The problem with HTB comes when one side is regulated for it differently than the other. The biggest issue that Richmond have with umpiring is the HTB rule. It seems to take so much for us to get a HTB paid for us whereas we get pinged for it easily.
For example, Prestia barely gets an opportunity to dispose of the ball and gets pinged for HTB after being tackled. You then watch an opposition player in the same match run after collecting the ball, go down to the ground in a tackle and then drop the ball. The umpire calls play on.
This is what we saw today as well. All of a sudden they stopped paying HTB for Essendon even though some of them were pretty clear. I just don’t understand this rule. Maybe they need to introduce objective measures in measuring prior opportunity such as the seconds a player had to dispose of the ball before being tackled. Either way, whatever we have in place now is inconsistent. There are many stakeholders of this game extremely discontent with the standard of umpiring and it is not entirely the umpires’ fault because they are obviously being directed by someone else.
The rules are f****** black and white! The majority of fans can work it out. You try and take tacklers on or fend off, go for a run and get caught it’s holding the ball. Or if you are tackled and illegally dispose of the ball ala Sideass against us, actually anyone against us it’s illegal disposal.
It’s a clear bias towards certain teams directed by the AFL. I’ve said it many times before. The only thing that has ever been wrong with the state of the game is umpiring. It’s not hard! Umpire according to the clearly stated rules and the game won’t be as congested and fans won’t get so disillusioned with the game.
As for telling the fans they can’t boo f*** off. Who are you to tell fans what they can and can’t do. Without us you wouldn’t have a job and no club would be able to exist financially you self important campaigners.