounded by the decisions against us on that night surely says something.

I cannot help but think that if we did lose that game, Roos and the club would have spat chips and copped the fine happily as a means to express themselves.

[dawson]

Is there any truth in the rumor that Goldspink and McClaren umpired the Super Bowl?

[The Boot]

As there are individual games that make up a whole season - single decisions in a game (well ... mostly) can't be blamed for losing or winning one a match.

I agree there was a momentum shift after the 2-3 contentious decisions in that tight tussle, but Macca and Goldie did what must be said was a superb job on the day that counted most - a week later.

[garethb83]

Originally posted by The Boot
As there are individual games that make up a whole season - single decisions in a game (well ... mostly) can't be blamed for losing or winning one a match.

I agree there was a momentum shift after the 2-3 contentious decisions in that tight tussle, but Macca and Goldie did what must be said was a superb job on the day that counted most - a week later.

I disagree. Everyone uses this cliche' that one bad decision doesn't decide a match. When two teams are evenly matched, wanting the game just as bad as one another, giving it their all and it is as close as it can get, one bad decision does swing the match. Take the First Qualifying Final against West Coast. Anyone who says that the decision for Adam Hunter didn't swing that match must be blind.

If an umpire makes a dodgy call because they are unsighted, or it is something that happens in the blink of an eye, i guess i can handle that. But when something happens that is there for all to see, and the umpire gets it wrong on a point of the laws of the game, then thats just not good enough.

And as for the continual poor calls in the St Kilda game, perhaps the rocketship was stuck up both of them umpires as a result of that. Sure they did a good job in the Grand Final, but from all accounts, they didn't want us to be there anyway.

If players can be accountable for everything they do, given they are 'professionals', then perhaps its about time that courtesy is extended to the other people in this great game?

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Re: 5 Months on Prelim Final Umpiring

Originally posted by Reggi
Having recently re-watched this game, the only way to describe Goldspink and McLaren is that they must be cheats.

In fact they had been flogging us all year, and the Saints final was merely their pi?ce de r?sistance.

Cast your mind back and remember the dread you felt when you heared they had been selected for the GF.

And yet against all past experience the same two performed more than adequately in the GF!

No wonder some Eagles supporters have a winery full of sour grapes.

[giant]

We got the rough end of the pineapple from the umpires all year but in my opinion the only game where they were so bad they may have impacted the result was the Collingwood game - fortunately the good guys won there if only by a point.

Even the Richmond game where we lost by a point & the free kick count was something like 13/1 at one stage, the reality was we played like @@@@e for 3 qrs.

In fact, the only games I can recall the umpires having a significant impact last yr were the poor old Bullies missing out on the finals coz of that dreadful decision vs Melbourne & perhaps the Saints vs Freo where the umpires had their "victory".

So, even when they're awful it's rare that they change the result of a game.

Course it would be better if they weren't awful tho....

[Mel]

I have to agree with Gareth that a single decision can turn the tide on an entire game. Momentum is important in a football game. I still get mad at the QF decisions. Although we were starting to lose the momentum (the crowd helped there), the umpires certainly hurried the process along.

[BAM_BAM]

It was Goldspink who called time off in the semi against the cats when (??) feigned cramp in the pocket. He gave us valuable seconds there without which we would've been drinking and mumbling into our glasses about the sorrows of a season lost on Grand Final day instead of raising our glasses in a victory salute.

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by BAM_BAM
It was Goldspink who called time off in the semi against the cats when (??) feigned cramp in the pocket.

?? == Brett Kirk. I thought it was too spazzy to be fake. If you are faking cramp you just straighten your leg and do a stretch (Goodes has it mastered).

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by garethb83
Take the First Qualifying Final against West Coast. Anyone who says that the decision for Adam Hunter didn't swing that match must be blind.

I thought momentum swung when LRT kicked to the opposition and WC kicked their first goal in over a quarter.

[Lucky Knickers]

Originally posted by Sanecow
?? == Brett Kirk. I thought it was too spazzy to be fake. If you are faking cramp you just straighten your leg and do a stretch (Goodes has it mastered).

No the spazzy bit was the GF. He called time on against a Cat kicking in IIRC...can't remember who.

Bloody good point by bambam - that puts it all in perspective.

We play hard tough footy and I personally don't have a huge objection to the frees paid against us, in most cases, I felt the style of game we play is going to have a high free kick count. The only two decisions that continue to irk me are the one against Ablett for charging off the ball Bl**dy Buckley in his comeback game and the HTB against Bevan in the PF.

What I found REALLY vile, despicable, frustrating and sickening was free kicks that WEREN'T paid to us. The inconsistency was appalling. It's nothing new - the failure to award Tadhg a HTB decision in the QF 2003 VS PA still gets me riled.

You are right tho' the job in the GF was pretty darn good and made up for the last couple of years!

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by Lucky Knickers
No the spazzy bit was the GF.

Correct.

[Lucky Knickers]

Originally posted by Sanecow
Correct.

I was surprised you mixed it up....I watch it now and say "look kirky's having a spontaneous orgasm at the thought of winning"...I hope you can say that on here

[Ryan Bomford]

Originally posted by Lucky Knickers
I was surprised you mixed it up....I watch it now and say "look kirky's having a spontaneous orgasm at the thought of winning"...I hope you can say that on here

I'll have to ask the Captain how he does that.