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

[Blood Fever]

I took the No 1 home too, but we stayed for a kick at the ground so there was only one other South fan onboard. It is a great thrill catching that tram when it is full of red and white (grumbling or not).

Still a lot of Red and White on it. Caught it home memorably in 2012 and then immediately watched the replay. Got a lift to and from game in 2005.

[stevoswan]

Just think of it, Stevo. The Bulldogs are just throwing the ball anyway. If we designed the game the today, there wouldn't be hand balling. And we would have won the 2016 premiership.

I know that none of these rules will be changed, but it does take much of the game out of the hands of the umpires. There are too many inconsistencies with the umpiring, within games, and from game to game. If a game is too hard to umpire, it's not a good game. We want to see the better team win. Now there's too much luck involved. I'm not saying the umps are biased, but too much depends on getting their calls going in your favour.

That post I agree with.....except I think some (most) umpires are biased.

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.....but with people like Stephen Hocking at the helm, I won't be holding my breath.

[stevoswan]

I didn’t see the game as one of my friends selfishly turned 50 today.

The rest of your post, which I deleted for "rofl" effect, I totally agree with.

[jono2707]

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.

I like this forward thinking - it will improve the game no end.

But I'd add that, with these changes coming into effect, it would do away with the need for having any on-field umpires at all. A sufficient level of officiating could be achieved via an automated solution in a central umpiring bunker. The new Sydney Metro has driverless trains - these revolutionary changes would usher in the new world of remote AI officiating at all AFL games.

Should do away with any (conscious or unconscious) bias against us in free kick counts as was seen today.

[bodgie]

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 whole concept of prior opportunity. Just keep playing until the ball stops moving, then toss it up.
   
2. Do away with the bounce after 15 metres. A player with the ball can run as far as he likes with ball in hand.

I'm not sure how much humour is meant here. So a team with great ruck men and clearance skills would just stop the ball whenever they want for a good chance at possession? The sight of a guy running big circles to soak up time would be a good laugh every now and then.

[Meg]

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.

Ooh! We could also change to a rectangular, uniform size arena so do away with the home ground advantage of silly grounds such as Kardinia Park. Then Swans could play home matches on the new whizz-bang Allianz Stadium when it’s built. Which means there would be no more talk of a drop-in cricket pitch on the SCG.

I think you are on to something Ludwig. Great forward thinking.

Or are you off-side?

[Ludwig]

Or are you off-side?

When the main talking points in the game are about the umpiring rather than how the teams actually played, then I think the game is in trouble. I'm very serious that I no longer care about results, because there are so many factors extraneous to the core of the game that determine the final outcome.

I think the handball is detrimental to the modern game. It's too technical and causes too many errors in both execution and umpiring.

So what rules would speed up play and take the game out of the hands of the umpires? I've just made a few suggestions. I'm sure there are many others.

[Markwebbos]

When the main talking points in the game are about the umpiring rather than how the teams actually played, then I think the game is in trouble.

Says who?

[troyjones2525]

I think we view umpiring typically through red and white coloured glasses, but does anyone else get sick of the complaining about umpiring on here?

Sure, there were decisions that didn’t go our way, but I’d think that our skill execution (understanding given the experience demographics of our side) likely cost us more.

Everyone has a right to voice an opinion (be it against umpires, players, sweet Caroline). My opinion is that complaining against umpiring is tiresome. It doesn’t change a thing. If we played better, we might have won in spite of the perceived umpiring discrepancies. As the cygnets develop, they will play better.

+1

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[Blood Fever]

+1

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Understand your viewpoint but have a close friend who supports Bombers and he reckons the umps have bailed them out over the last two weeks. Both times in front of a partisan crowd against Sydney teams. Know I'll be seen as extreme but reckon it's a problem that there are too many Victorian umpires and no NSW or QLD umps. Have to live with it like the MCG GF. Maybe it fuels paranoia but it it unsettling for a lot of us fans.

[lwjoyner]

seems like some people who post here are not swans supporters but ring ins. I know we complain a lot about the umps but some of the decisions are bewildering.

[Foreign Legion]

seems like some people who post here are not swans supporters but ring ins. I know we complain a lot about the umps but some of the decisions are bewildering.

The good thing from yesterday is that I am certain Essendon will be blown away in the first week of the finals if they make it. They won't get biased umpiring interstate or against Geelong/Collingwood etc - they will be exposed.

[Sandridge]

Understand your viewpoint but have a close friend who supports Bombers and he reckons the umps have bailed them out over the last two weeks. Both times in front of a partisan crowd against Sydney teams. Know I'll be seen as extreme but reckon it's a problem that there are too many Victorian umpires and no NSW or QLD umps. Have to live with it like the MCG GF. Maybe it fuels paranoia but it it unsettling for a lot of us fans.

The last 2 weeks, Bombers 55 free kicks to the two Sydney teams 30 free kicks.
Both narrow, come from behind victories.
They're this year's 2016 Bulldogs.

[Foreign Legion]

The last 2 weeks, Bombers 55 free kicks to the two Sydney teams 30 free kicks.
Both narrow, come from behind victories.
They're this year's 2016 Bulldogs.

They are not good enough. Besides Saad and Fantasia they have a lot of plodders. Hurley is a good player but not great. Shiel seems to have gone backwards. I suspect they will be 7-11th ish for the next 2 years before Worsfold is given the boot.

[Scottee]

When the main talking points in the game are about the umpiring rather than how the teams actually played, then I think the game is in trouble. I'm very serious that I no longer care about results, because there are so many factors extraneous to the core of the game that determine the final outcome.

I think the handball is detrimental to the modern game. It's too technical and causes too many errors in both execution and umpiring.

So what rules would speed up play and take the game out of the hands of the umpires? I've just made a few suggestions. I'm sure there are many others.

Judging by some of the throws I saw, the rules have already changed, at least for the druggies.