Mumford vs hale decision

[johnno]

Heard on SEN this morning that the umps boss, Jeff Geishan, has given the free paid against Mumford to Hale the all clear and that the ump in question made the 'correct' call. In my opinion, it is the worst decision I have ever seen made by an ump out on the footy field in my time of watching this great game. The one paid against Leo in the 05 Qualifying final against West Coast runs a close 2nd.

I wonder if publicly the umps boss HAS to defend his umpires, but privately the ump in question has been told to never pay a free like that ever again.

If only the umps came out from time to time and just admitted that they make the odd error, the general public would respect them a lot more, rather than always trying to defend their 'incorrect' decisions time and time again.

[CJK]

That decision makes my cry in my sleep.

[goswannie14]

Heard on SEN this morning that the umps boss, Jeff Geishan, has given the free paid against Mumford to Hale the all clear and that the ump in question made the 'correct' call. In my opinion, it is the worst decision I have ever seen made by an ump out on the footy field in my time of watching this great game. The one paid against Leo in the 05 Qualifying final against West Coast runs a close 2nd.

I wonder if publicly the umps boss HAS to defend his umpires, but privately the ump in question has been told to never pay a free like that ever again.

If only the umps came out from time to time and just admitted that they make the odd error, the general public would respect them a lot more, rather than always trying to defend their 'incorrect' decisions time and time again.

Geischen is a dickhead. Everyone, even he, knows that decision was wrong, just admit it.

Geischen is a like a politician, you know he is lying when his lips are moving.

Hopeless football coach, even worse umpires director.

[T-bag]

he should stick to teaching. no wait, he was @@@@ at that too

[Big Al]

Unbelievable. If what Mumford did was a free kick there would be a free kick in EVERY ruck contest around the ground. I dislike Tony Shaw but he was spot on in commentary when he labelled it one of the worst decisions he's seen.

Most umpires are human and are prone to mistakes so I don't know why it's hard for this twit to admit to the mistake and to state the umpire has learnt from it and that it won't happen again.

[AnnieH]

There were quite a few umpiring decisions that left the commentators speechless. Not a good look - all that empty air!!

Johnno: I wonder if publicly the umps boss HAS to defend his umpires, but privately the ump in question has been told to never pay a free like that ever again.

If the umpire in question is not umpiring this week, then you'll know that we were actually right and that he is being punished. They count on the fact that no-one cares enough to look up and see whether or not he's been sent down to the ressies.

[Matty10]

Stephen Quartermain echoed those comments made by Tony Shaw during the call on One Week at a Time - suggesting the umpire should be sent to the bush for a few weeks.

I am not sure that Jeff Gieschen is a dickhead as much as he is stupid. He was a dreadful coach and is terrible in his current role. I am amazed that he has held it as long as he has - it is bewildering. I find it absolutely astonishing that he or the AFL thinks that it is acceptable for the game to be officiated according to a theme of the week.

Each week, for some unknown reason, he instructs the umpires to focus on one particular issue and then the game is held to account on a different measure the following week - why?

Eddie McGuire made the comment last week during a match when a player gave away a soft free kick that he must not have been watching Friday night's match - as that is the only gauge for how the game would be officiated that weekend.

It is a terrible state of affairs that the rules of the game are not just standardised and officiated for the purpose of keeping alive the spirit of competition, instead of arbitrarily enforced at the bequest of the head of umpiring.

[ugg]

I understand why they have to support their umpires, but when a decision is as bad as this one was, they have to admit their mistakes. Has Gieschen ever come out and said that a particular decision was wrnog?

[johnno]

i understand why they have to support their umpires, but when a decision is as bad as this one was, they have to admit their mistakes. Has gieschen ever come out and said that a particular decision was wrnog?

never.

[Matty10]

Has Gieschen ever come out and said that a particular decision was wrong?

I cannot think of a particular incident off the top of my head - but I am pretty sure he has. Their aim is to get 90% of decisions right I think - they claim they are just under that at the moment.

[Matty10]

Just did a quick google search and grabbed the first one I could find - there would be others:

Jeff Gieschen: Ump got it wrong | Herald Sun

[alison.z]

This is what really annoys me about the game. I'm all for giving umpires respect but they have to deserve it. The AFL needs to realise that they are only human and as such, mistakes will occur. They need to admit these mistakes and work on not making them in the future instead of simply heaping praise on poor performing umpires. Umpires should be there to control the game and award free kicks in deserving situations - in the current game it feels like they look for something whenever there is a contest under the belief that they have to pay a free kick for something - anything.

If you re-watch the '05 and '06 grand finals, there is a massive difference in umpiring. In '05 the umpires had no influence on the game and paid the frees when they affected the play. In '06 they paid free kick after free kick and tried to control every contest with bad decisions (on both sides) marring a wonderful game to watch! Umpires need to understand that they are not bigger than the game - they are not personalities or people and should just be doing their job to ensure nothing unfair happens on the field - i often experience harder contests at netball than are allowed in AFL at the moment.

[707]

The umpires had a shocker in the first quarter last week, both sides got undeserving frees but the Mumford one was a howler.

I'm absolutely amazed that every single commentator has said it was one of the worse decisions of all time yet Geesh can give it the ok. We understand they are human but to support that decision just makes the umpires look like infallible dickheads.

Interesting to note that both sides of the crowd booed the umps at quarter time last week and both sets of coaches thought (privately of course) that the umpiring was @@@@e.

I think one scribe got it right when he said no player from either side had an impact in the first quarter but the whistle blowers did, the first five goals were from frees and only one was half way deserved.

[Go Swannies]

Yes. Swans final against the Eagles in WA in 2005. Leo "running across the mark" and the Eagles score the winning goal from that free. Geishen later admitted it was the wrong decision. But we still lost the game. I can't remember the last time I was so furious. But happiness a few weeks later - I wonder how we'd feel if we'd lost the GF in part because a bad umpiring decision had cost us a final.

[laughingnome]

The umpire who gave it to Hale was Nicholls, right? I guess we find out tomorrow if he's getting banished to the VFL this weekend.