Umpiring 2026 Umpiring trends

[PenfoldsFan]

38 games have now been completed in season 2026.
Vics have won 27 free kick counts.
Interstate clubs have won 9 free kick counts.
2 draws.

After 37 games had been completed in season 2025.
Vics had won 27 free kick count wins.
Interstate clubs had won 10 free kick count wins.

Anyone see a trend?

 

[north_lad]

38 games have now been completed in season 2026.
Vics have won 27 free kick counts.
Interstate clubs have won 9 free kick counts.
2 draws.

After 37 games had been completed in season 2025.
Vics had won 27 free kick count wins.
Interstate clubs had won 10 free kick count wins.

Anyone see a trend?

Umpires know which state is the best

 

[PenfoldsFan]

Umpires know which state is the best

The broke one?

 

[WindyHillZephyr]

I've been watching neutral footy, Coll v Haw and WB v Frea. My question is what will happen first:
A) Umpires become universally competent.
B) Essendon becomes competent.
C) The AFL becomes transparent and actually cares about the game.
D) I pass away peacefully in my sleep, free from any frustrations, having turned off the football years before.

 

[ReturningHawk]

PenfoldsFan taking the night off updating the #vicbias free kick stats. Post-showdown Port fans might need to cool the ump bias talk for the next 10-15 years.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

PenfoldsFan taking the night off updating the #vicbias free kick stats. Post-showdown Port fans might need to cool the ump bias talk for the next 10-15 years.

I was a guest in front row of the Legends seats at the Showdown tonight, sorry if I was pre-occupied.

53k fans united that umpires are a disgrace.

28-2-9

+108

#freekickvic

 

[PenfoldsFan]

29-2-9

+113

 

[ReturningHawk]

Change to the stand rule effective immediately any teammate who enters the protected area to try to lose their man or induce a 50m penalty should cause the umpire to call play on. Sick of watching this stupid cat and mouse game after every mark.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

30-2-9 free kick counts in favour of Vic.

+120 frees to Vic.

#freekickvic

 

[two blue tiger]

Change to the stand rule effective immediately any teammate who enters the protected area to try to lose their man or induce a 50m penalty should cause the umpire to call play on. Sick of watching this stupid cat and mouse game after every mark.

Throw the fn stupidest rule in world sport out. PLEASE.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

30-3-9

+120

5-1-0 free kick wins to Vics in 2026 by Australia's favourite umpire.

 

[010203]

31-2-9

+121

6-0 free kick wins to Vics in 2026 by Australia's favourite umpire.

Who's that?

 

[010203]

Scott Gullan via the Herald Sun wrote this using the ANZAC Eve game as an example:

"The AFL has a well-used strategy to give umpires big-game exposure where they put one of the best in the game up with three developing types to give them a sense of what it’s like under the bright lights.

On Friday night the game’s best umpire for the past decade, Matt Stevic – who has officiated 12 grand finals and is an eight-time All-Australian – was centre stage.

Alongside him were Nick Brown, who has umpired over 160 games but never a final, Eleni Tee who has just passed 100 games; and South Australian Tom Bruce who has just over 40 games to his name."

Tonight for Fremantle vs Hawthorn we have Brett Rosebery who has umpired over 500 games and Jacob Mollison who has umpired close to 400 games, so it's good to see at least 2 extremely experienced umpires in action tonight.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

30-3-10

+119..lol

 

[ReturningHawk]

Speaking of actual umpiring trends: fashion

Who would be an AFL umpire, have you seen what they have to wear? It's only slightly more flattering than a fluoro mankini.

NBA:

NFL

Soccer

AAAAAAAAAND the AFL

 

[Gaborone]

What instructions are being given to umpires by the AFL in terms of holding the ball/ dropping the ball and 50 metre penalties.? I am especially confused as to why excellent tackles are not being rewarded. Does the AFL want this fantastic feature of our game to disappear?

 

[PenfoldsFan]

30-3-12

+107

 

[PenfoldsFan]

31-3-12

+110

 

[PenfoldsFan]

32-3-12

+115

 

[ReturningHawk]

32-3-12

+115

So the Victorian sides have received 2.4 extra free kicks per game on average! Season defining stuff. Please keep us informed.

Meanwhile your team receive the clearest, categorically biased treatment in living memory, and we look to Penfolds, our resident expert in umpire bias: “no comment”. Funny that.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

So the Victorian sides have received 2.4 extra free kicks per game on average! Season defining stuff. Please keep us informed.

Meanwhile your team receive the clearest, categorically biased treatment in living memory, and we look to Penfolds, our resident expert in umpire bias: “no comment”. Funny that.

Apologies for spending the weekend in the city, devoting time to my lovely Wife and for being at and focussed on the game last night.
I thought thats what you people wanted.

My team certainly has had a turn of fortune from the umpiring dept in the past 2 weeks.
Coincides perfectly with the draft changes that stitch up my club inparticularly.
Its almost like the AFL want us to climb the ladder, I wonder why..

 

[hawkman]

Apologies for spending the weekend in the city, devoting time to my lovely Wife and for being at and focussed on the game last night.
I thought thats what you people wanted.

My team certainly has had a turn of fortune from the umpiring dept in the past 2 weeks.
Coincides perfectly with the draft changes that stitch up my club inparticularly.
Its almost like the AFL want us to climb the ladder, I wonder why..

And 2 big Vic clubs in Carlton and Essendon but we can just ignore that

 

[ReturningHawk]

My team certainly has had a turn of fortune from the umpiring dept in the past 2 weeks.

A “turn of fortune” hardly covers what happened in the showdown. Two goals directly stripped from the opposition in a 1 point game. Be honest, if it had been a Victorian side against Adelaide you would’ve been parading it as the most blatant example of bias the game has seen.

Coincides perfectly with the draft changes that stitch up my club inparticularly.
Its almost like the AFL want us to climb the ladder, I wonder why..

It says a lot that Port fans still think this is a stitch up. Did you ever think that if the AFL had any interest in “stitching you up” over Cochrane, that they might’ve simply denied your NGA application as they did with Hawthorn and Greeves?

Only SA fans could be granted priority access to a generational talent and then whip out their pitchforks in the Vicbias thread when they discover they can’t get him for pick 33.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

And 2 big Vic clubs in Carlton and Essendon but we can just ignore that

Who's ignoring them?

Ask their fans for comment.

 

[PenfoldsFan]

A “turn of fortune” hardly covers what happened in the showdown. Two goals directly stripped from the opposition in a 1 point game. Be honest, if it had been a Victorian side against Adelaide you would’ve been parading it as the most blatant example of bias the game has seen.

It says a lot that Port fans still think this is a stitch up. Did you ever think that if the AFL had any interest in “stitching you up” over Cochrane, that they might’ve simply denied your NGA application as they did with Hawthorn and Greeves?

Only SA fans could be granted priority access to a generational talent and then whip out their pitchforks in the Vicbias thread when they discover they can’t get him for pick 33.

I was quite vocal at the game about the BS umpiring of the Showdown in our favour.
I literally said it in the matchday thread that it united both sets of fans which is quite a feat in itself.

Please keep up or dont engage me, I have no time for last weeks news.