Swans v Umpires

[jono2707]

Good to see us exercising our divine rights as AFL fans and complaining about the umpires. It's part of the deal when you sign up isn't it???

[wolftone57]

Probably a reflection of our hard style of football. I can't think of a game this season where I've felt we were too badly done by. Singular bad decision (esky), but they're part and parcel of the game really.

GWS in the last qtr of last weekend had reason to complain however.

I agree I thought the umpires did a bit to help Pies over the line. Although I think in a couple of matches this year we have been a bit hard done by. Port were able to get away with throwing the ball regularly but that wasn't the reason we lost. There have been a couple of games this year when I thought we were not getting the same treatment as the opposition. Mal's treatment with the deliberate free was one of a series of mistakes we had to put up with from Findlay that day that could have been costly. I think generally the umpiring this season has been fair but poor. In other words I think the interpretation of the rules has been driven by reacting to the media. I also think that some of the rules need to change back to their original interpretation as they are making the game worse and also more dangerous. The stoppages are a good example of this. Umpires are told to let the play go and whereas in the past an umpire would have balled up on a ten count they now allow scrimmages to go for extended periods and I believe this is a dangerous practice as players will eventually get injured. Not only that it looks messy and stops the flow of play when a quick throw up would revive the play flow.

[The Big Cat]

We seem to get the ones against us that the AFL then apologises and says the ump got it wrong.

[Sandridge]

The main problem I have regarding the discrepancy of free kicks is that we usually cop the worst decision of the year in regards to umpiring and it usually ends up with a goal to the opposition. Take Malecski under pressure and running the ball thru Carlton's goals and alas the only time all year, this free kick has been paid. Worse decision of the year for 2013. Then I remember the final against West coast in 2005. Leo Barry is running past to receive the handball from Kirky and is tackled and brought to the ground. Alas a free kick to West coast and a Goal. Worse decision of 2005. Personally saying the way we play is causing this discrepancy is a lot of s......
I have always had my doubts about Geishan and his bias ways.

Slight factual error there. The free against Leo Barry was the worst decision of all time, not just 2005. Cost us the game and meant we had to win three tough games instead of two to get the flag. A lesser team would not have gone on to to win the Premiership.

Since South Melbourne went to Sydney, there's always been the perception in Melbourne that umpires give the Swans a "good go" because the AFL wants a successful team in Sydney but the statistics clearly don't support this. This perception goes all the way back to Warwick Capper who was supposedly a protected species but the stats show he was penalised by umpires more often than rewarded.

And Hawthorn people have the nerve to say that 2012 was the Premiership that got away - they had nearly twice as many frees as us in that Grand Final and, I felt, were particularly favoured by umpires in that last quarter!

[sprite]

I don't think you can just look at the FF vs FA as a total.

You need to look at the position on the ground where free kicks paid - our fwd line vs opp'n fwd line or centre line.

Did the game have a significant variance between the sides total FK's?

The type of free kick: In the back decisions / holding decisions / incorrect disposal / OOB on Full / rucking infringements.

I would discount OOB on Full - as these can be due to poor skills or pressure put on the kicker which caused the infringement.

If we get more against for holding/ in the back or incorrect disposal - these all could be associated with the congested style of play we employed(ed).

The qtr and timing of the free kick - if it's early in the game or late in last qtr ( from the comments there haven't been too many that have had a direct impact on the result).

For me it's not the total of kicks but the correct interpretation of the rule that's important.

I agree with Wolftone - the league really needs to go back to the original intent and application of the rules. Just stop tinkering to make the game more flowing for the tv audience.

Having been a field umpire in a previous life, there's really no way can you totally influence the outcome of a game, if you call them as you see them. The field umpire usually has a different view to the supporter over the fence and there are a number of example where the non controlling umpire makes a call when the closer umpire doesn't pick up the infringment.

It's not so much the number but the correctness of the call.

[Matimbo]

Swans v Umpires? Don't worry about it, we're better than them right across the park. Our mids are harder, our forwards taller and our backs better disciplined. However, I do acknowledge their superiority in getting first touch at every bounce. Have faith, we'll beat them easily. BTW, when is this game??

[aardvark]

Not worth whinging about - we get so much better deal these days than we used to do.

Interesting that it coincides with Razor being injured for most of the last 2 years

[hot potato]

Swans v Umpires? Don't worry about it, we're better than them right across the park. Our mids are harder, our forwards taller and our backs better disciplined. However, I do acknowledge their superiority in getting first touch at every bounce. Have faith, we'll beat them easily. BTW, when is this game??

All jokes aside, this is an awesome concept, I think the AFL should embrace it, maybe a curtain raiser to the Granny!
HP

[sidswan]

Conspiracy theories?.........I'm hearing from my pals in Geelong, that their players are being unfairly pinged because the AFL dosen't want them to win another flag for a while.

[Bloodthirsty]

Conspiracy theories?.........I'm hearing from my pals in Geelong, that their players are being unfairly pinged because the AFL dosen't want them to win another flag for a while.

There is no doubt in my mind that the AFL would love to see Hawthorn lift the premiership cup this year. Interstate teams winning it should be regarded as a 'sometimes' thing, but the old Victorian attitude creeps in eventually.

[alt_mattr]

I am convinced the umpires are fair, skilled and do their best on the field. However, I have had it up to here with all the tinkering being done with the rules. It is the players on the field who are the custodians of the game, not the umpire's or their boss, or the AFL organisation for that matter.

[giant]

Interesting that it coincides with Razor being injured for most of the last 2 years

The coincidence had occurred to me too...

[Nico]

I just think it illustrates the way the Swans play the game -the antithesis of 'bruise free football'.

I also think we, on the whole, lack players who duck their heads or use other illegitimate methods to draw high contact frees. We have many who attack the ball head first and win their share that way - Jude, for instance - but no Selwoods or Thomases or the like. Benny McGlynn comes the closest, aided by the fact he's short, but even most of his are where he is genuinely going for the ball and cops unfair high contact from an opponent.

Goodes is probably the worst (or best) we currently have for trying to draw attention to frees he thinks he deserves, but he doesn't go out of his way to create high contact, and most of those he appeals for are just about there.

And isn't there a heap of whinging by players for frees after the umpire has made a decision. A waste of breath. Jack Riewolt never stops but we don't do it that much. As you said Liz, Goodes is our culprit and surely umpires know the serial offenders.

[Primmy]

Slight factual error there. The free against Leo Barry was the worst decision of all time, not just 2005. Cost us the game and meant we had to win three tough games instead of two to get the flag. A lesser team would not have gone on to to win the Premiership.

I agree with you here. Shocker that still rankles. One good thing came out of it though. That ump was dropped from contention for the Granny. Didn't get another gig in the finals either. Small minded of me of course, but that was sweet to know.

[magic.merkin]

And then they let a few infringements go in the Barry mark pack. So it's all swings and roundabouts.