MRP / Trib. Hawkins - 1 Week suspension for contact with an umpire

[The rabbi]

Hrm. Might be hard to argue out of spending a week on the sidelines. We can't argue precedent can we? Apparently several players got fined for it last week but I don't recall any getting this level of attention. Was Hawkins' really that much worse?

I heard that the umpire is on life support.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Let's start suspending umpires for tapping players on the arse then. It's got to work both ways.

Our game is now the softest sport in the world if players are getting rubbed out for that.

Don't know of many sports where you can touch the umpires, refs etc.
Can't have big players intimidating little umps in anyway.
We'll just end up with barely any umpires and the ones we do have will be far more corrupt than what we've got now cause it's such a campaigner of a job.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Whilst I don’t think that action warrants a suspension, it gets pretty tiresome putting up with Hawkins brain fades in recent years. Has he gone through some sort of Stevie J brain cloning procedure?

He may have read the absolute s**t thread on this site called 'Tom Hawkins becoming irrelevant' and thought f*%k ya's all!

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

No it doesn't. It's incredibly hard to recruit and retain umpires at community and junior levels. Umps have to be fully protected if we are to make it an attractive option.

Hawk's best prospect for a lower sentence is there was little force and it wasn't malicious. London to a brick he'll be missing for a time and we shouldn't appeal unless it is entirely disproportionate.

My point is the umps can't have it both ways mate. If they're precious enough to take offense to a tiny touch of the hand then they should keep theirs to themselves too.

Pretty simple.

 

[Down at K Park]

There wasn’t much in it but you can’t do it. He was clearly annoyed with the ump as always.

I don’t see how that could be the case. He was late to the contest and got him with the knee. He acknowleged that but was expecting gws backlash for the late knee. He knew it was a free and a 50, he wasn’t arguing that at all. Not even sure why he put his hand up towards the umpire though, unless he thought it was a gws player coming in to remonstrate?

 

[STPer18]

Any word on how Dean Margetts has pulled up? Here we are squabbling about Hawkins heading to the tribunal, yet not a single care seems to be given to Dean and his whistle-holding finger.

 

[Burro]

It looks like the GWS player pushes Hawkins arm. The umpire comes into the area when he did not have to. Everyone needs to grow up a bit on this one.

 

[lionbear]

Hawkins said he thought it was a player, umpire didn’t give 50 for it which says he clearly agrees, yet we are off to the tribunal, just give a fine or a week and move on, now this gets debated for 48 hours.

 

[STPer18]

now this gets debated for 48 hours.

Thinking cynically, this is exactly what the media and general public want. People seem to get off on this s**t. Seeing how much fun everyone was having with the Scott/Joel Selwood + Thomas incident, it's incredible.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Been a bit of drama this season.

 

[Kick the thing]

Tribunal should watch this to remind them what intentional contact with an umpire really looks like.

 

[Strange Cat]

The way the umpires treat him im surprised Tommy hasn’t throttled them yet

Seriously if this is more than a fine it’s a ******* joke

 

[foxdog50]

Im honestly not worried, be only a few $$$$$ and be fine to tackle Collingwood

 

[Down at K Park]

Any word on how Dean Margetts has pulled up? Here we are squabbling about Hawkins heading to the tribunal, yet not a single care seems to be given to Dean and his whistle-holding finger.

Waiting on the afl medical report no doubt. Umpire will probably turn up at the tribunal in an arm cast, neck brace and wheelchair

 

[thegerman]

there is no room in the game for touching an umpire.

That is resolute.

Im not sure he thought the hand was attached to an umpire however.

Will be hard to argue it out. Will cost us the 10k again for sure.

Go Catters

Actually doesn't cost 10k. It's been referred, so we aren't challenging.

That said I'm sure the barrister will be called in, which may cost a pretty penny

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Tribunal should watch this to remind them what intentional contact with an umpire really looks like.

That’s gold when he jumps the fence and belts a spectator

 

[you pick one]

Should Christian have stepped aside as first port of call in this umpire related incident.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-04-10/michael-christian-sorry-for-amateur-umpire-approach

 

[AM]

My point is the umps can't have it both ways mate. If they're precious enough to take offense to a tiny touch of the hand then they should keep theirs to themselves too.

Pretty simple.

I know what your point was and it was simple.

When was the last time you saw an umpire confront a player and make contact in the manner Tom did? I've been around the community football scene for quite some time and I've never seen an umpire intentionally contact a player in that confrontational manner. There would be consequences for any umpire who did.

Umpires have to be sacrosanct when it comes to contact for their own protection - because they often operate in a hostile environment - and because of the flow-on effect it has at community and junior levels.

Because there was no force and it wasn't malicious I don't expect a hefty sentence, but it's not something that can be just brushed aside.

 

[Nankervis brothers]

Im sorry but anyone that thinks it wasnt intentional is full of it, he clearly hit him, and to say he thought it was a gws player is bullshit because there was daylight between him and the next player and he was looking front on with the ump, will get 2 weeks and deserves it, constantly does stupid s**t that costs us.

He hit him? I don't think this word means what you think it means.

His hand barely touched the hand of the umpire. In fact, the umpire's hand moved forward as Hawkin's hand moved forward.

I'm all for the rule (not touching the umpires), but let's keep it in some perspective, shall we.

 

[mcwilrob]

Im honestly not worried, be only a few $$$$$ and be fine to tackle Collingwood

Not sure how you can be at all confident given it’s Geelong and Tom with a prime opportunity for the AFL to make an example of us.... Really hope you’re right and I’m not though!

 

[you pick one]

He hit him? I don't think this word means what you think it means.

His hand barely touched the hand of the umpire. In fact, the umpire's hand moved forward as Hawkin's hand moved forward.

I'm all for the rule (not touching the umpires), but let's keep it in some perspective, shall we.

Yep they touched no hit no push that's it TOUCHED.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

I know what your point was and it was simple.

When was the last time you saw an umpire confront a player and make contact in the manner Tom did? I've been around the community football scene for quite some time and I've never seen an umpire intentionally contact a player in that confrontational manner. There would be consequences for any umpire who did.

Umpires have to be sacrosanct when it comes to contact for their own protection - because they often operate in a hostile environment - and because of the flow-on effect it has at community and junior levels.

Because there was no force and it wasn't malicious I don't expect a hefty sentence, but it's not something that can be just brushed aside.

Umpires slap players on the arse all the time. If we're trying to stamp umpire contact out of the game (which we should) it should work for both parties.

 

[Strange Cat]

Umpires slap players on the arse all the time. If we're trying to stamp umpire contact out of the game (which we should) it should work for both parties.

And cut out the umps using the players nicknames and berating them when they are penalised to try and rile them up

 

[Burro]

Not sure how you can be at all confident given it’s Geelong and Tom with a prime opportunity for the AFL to make an example of us.... Really hope you’re right and I’m not though!

It some ways it is out of the hands of the AFL now. A 3 member panel will listen to argument and evidence then decide. Also, don't forget that the umpire can be cross examined.

 

[nbashan]

Think Tom's team will argue two points : 1) force. Hard to say it was anything more than a touch, and as others have pointed out, a touch that resulted from movements of both parties. 2) intent. Yes, he absent mindedly swatted at a hand. But, if intent is about intending to make contact with an umpire, then Tom's claim he thought it was a players hand is plausible, and disagreeing with that is a judgement call.
Having said all that, I'm tipping he goes for a couple of weeks.

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