#AFL Round 16 Bombers v Swans Sat 6-Jul at MCG #AFLDonsSwans @sydneyswans

[chalbilto]

What irritates me most about the umpiring is not the number of frees given against (which are mostly there) but the one that aren't paid, and annoyingly similar frees that are paid to the opposition. As Stevoswan said in another post "I just think that there has to be better ways of taking the game out of the umpires hands more by actually just making it easier for them to get the traditional rules right" and I would also add adjudicate illegal disposal e.g. pay a free for dropping the ball and not allow a player to pass it to a teammate. Also reward the tackler for correct tackles. I have watched games from the 70's,80's 90's where there was only one umpire and the game flowed. The umpires would also quickly ball up and there were no "rugby" like mauls. The rules have been around for a long time, the umpires should just enforce them. If the penalty count blows out so be it. Eventually the message will get through to the players.

[stellation]

I feel like the lopsided free kick count was contributed in some part to a relatively inexperienced team being a tad undisciplined or not quite knowing the tricks of the trade yet.

[Go Swannies]

I feel like the lopsided free kick count was contributed in some part to a relatively inexperienced team being a tad undisciplined or not quite knowing the tricks of the trade yet.

Like Blakey getting up and taking the kick after a late snipe that should have been a 50m?

[stellation]

Like Blakey getting up and taking the kick after a late snipe that should have been a 50m?

Do you mean Dawson? That was a terrible miss by the umpires, it was a pretty obvious big forward "I'll make you wear one for standing in front of me" act.

There were quite a few decisions I was disappointed with (and I imagine if I go check the FA I'm completely wrong and it's all the experienced heads!).

[Go Swannies]

Do you mean Dawson? That was a terrible miss by the umpires, it was a pretty obvious big forward "I'll make you wear one for standing in front of me" act.

There were quite a few decisions I was disappointed with (and I imagine if I go check the FA I'm completely wrong and it's all the experienced heads!).

Thanks - that makes sense. I saw a rangey kid and thought it was Blakey and wondered why he was so far back (d'uh) but I had the sound down as I was tired of the Fox commentators coaching the Bombers in what they had to do to win (when the answer was simply wait for the umps to hand it to them on a platter with gift frees in their forward 50). But, yes, the young Swans fell off the pace - and their tackles - towards the end of the game.

[mcs]

Do you mean Dawson? That was a terrible miss by the umpires, it was a pretty obvious big forward "I'll make you wear one for standing in front of me" act.

There were quite a few decisions I was disappointed with (and I imagine if I go check the FA I'm completely wrong and it's all the experienced heads!).

Imho should have been 50 and also reported. Was clear he was getting nowhere near it several seconds out so just decided to whack him one....

[dejavoodoo44]

The game is just too difficult to umpire. I think there should be a few changes to take umpiring out many of these decisions:

1. Do away with the handball. A player can throw the ball, so long as it's underhand. This does away with improper disposal decisions. If you drop the ball, it's just play on.
2. Do away with the whole concept of prior opportunity. Just keep playing until the ball stops moving, then toss it up.
3. Implement the last touch out of bounds rule to take intent out of the equation.
4. Drop the minimum distance requirement for a mark. If there's a kick and a mark, then it's a mark, regardless of how far the ball goes. But the player only has 5 seconds to dispose of the ball.
5. Do away with the bounce after 15 metres. A player with the ball can run as far as he likes with ball in hand.

These rule changes will speed up the game and reduce the number of free kicks, which will be mostly limited to head high and other dangerous contact, and interference calls, like holding.

Interesting.
Though if I am correctly recalling, what I've read about the early development of the game, the handball and the bounce, were introduced in order to encourage a more open and free flowing game. That is, by introducing a couple of skills that could go wrong and then lead to a player getting caught with the ball, the rule makers thought that they were encouraging players to kick the ball long and away from the congested rolling mauls, that were a blight on the early game. Which were successful rule changes.

Though of course, it's debatable whether something that was successful in the 19th century, should still apply now. Generally speaking, I think so. While your proposed changes might make it a bit easier to umpire, it may increase the number of ugly, grinding mauls: especially getting rid of the handball and allowing the play to continue after dropping the ball. I think that this could lead to extended periods of play, where a tackled player drops the ball and when another player gets possession, they are immediately set upon and then a wrestling match occurs, until the ball is again dropped. If once again, the ball ends up close by, whoever decides to chance picking it up, is then likely to also be immediately tackled. And so on, and so on, and so on. So for that scenario, I think there needs to be a circuit breaker, like holding the ball or illegal disposal decisions.

[stevoswan]

I feel like the lopsided free kick count was contributed in some part to a relatively inexperienced team being a tad undisciplined or not quite knowing the tricks of the trade yet.

I don't agree. You are being very kind to the green maggot flogs.....

