Umpiring Eleni Glouftsis should not be umpiring AFL

[Zevon]

A reminder from your friendly neighbourhood moderator that replies to this thread are now on a very tight leash and should be kept to discussion about Eleni’s umpiring abilities only.

Several posts stating or suggesting that Eleni Glouftsis shouldn’t be umpiring solely because she is female have already been removed. Any further posts saying crap like “women are far too emotional to be umpires”, “she’s only umpiring because wokeness is taking over the AFL” etc etc will be removed and infractions given.

You can call us woke, white knights, politically correct or virtue signallers all you want, but the simple fact is that we don’t stand for misogyny here. If that’s not cool with you then you know where the door is.

Thanks, Zev

 

[westie]

She is struggling with ability whereas Fisher is carrying a huge chip on his shoulder!

 

[McIvor]

This is the thing, Eleni may make errors, like all umpires and players and coaches and all of us, but she really isnt any worse than any of them.

I don't agree with that whatsoever.

I watch a lot of footy including neutral games and every game she officiates she demonstrates how out of her depth she it. I'd be astounded if she is better than the better umpires at the levels below.

 

[McIvor]

So, if umpiring quality is an issue at the elite level, what's the solution? I would have thought clubs committing to zero tolerance at grassroots level and higher salaries at the elite and second tier levels are the only way to see genuinely improved quality.

I'm not against that, but I dare say a lot of local clubs implementing that will see a stack of revenue walk out the door as a lot of people will just stop attending altogether.

 

[western royboy]

I'm not against that, but I dare say a lot of local clubs implementing that will see a stack of revenue walk out the door as a lot of people will just stop attending altogether.

At the risk of going right off tap here, what are you actually saying…people won’t come if they can’t abuse the umpire?? FFS umpire numbers at community level and particularly rural areas are off the cliff, the average age of a field umpire is 50+. Let me assure you club umpires will be required to do more senior games going forward and that is not the answer on a number of levels. It is not hard to understand why there’s not many of us left.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

When she first started she was brilliant. Paid only the most obvious frees and let everything else go.
Then the AFL and the umpiring department got their claws into her, made her start paying what is "good for the game" rather than umpiring the gane

 

[McIvor]

At the risk of going right off tap here, what are you actually saying…people won’t come if they can’t abuse the umpire?? FFS umpire numbers at community level and particularly rural areas are off the cliff, the average age of a field umpire is 50+. Let me assure you club umpires will be required to do more senior games going forward and that is not the answer on a number of levels. It is not hard to understand why there’s not many of us left.

I am saying, not that I am one, but take Noosa Tigers up here. If you have people walking around banning people from coming to the games b/c of umpire dissent, thats what will happen. I mean the wet area where most of the colourful language comes from and who spend a fair bit over the bar and probably the most at the footy, will stop coming. No doubt they'll site nanny state and the like but they will stop coming.

I don't abuse the umps at the QAFL level, nor do i much at Lions games other than get frustrated and occassionlly blow my lid at the howlers. The most frustrating level is the VFL. We go to live games up here, but man, the level of officiating at that level is just so abysmal it is actually comical.

Its not the AFL or semi-pro level that worry's me, but i see it up - have zero tolerance at our games and I can guarantee that the people the spend the most on gamedays will just stop coming - hence my comment that many local clubs will find it more tough if they attempt to go to zero dissent.

 

[western royboy]

I am saying, not that I am one, but take Noosa Tigers up here. If you have people walking around banning people from coming to the games b/c of umpire dissent, thats what will happen. I mean the wet area where most of the colourful language comes from and who spend a fair bit over the bar and probably the most at the footy, will stop coming. No doubt they'll site nanny state and the like but they will stop coming.

I don't abuse the umps at the QAFL level, nor do i much at Lions games other than get frustrated and occassionlly blow my lid at the howlers. The most frustrating level is the VFL. We go to live games up here, but man, the level of officiating at that level is just so abysmal it is actually comical.

Its not the AFL or semi-pro level that worry's me, but i see it up - have zero tolerance at our games and I can guarantee that the people the spend the most on gamedays will just stop coming - hence my comment that many local clubs will find it more tough if they attempt to go to zero dissent.

With the greatest respect, and I’ll take you at your word, but getting abused is the number 1 reason why people give it away because when they weigh it up against what they get paid and the time involved it works out to 3/5 of * all. The VFL is where they try out the young kids coming through, it’s the development system, there‘s no old heads running around there. Umpire abuse is a massive problem at all levels - it cannot be tolerated, where not at AI levels that they can do it just yet. Pretty sure down here clubs would tell the yobbos to piss off, or else the remaining officials will have to umpire as well as the 100 other jobs they’ve got.

 

[Madas]

Royboy makes good points .
It starts at the roots of ammo’s footy and if we can’t get it right at that level we aren’t going to be recruiting for the future

It’s a s**t game to umpire and difficult to do it well
I reckon he’s spot on
My local league I reckon the average age is 50+ and I’m in the plus
We have a young kid who’s taken it on board and is having a crack in the 16’s
Last weekend he was threatened by a player after having to disarm a full on fight and red card the aggressor .
I haven’t spoken to him since but I can’t imagine he enjoyed the situation.

I had a Colts game last year where the boys just wanted to fight each other the whole game .
It was terrible and the crowd was feral .
It put me off umpiring but I had to do keep going because it’s too hard to find anyone else .

