Round 19: Geelong v Sydney Swans

[Ludwig]

We subbed out Nankervis because the ball wasn't even getting to our forward line and when it did, he was incapable of taking a mark and he certainly wasn't going to stop any Geelong rebound out of defence. We won the hitouts by a large margin but lost the centre clearances 14-7. Our midfield were overrun in the centre and we lost the contested possession by a huge margin as well.

We can talk all we want about game plan and forward structure, but if you the ball is continually moving in the wrong direction, it really doesn't matter.

[stevoswan]

We were outplayed and outclassed tonight.

Stop the bull@@@@ about umpiring - they don't kick the ball, they don't fumble the ball, they don't drop marks, they don't kick the ball to the opposition - all they do is call what they see.

Every decision is going to make only 50% of the crowd happy.

If you think you can do better, then have go at it.
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I have respect for those guys, I have been there and done it.

I'm sorry, I have little respect for "officialdom' who appear to carry out the orders of their employers, and who have no respect for a fair contest....they so often mirror the AFL's agenda, and at the moment, we all know what that is. Same when I played, if you get on their wrong side, they make you pay. Grubs of the highest order. In the case of this joke league, much like their employer. Cowards with a whistle. Wimps who couldn't play, or have never played, it's reflected in their complete non understanding of the vagaries of the game. It's as if the AFL drag people off the street and say read this 'rule' book and then you can be an umpire at the highest level. They are getting worse every year. It's embarrassing........

[Melbourne_Blood]

I'm sorry, I have little respect for "officialdom' who appear to carry out the orders of their employers, and who have no respect for a fair contest....they so often mirror the AFL's agenda, and at the moment, we all know what that is. Same when I played, if you get on their wrong side, they make you pay. Grubs of the highest order. In the case of this joke league, much like their employer. Cowards with a whistle. Wimps who couldn't play, or have never played, it's reflected in their complete non understanding of the vagaries of the game. It's as if the AFL drag people off the street and say read this 'rule' book and then you can be an umpire at the highest level. They are getting worse every year. It's embarrassing........

Pull up Stevo, you sound like my dad. Yeah they can be horrible, yes they were on Saturday night, to suggest it's all a conspiracy against the swans is giving an alibi to a football team that has produced some insipid football for a large part of the year. The league change the rules that often that nobody in their right mind would be an umpire. Without these blokes, we don't have a game.

[stevoswan]

Pull up Stevo, you sound like my dad. Yeah they can be horrible, yes they were on Saturday night, to suggest it's all a conspiracy against the swans is giving an alibi to a football team that has produced some insipid football for a large part of the year. The league change the rules that often that nobody in their right mind would be an umpire. Without these blokes, we don't have a game.

I know we need them, it's just a pity their influence on what should be a fair contest is so telling. By the way, your Dad is probably a similar age to me, and remembers the days when fans were angry when they could pick out only one or two errors in a game(now there is so many, it's hard not to be suspicious!), the days when umpires understood the game, the days when we had great umpires like Glenn James and Jeff Crouch, umpires that actually had fans respect. Now we can virtually predict which team will be favoured, just by checking who the umpires are, ie; Stevic/Hawthorn. I think the leagues attitude to our club, and the resulting way we are officiated, is getting the players down and leading to "insipid football". Everyone at the Swans at the moment would feel under siege, unfairly picked on, "on the nose", unpopular........this must be terribly draining, and it's being reflected on the field. This "league" and their willing officials are draining the Bloods spirit out of them........

[WauchopeAnalyst]

No explanation from 'The Big Cat' regarding being illogical but it pretty clear that you believe that Goodes, Shaw, Richards and the two captains will carry us this year and the next and the reserves are pretty useless. Got to be positive...

I saw your posts in the 'retirements' thread.

[Swansinger]

If swans lose to Collingwood next week I just might go into hibernation for the rest of the year.

Prepare the cave and stock up on nuts and berries right now ! Oh , hang on - maybe not : cos we aren't playing them at ANZ !

[bennyfabulous]

I believe there needs to be a fundamental change. Pay the umpires a lot more (400k pa) but hold them to higher standards with statistics kept on correct, incorrect & missed decisions. That way they are held accountable & we don't have this situation where we are talking conspiracies & umpires ruining the game.

[Melbourne_Blood]

I believe there needs to be a fundamental change. Pay the umpires a lot more (400k pa) but hold them to higher standards with statistics kept on correct, incorrect & missed decisions. That way they are held accountable & we don't have this situation where we are talking conspiracies & umpires ruining the game.

I agree to an extent. Probably need to be paid more, and definitely should be held accountable ( eg. Several incorrect decisions in a game = dropped for a game ). But constant rule changes ( especially mid season) and directives from above to interpret rules differently must be so confusing you have to feel for these blokes.

[annew]

Prepare the cave and stock up on nuts and berries right now ! Oh , hang on - maybe not : cos we aren't playing them at ANZ !

Nuts and berries are packed ????

[bennyfabulous]

I too agree they probably need to be paid better than now, but when you start paying in the hundreds of thousands, you will get the best people & of course when u pay that kinda of money you would expect that if decision making or error rate drops below 90% correct, your not dropped for a game your fired!!!!

[Melbourne_Blood]

I too agree they probably need to be paid better than now, but when you start paying in the hundreds of thousands, you will get the best people & of course when u pay that kinda of money you would expect that if decision making or error rate drops below 90% correct, your not dropped for a game your fired!!!!

With that logic, in terms of money earnt and mistakes made, half our side would be fired!!!!!

[crackedactor]

no contaqct

Sort of flushed him in the head with his bum/hip when Hawkins was bent over to pick up the footy. Not a huge amount of contact, you would think a fine at best but with bad record maybe not.

Actually if you look at the slo mo you cannot see any contact. Just Hawkins playing for a free, and the bias they were umpiring with , it was always a good chance it would be paid.

[bennyfabulous]

With that logic, in terms of money earnt and mistakes made, half our side would be fired!!!!!

Haha true, but no ones trying to pulverize the umpire while he makes his decision!

[annew]

Actually if you look at the slo mo you cannot see any contact. Just Hawkins playing for a free, and the bias they were umpiring with , it was always a good chance it would be paid.

They said on SEN this morning that Richards must get a week for it

[jono2707]

Ted knew he'd done the wrong thing, and threw his hands up to give himself up. In that sort of situation you can't blame Hawkins for his actions - Ted was in the wrong. They're both lucky nothing bad came of it and they both reacted accordingly afterwards.

Ted may be unlucky and get a week.