[Nico]

Do you mean Dawson? That was a terrible miss by the umpires, it was a pretty obvious big forward "I'll make you wear one for standing in front of me" act.

There were quite a few decisions I was disappointed with (and I imagine if I go check the FA I'm completely wrong and it's all the experienced heads!).

The ABC radio commentators said that we got some very bad decisions against us. What about Jones getting pinged for holding the ball. He did great pick up off his boot laces and was immediately tackled to the ground....holding the ball, incredulous. 2nd quarter Tippan W blatantly runs through the protected zone in the centre of the ground..no 50. Clarke runs through the protection zone right at the end of 2nd Q about 70 from our goal. It was blatant... no 50. In both these cases they didn't follow a Swans player through.

[stellation]

I don't agree. You are being very kind to the green maggot flogs.....

I most likely am being a tad kind, but the team did seem quite inexperienced and lacking in composure yesterday and those attributes will likely lead to giving away a few frees.

[Nico]

I missed the early part of the game - was there a reason for the Rampe booing?

No reason. Probably the goal post issue. It got worse as the game went on. I was in the MCC members and it appeared to come from their cheer squad area behind the goals or that end. Mindless individuals ruled by the pack. People around us, both Swans and Essendon supporters just didn't get the mindless booing.

[Nico]

List of dodgy frees or ones to us we should've got if they were consistent:
1) Ollie "push in the back" on MTW
2) Holding ball on Blakey (where was the prior?)
3) Holding on Aliir in ruck contest with McKernan leading to crucial goal
4) Deliberate out of bounds by Stringer when tackled by Rampe in forward pocket
5) Where was the 50m when Dawson got elbowed in the back of the head
6) Push in the back on one of our guys as we were pressing in attack during Q4
That is literally off the top of my head. Even though we had our opportunities and wasted many, we still should've won if not for the cheating umpires. And can we stop bloody playing on!!!!

Reid pushed in the back in a marking contest in the last 5 minutes, umpire was side on, how he didn't see it is beyond me. The replay on the big screen was damning.

[stellation]

The ABC radio commentators said that we got some very bad decisions against us. What about Jones getting pinged for holding the ball. He did great pick up off his boot laces and was immediately tackled to the ground....holding the ball, incredulous. 2nd quarter Tippan W blatantly runs through the protected zone in the centre of the ground..no 50. Clarke runs through the protection zone right at the end of 2nd Q about 70 from our goal. It was blatant... no 50. In both these cases they didn't follow a Swans player through.

I agree on those, and did feel they were pretty obvious ones to miss. I feel like we didn't really get any 50/50 calls and the Bombers seemed to get all theirs. I don't think Anthony McD-T was pushed in the back, but was awarded a free and a shot on goal. At the other end I thought Isaac took a strong overhead mark in our forward 50, clearly controlled it then had it knocked out of his hands yet no call.

[Nico]

Yes, hard to fault Isaac today - getting better each week.

But some really poor decisions (or lack of vision) cost us today (& that’s not counting the poor umpies).

We also seemed to let them get away in the last quarter - missed a lot of tackles & they killed us.

Will Hayward needs to be dropped for his rubbish decisions. Takes a mark on 50 in the 3rd Q, stands there for an eternity while we had 3 players on their own inside 20 metres for a month of Sundays yelling for it, then tries a crap short pass, turnover. Any chance he might have a shot himself. How did he miss the goal from the top of the square. No excuse but the 50 metre penalty should have been on the goal line as the man was standing the mark on about 51 metres. However, his undisciplined play and poor set shot kicking has cost us week in week out.

Thought Ollie Florent found it a bit tough yesterday.
Ben Ronke...mmmm. Had to look hard to see if he was on the ground.
Rose...needs to put his body on the line rather that just putting his pinkies in at the contest.
Melican ... I just can't warm to him. His first half was so forgettable. In the last quarter Rampe has the ball, Melican is 50 metres on his own on the fat side, nup, not going there and went straight up the guts. Said it all for me.
James Rowbottom played a very good game.
Allir is a star. Got most of our centre clearances.
An Essendon fan I was with got it right when he said Essendon got its run on in the last quarter when they dominated the centre clearances.

[Nico]

Yes, last year's draft is shaping as a very good one for us. I'm starting to think that Rowbottom will develop into the next Luke Parker. As Blakey matures, he's obviously going to have more and more games, where he wreaks havoc on the opposition. McInerney in the NEAFL, is showing that he's a classy ball user and that he should be a regular in the senior side, once he adds a bit more muscle. And Zac Foot has had plenty of moments, even though he was one of the youngest in the draft.

I was looking to see if Blakey used his pace and the open spaces of the MCG to lead up of for his possessions, but alas that didn't happen. Still has a lot to learn.

In the middle quarters Essendon had a lot of players back but we continued to hold on to the footy rather than moving it on quickly to catch them out. This allowed them to get players back. I had a great view and it was so obviously a flaw in our game.