Dockers win

[Jeffers1984]

Now about that exploding ball when the siren is sounded.....

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by liz
Completely and utterly agree.

I think the umpires have been very willing to make the timekeeper a scapegoat over this.

The umpires were completely stupid in the way they handled this at the time, but this seems to have passed most people by.

I agree with you Liz, the umpire shave got out of this scott free when they were as much to blame as the time keeper. I reckon the time keeper has taken the fall so that no "umpires made a mistake" can of worms could be opened.

[Agent 86]

Originally posted by goswannie14
I agree with you Liz, the umpire shave got out of this scott free when they were as much to blame as the time keeper. I reckon the time keeper has taken the fall so that no "umpires made a mistake" can of worms could be opened.

Whatever. I'm not usually the kind to defend umpires, but...

The timekeeper only has ONE thing to do. And he stuffed it up.

The maggots have a much harder task. Theyr'e trained to make decisions despite how many players (or crowd) are yelling at them - so the fact that a bunch of angry Dockers are screaming at him (Nicholls) shouldn't matter.

Kennedy is running from the other end with his hand cupped to his ear - is this a signal to the timekeeper that he is not sure if it is time or not? If so, & there is no response then he is correct to assume that it is NOT time.

There'e even a guy in a box looking through the TK's window - banging on the glass with his stubbie of Boags (i presume) trying to let him know that the umpires haven't heard the siren.

Maybe there should be 2 timekeepers - just in case one has a heart attack with 3 seconds left. There's also a bad Tasmanian joke to be had here - but I'll let it go.

[Thunder Shaker]

Meanwhile, over at Dockerland, the Dockers fans are up to their usual high spirits.

This is the poll on the main page at dockerland:

In the future, what can they use to make sure the umpires know the game is over?

• 50 panel vans with horns that play La Cucaracha
• An exploding football
• Goal posts that retract at the end of play
• Whenever Byron Schammer says so
• electric shock collars
• lethal electric shock collars
• The sound of Rod Butterss whinging

[goswannie14]

Originally posted by Agent 86
Whatever. I'm not usually the kind to defend umpires, but...

The timekeeper only has ONE thing to do. And he stuffed it up.

The maggots have a much harder task. Theyr'e trained to make decisions despite how many players (or crowd) are yelling at them - so the fact that a bunch of angry Dockers are screaming at him (Nicholls) shouldn't matter.

Kennedy is running from the other end with his hand cupped to his ear - is this a signal to the timekeeper that he is not sure if it is time or not? If so, & there is no response then he is correct to assume that it is NOT time.

There'e even a guy in a box looking through the TK's window - banging on the glass with his stubbie of Boags (i presume) trying to let him know that the umpires haven't heard the siren.

Maybe there should be 2 timekeepers - just in case one has a heart attack with 3 seconds left. There's also a bad Tasmanian joke to be had here - but I'll let it go.

I don't know when it changed, but it used to be that each club provided a time keeper so that the time keeping was done properly and above board, maybe if that was still the case this sort of thing wouldn't or couldn't happen.

[Mike_B]

Originally posted by Agent 86
Maybe there should be 2 timekeepers - just in case one has a heart attack with 3 seconds left. There's also a bad Tasmanian joke to be had here - but I'll let it go.

There are two timekeepers - the big question is what was the other one doing? Apparently the one who has been blamed was filling in paperwork thinking the game was over...

[giant]

Justice done; common sense wins the day - an unlikely scenario where the AFL is concerned but there you go, I'm sure they got this one right.

The umpires have got away very lightly, especially Umpire Nicholls, who has not heard the siren, then ignored the pleas of Dockers players, allowed play to continue long enough for the Saints to get shot away, awarded them a soft free kick when they haven't managed to get it the first time and, I understand, even tried to give them a 50m penalty to make certain of a sure thing - extraordinary behavior from a supposed impartial referee. No wonder we interstate supporters are skeptical about how the Melbourne clubs are treated.

I liked the previous poll on dockerland which to the question "What should be the result from Sunday's finish?" had as its only alternative "Freo should get 4 points".

[Agent 86]

Originally posted by giant
Justice done.

Agreed

No wonder we interstate supporters are skeptical about how the Melbourne clubs are treated.

And again.

I liked the previous poll on dockerland which to the question "What should be the result from Sunday's finish?" had as its only alternative "Freo should get 4 points".

Understandable given they missed finals in '05 by 2pts, 2004 by 4 and 2003 missed top 4 on %.

But I still say if the umps can't hear the siren, it's not their fault.

[Damien]

Originally posted by Agent 86

But I still say if the umps can't hear the siren, it's not their fault.

No, but that is getting pretty techncial. Umpires have the ability to stop the clock at any stage, it would not have been that hard to do that, and confirm what had gone on.

Imagine if the umpire in the grand final called play on after Tadgh jumped on Leo's back because he didn't hear the siren?

[Agent 86]

Originally posted by Damien
Imagine if the umpire in the grand final called play on after Tadgh jumped on Leo's back because he didn't hear the siren?

Dunno. In the back? or holding the ball?

Willo had the same problem when Nick Fosdike jumped on him...

"...I can still remember Leo (Barry) took that mark, and I was running out to space trying to get a kick from him. I didn't hear the siren sound, and all of a sudden Nic Fosdike jumped on me. I called him an idiot and said, 'What are you doing?' I'm looking for a kick and here's this peanut jumping on me. But once I realised it was over, there was a feeling of relief I think, the fact that you finally achieved something that was really special."

Anyway, the good news is the correct decision made by the AFL in the end & Saints aren't going to appeal.