2021 AFL Finals Umpiring

Puddy

Premiership Player
Apr 17, 2008
3,832
1,632
Adelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Other Teams
Ade.Utd.SOCCER club
We need a serious discussion on the umpiring we have seen during the current finals series.

Is it a misinterpretation of the rules by the umpires? Is it a misinterpretation of the rules by football fans?
 

M Malice

Hall of Famer
Aug 31, 2015
31,433
72,024
By the Gabba.
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Valleys. Chelsea.
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Sep 27, 2008
135,145
155,429
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Chelsea, Black Caps, Subiaco
It used to be that finals umpiring was of a higher standard than regular home and away games but that's no longer the case.

We still get the same garbage soft decisions paid in finals now with umpires often favouring one team over another like we do in home and away games.

It's even happened in Grand Finals, see the 2016 and 2017 Grand Finals for proof where the umpires favoured the fairytale drought breaking teams.
 
Apr 29, 2016
10,157
8,956
AFL Club
Melbourne
We need a serious discussion on the umpiring we have seen during the current finals series.

Is it a misinterpretation of the rules by the umpires? Is it a misinterpretation of the rules by football fans?

it's misinterpretation as well as stupidity. My biggest grievances:
- calling not 15m as soon as the player kicks the ball.
- Deliberate out of bounds. Many deliberates paid for guys making full efforts to keep the ball in and advantage their team.
- Push in the back isn't paid anymore.
- An inability to recognise staging.
- Star players getting special treatment and more time allowed to dispose of the ball. i.e. bont, danger etc.
- Throws rarely getting paid.
- incredible inconsistency with holding the ball decisions.
- Running too far. The amount of times guys run 20-25m and don't get pulled up for it.
 

M Malice

Hall of Famer
Aug 31, 2015
31,433
72,024
By the Gabba.
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Other Teams
Valleys. Chelsea.
He hasn't been that bad. That cheat Meredith on the other hand has a stiffy for Geelong for some reason.
Yer, I actually think Chamberlain is one of the better umpires in the game, not afraid to make a tough call, all of them make mistakes, we just hope they are not absolute howlers that cost a team late in a close game eg. Lions v Cats at the Cattery early this season.
 

Truckosaurus

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 19, 2009
14,686
35,310
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
It's the rules themselves. They're written to be so vague, subjective and/or complex that any decision can be retrospectively justified. Every time the AFL 'tweaks' a rule (so on multiple occasions throughout the year) they add another layer to it.

Chuck out the current rulebook. Re-write it from scratch with clearer definitions. Then leave it alone.
 

Luv_our_club

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 14, 2017
6,883
12,955
AFL Club
Hawthorn
In the AFL the umpiring has traditionally changed during finals and everyone agrees that it should (It changes in NBA finals also).

But this year there has been no change that is noticeable. There have been a lot of soft free kicks. I wonder whether it is part of the new sensitivity around concussion??

In the Geelong v GWS game, the umpires looked to be trying to send a message to GWS re Toby Greene (if you think that is a conspiracy theory you are kidding yourself).

AFL umpires are a cultish group with a lot of power and with little to no public or professional accountability (beyond what some people call fans "whining"). They have so much freedom to adjust their decisions to send messages to players or teams they like or don't like.
 
Sep 27, 2008
135,145
155,429
AFL Club
St Kilda
Other Teams
Chelsea, Black Caps, Subiaco
Yer, I actually think Chamberlain is one of the better umpires in the game, not afraid to make a tough call, all of them make mistakes, we just hope they are not absolute howlers that cost a team late in a close game eg. Lions v Cats at the Cattery early this season.

At least with Razor he doesn't favour teams, he screws every team with poor decisions in equal measure. He can umpire well at times but he can also make some shocking calls and loves to make the game all about him with his attention seeking antics which prevented him from being an elite umpire.

The fact that everyone knows his name as much as the players isn't a good thing, the best umpires are the ones you don't notice or know who they are.
 
Apr 2, 2014
5,627
7,950
Adelaide, South Australia
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
At least with Razor he doesn't favour teams, he screws every team with poor decisions in equal measure, he can umpire well at times but he can also make some shocking calls and loves to make the game all about him with his attention seeking antics which prevented him from being an elite umpire.
It was enjoyable from a Port perspective vs the Doggies. He called out most of the Doggies bullshit antics in that game to the point where the players were complaining incessantly. I hope we get him for the Prelim.
 
It was enjoyable from a Port perspective vs the Doggies. He called out most of the Doggies bullshit antics in that game to the point where the players were complaining incessantly. I hope we get him for the Prelim.
* off, we want him.
 

Luv_our_club

Norm Smith Medallist
Feb 14, 2017
6,883
12,955
AFL Club
Hawthorn
At least with Razor he doesn't favour teams, he screws every team with poor decisions in equal measure. He can umpire well at times but he can also make some shocking calls and loves to make the game all about him with his attention seeking antics which prevented him from being an elite umpire.

The fact that everyone knows his name as much as the players isn't a good thing, the best umpires are the ones you don't notice or know who they are.

Razor is a Geelong fan boy imo
 

OnlyPowerForever

Cancelled
Mar 22, 2021
2,682
3,821
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
It’s the fans fault the umpiring is poor, stop abusing umps if u want a better standard as kids will actually want to umpire.
Yep. Agreed. And that stands for myself as well, try to stay away from abuse tho.

Abusive attitudes towards umpires across sports is 100x bigger problem than some of the AFL on field incidents linked to umpiring.
 
Jan 18, 2002
11,936
8,353
A bay at Rotto
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
East Rottnest
it's misinterpretation as well as stupidity. My biggest grievances:
- calling not 15m as soon as the player kicks the ball.
- Deliberate out of bounds. Many deliberates paid for guys making full efforts to keep the ball in and advantage their team.
- Push in the back isn't paid anymore.
- An inability to recognise staging.
- Star players getting special treatment and more time allowed to dispose of the ball. i.e. bont, danger etc.
- Throws rarely getting paid.
- incredible inconsistency with holding the ball decisions.
- Running too far. The amount of times guys run 20-25m and don't get pulled up for it.

+ handballing over your head, ........ it’s throwing, just pay it as such.
 
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