Anyway the point is don’t be too tough on Eleni , and Im No fan , she has butchered my team on a few occasions particularly against Carlton , but the only way to improve is game time , and every level of umpiring you move up the harder it gets and takes a few years to get a grip on it .

Give her and all umps a break
Till you you’ve done it I don’t reckon you could grasp how bloody hard it is to keep control .

 

[Engimal v3]

Useless lol

 

[maskmcgee]

The only one to say "So North Melbourne free kick?" on the tape.

 

[Belnakor]

She is struggling with ability whereas Fisher is carrying a huge chip on his shoulder!

One pro for Ross leaving Fremantle is we don’t get shafted every game this campaigner umpires us in. I can’t imagine how saints fans feel !

 

[Belnakor]

I think she has improved
Still not great
Glad to see her out there and I hope it encourages more females and males to give it a go

I think honestly people don’t like her because she is female and easy to identify.

 

[DERRINALPHIL]

she is on par with most other afl umpires

The AFL collect stats on the umps but they don’t release them which I believe is a mistake.
The ICC also hide the stats.
I used train cricket umps and umpire myself and I would have loved to have detailed stats on my performance.
I was weak on certain things but who knows what I missed I missed.

 

[maskmcgee]

I think honestly people don’t like her because she is female and easy to identify.

Because she's female? No. Because she's easy to identify? Absolutely. Any dodgy free kick, you hear a woman's voice, you know it's her. Probably gets her far more critisism than any other umpire because the rest all just blend together.

 

[McIvor]

The only one to say "So North Melbourne free kick?" on the tape.

I heard that too and of course it was her - she's absolutely clueless and thats after it being clearly audible that on 3-4 occasions everyone was saying free kick Sydney. Could only roll my eyes b/c so it was so typical.

 

[McIvor]

I think honestly people don’t like her because she is female and easy to identify.

Nope, she's freaking terrible that's why. There isn't one game she umpires where she doesn't make howlers and is completely out of touch with the feel of the game and that includes all neutral games too.

Its a gimmick that has gone to far but the AFL is in to deep and cant or wont demote her for obvious reasons. She's not even good enough for u12's QAFL let alone the AFLW.

 

[Milanista28]

Nope, she's freaking terrible that's why. There isn't one game she umpires where she doesn't make howlers and is completely out of touch with the feel of the game and that includes all neutral games too.

Its a gimmick that has gone to far but the AFL is in to deep and cant or wont demote her for obvious reasons. She's not even good enough for u12's QAFL let alone the AFLW.

She's a queen and she's slaying

 

[Belnakor]

Nope, she's freaking terrible that's why. There isn't one game she umpires where she doesn't make howlers and is completely out of touch with the feel of the game and that includes all neutral games too.

Its a gimmick that has gone to far but the AFL is in to deep and cant or wont demote her for obvious reasons. She's not even good enough for u12's QAFL let alone the AFLW.

she umpired the GC/Fremantle game which was excellently done. Was that just luck?

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

The AFL collect stats on the umps but they don’t release them which I believe is a mistake.
The ICC also hide the stats.
I used train cricket umps and umpire myself and I would have loved to have detailed stats on my performance.
I was weak on certain things but who knows what I missed I missed.

You want them to highlight every umpire mistake and release the full list on AFL.com? If you think AFL umpires don't get detailed feedback of their performance after every game, you're kidding yourself.

I don't know what publicly releasing the critiques would achieve, besides making it even tougher to recruit and retain umpires and give a few dropkicks an outlet to vent and a convenient scapegoat.

 

[Some Idiot]

Nope, she's freaking terrible that's why. There isn't one game she umpires where she doesn't make howlers and is completely out of touch with the feel of the game and that includes all neutral games too.

Its a gimmick that has gone to far but the AFL is in to deep and cant or wont demote her for obvious reasons. She's not even good enough for u12's QAFL let alone the AFLW.

She got fast tracked but now that she's in the system she's treated the same as any umpire, she has been dropped for poor performances and been promoted based on strong performances at the level below. Who cares at that point?

 

[BallaratBulldog]

I think honestly people don’t like her because she is female and easy to identify.

Do a search of umpires names on bigfooty, they all have this type of thread and their detractors.

 

[My Tilly]

Did LOL!!! That's a lie!

More laughing emojis please.
Show us you march to the beat of your own drum.
Just like the heroes you looked up to at Glenferrie in the 70's.

 

[ManInWhite]

The AFL collect stats on the umps but they don’t release them which I believe is a mistake.
The ICC also hide the stats.
I used train cricket umps and umpire myself and I would have loved to have detailed stats on my performance.
I was weak on certain things but who knows what I missed I missed.

Each umpire receives a detailed weekly video summary of their game. It lists a detailed analysis of every free kick (with video) that was paid - as well as non frees that should have been paid. The software allows the umpire to select different camera angles with each free kick review to maximise the analysis. Just because these reviews don't go public doesn't mean they don't happen.

 

[Frank Thring]

She's poo

 

[Madas]

She's poo

She’s not alone in that regard though

I do think that the introduction of 4 umpires has not only fast tracked some umpires who perhaps aren’t quite ready but also seems to cause a delay in decision making which creates confusion amongst the players

I think 3 umpires was fine
I don’t see much improvement with 4 personally

It’s gone backwards if anything