The umpires need to be investigated.

[crackedactor]

I'd argue that the free kick stats gets skewed because we don't get rewarded nearly enough for 'free kick earning' efforts like good tackles. There were are least 4 or 5 instances last night that were clear holding the ball/illegal disposals where we should of got free but didn't - its an ongoing trend this year, and so frustrating. In particular we don't get nearly enough reward when the players do the 'Hawthorn drop'.

if people think last nights umpiring was bad, just remember the Hawks can call on Stevic, Schmitt, Pannell or Chamberlain comes finals time - who are all infinitely worse than the three on show last night. The rest of the competition is @@@@@@, as the umps will ensure the hawks get over the line if they need to.

If the rules were enforced as they should be, in particular incorrect disposal, the hawks would come back to the field very quickly. They are the masters at dropping the ball and incorrect disposal, and dodgy handballs, and they get away with it time and time and time and time and time again.

- - - Updated - - -



The Jack one was exceptionally harsh - he couldn't just magically get out of the protected zone, and hadn't deviated to get in there, a poor 50/50 call. The McGlynn one was there though - I really think the Dawks player went to play on and McGlynn's actions were fair though, but I can see how they gave it. I wish the umpires would stop focusing on crap like that and start focusing on frees that should be given but are not - i.e. those when players dispose of the ball by just dropping it cold.

What about the Lewis one where Rohan pinned him by the arm he just dropped the ball. Nothing. what about the Lloyd free kick when he was blatantly held back, when there was about 40 seconds to go, Nothing. Mcglynn was only a natural reaction for someone that was about the handball, 99% of the time the umps just give a warning. Hawthorn is the AFL love child and 4 flags is a no brainer, my interest in 2016 is almost gone already and I may start following NRL.

[mcs]

What about the Lewis one where Rohan pinned him by the arm he just dropped the ball. Nothing. what about the Lloyd free kick when he was blatantly held back, when there was about 40 seconds to go, Nothing. Mcglynn was only a natural reaction for someone that was about the handball, 99% of the time the umps just give a warning. Hawthorn is the AFL love child and 4 flags is a no brainer, my interest in 2016 is almost gone already and I may start following NRL.

Haha crack don't bother with NRL if you want to watch a code with better officiating.... their referees make AFL umpires look like professionals.

There is no doubt the Hawks get more than their fair share of the rub of the green. Its just something we, or anyone else, will have to overcome to beat the scum and break the curse on the AFL. They were so, so very lucky in both 2012 and 2014 to even make the GF after they got some ridiculous calls in both prelim finals at critical stages. It'll take an almighty effort for anyone to beat the Hawks as a team of 18 players, let alone when you take their extras in green into account. But I dare to hope someone will manage to do it - I'm just so over their feral fans and their arrogant bunch of wanker players.

I bleat constantly about the blight that dropping the ball is on the game. Hawks are the experts at getting away with it, in particular when they lift the ball up high in contests and just let it 'slip' out of their hands - that is the one that really grates me.

[caj23]

I've never been so angry about the umpires as I was last night

Would it be a fair comment to suggest that we don't have the interstate home ground advantage that the SA and WA teams have as our supporters are too polite. They would have been booed mercilessly at those venues and wouldn't have got out of the ground alive with a performance like that!

[Blue Sun]

I missed Longmires post match interview, did he make note of the umpiring? I would love an explanation from the umps in regards to what the Swans did wrong to not earn the free kick in various situations. That Hodge tackle on Sinclair early on was reckless, negligent and bordering on malicious quite frankly, and yet it went unnoticed - they turned a blind eye (and then called him out on an innocuous tackle on McGlynn later on - atoning for a past mistake, much?). Hodge gets a golden ticket it seems, the guy went DUI for Christs sake and he barely got a slap on the wrist.

It seems they've also forgotten the holding the ball decision and you can now drop the ball as you please with no consequence. That is of course unless Hawthorn tackle you, in which case it's a free kick.

I bet the umpires make a point of the protected zone 50m penalty for the remaining games of this round too, whether it was actually a focus for the umpires this week or to cover their own behinds. Neither would surprise me.

I hate the Hawks, not afraid to admit it. They were good last night, but the Swans were better for most of it. If the umpiring was 50/50, we'd have won. That's what pisses me off.

[mcs]

I've never been so angry about the umpires as I was last night

Would it be a fair comment to suggest that we don't have the interstate home ground advantage that the SA and WA teams have as our supporters are too polite. They would have been booed mercilessly at those venues and wouldn't have got out of the ground alive with a performance like that!

Definitely agree Caj about the home ground advantage - I put it down a bit to our crowd not having as larger % of 'diehard' fans as those states (where they all live and breathe afl and that's it) - so its a more passive crowd. At times in the Trumper Stand its like a morgue, with many people far more concerned about what they are doing on the weekend or what pub they are going to get pissed at then what's going on on the field. You often get funny looks when you show a bit of passion and get stuck in a bit too. We certainly don't get the 19th man advantage that other clubs do playing at home - but its not something that can quickly be fixed.

[Danzar]

It's actually gotten to the point where the Hawks have integrated the room umps give them into their style of play. Short kicks, holding possession, crowding the mark etc etc. There's a reason why they win while still having such a low contested possession count - they just hold onto the ball, creep it up the ground, then attack.

[Swanny40519]

I hate the Hawks, not afraid to admit it. They were good last night, but the Swans were better for most of it. If the umpiring was 50/50, we'd have won. That's what pisses me off.

I agree. I feel shattered after last night. The umpires were disgraceful in the fact they were so one sided. They received 6 free kicks to nothing in the second qtr, and you cannot tell me that Hawks did not do one single illegal tackle, push in the back, holding the ball or arm hold.

I could handle the Bulldogs loss as it was a hard fair contest, but last night was just an example of a corrupt AFL competition with pathetic umpires. I dread the finals when Stevic, Smitch and co umpire their favoured team.

[jono2707]

Geez I thought us Swans fans were better than whining and moaning about umpiring but apparently not. We didn't deserve to win that game last night and to blame umpiring 'conspiracies' is pathetic.

[mcs]

It's actually gotten to the point where the Hawks have integrated the room umps give them into their style of play. Short kicks, holding possession, crowding the mark etc etc. There's a reason why they win while still having such a low contested possession count - they just hold onto the ball, creep it up the ground, then attack.

They certainly are masters at manipulating every little bit of space afforded by the umpires. Just like they are masters at the 'dropsies' over the head tactic that is used as a way to get away with incorrect disposal in congested passages. They are always first to adopt to any changes and to find a way to make it work for them.

[Swanny40519]

How do the the hawks get away with crowding the man on the mark, holding and pushing while their kicker plays on around the man on the mark.

It happens all the time and they are never penalised, but if one of our players goes near them - 50m straight away.

[The Big Cat]

Someone in the media mentioned the other day that before every match Hawthorn have pictures of each umpire in the rooms so each player can address them by name when they come into the rooms before the game.

[RogueSwan]

I don't think there's a real conspiracy in Hawthorn's favour, although I concede that's probably more based around a skeptic view of "surely that sort of thing doesn't really go on", but I'd be curious to know just what it is. Is it something to do with their training regime and they just have remarkable core strength across the board...

I did listen to a podcast during the week where they mentioned that all the Hawks players learn every umpires name. Before the game when the umpires meet the teams the Hawks players go out of their way to use the umpires names when greeting them. I don't know if other teams do this, or if it is true. If it is the case it is a very smart thing they are doing.

edit: beaten by BC

[stellation]

The Jack one was exceptionally harsh - he couldn't just magically get out of the protected zone, and hadn't deviated to get in there, a poor 50/50 call. The McGlynn one was there though - I really think the Dawks player went to play on and McGlynn's actions were fair though, but I can see how they gave it. I wish the umpires would stop focusing on crap like that and start focusing on frees that should be given but are not - i.e. those when players dispose of the ball by just dropping it cold.

The Jack one was a little puzzling- I haven't seen a replay of it, but live it did feel remarkably fast to be blowing the whistle for a 50 for encroaching on the protected zone. The only thing I could think of is that the rule is you're supposed to leave the protected area by the quickest possible route, so Jack perhaps should have been running in a different direction, but ignoring that seems to rarely be paid, it was such a quick whistle I don't think you could reasonably have expected the player to have really twigged what was going on.

The McGlynn one was "technically there", but it was a good example of over policing a rule- he in no way held up the player with the kick, and immediately returned to his mark. Umpires should be able to adjudicate as they see fit for the shades of grey rulings, but there needs to be pretty clear cut guidance given to them that encroaching a mark by a couple of steps under those circumstances and not in any way impeding the player taking the kick is perfectly fine. If Ben hadn't returned to the mark and had just followed the Hawk player who had run past then I doubt it would have been called, which suggests there really was no impact.

[RogueSwan]

Geez I thought us Swans fans were better than whining and moaning about umpiring but apparently not. We didn't deserve to win that game last night and to blame umpiring 'conspiracies' is pathetic.

Yep, only some of the Swans seemed to be trying their best last night, and it seemed to be the kids. Our much vaunted midfield, Kennedy Parker and Hanners, seemed tired and lost last night.
I don't think it is the umpires fault we can't hold a lead with two minutes to go, I'm guessing that is inexperience.
Would we have lost these close games last year with Goodesy and Shaw playing? Does it point to our leaders not taking control when required? I don't know

[Maltopia]

Geez I thought us Swans fans were better than whining and moaning about umpiring but apparently not. We didn't deserve to win that game last night and to blame umpiring 'conspiracies' is pathetic.

Hey jono2727, what rubs me is that the Hawks were only kept in the game through the lop-sided umpiring particularly in the first half, e.g., quick HTB against us, vs Lewis obvious drop of the ball, 50m called on us, but not them etc. If we had gotten closer on the 50/50 calls instead of losing most of them, then it wouldn't have mattered what we did in the final 100 seconds as the game would have been out of reach for the Hawks.

Most people saying it is a conspiracy are just venting, but it does really look like there is biased officiating against us. It might be unintentional bias, but it is still bad for a national game overall.

We really need more umpires from WA, SA, NSW etc., just like international cricket introduced having "neutral" umpires from non-competing countries. Umpires who openly barrack for certain teams etc., should just not officiate games involving those teams. This is not because they are cheats, but why put the umpire into a situation where his integrity might be questioned? Just avoid the potential possibility/appearance of bias altogether.