Question about Free Kicks

[The Prosecutor]

Nathan Williamson (umpire #22) is perhaps the worst umpire currently getting regular games.

I'm tempted to do a montage of just how shit he has been over the past 6 weeks.

 

[estibador]

I live here. Anyone who says the crowd isn't a factor in the umpiring is wrong.

Even then they still complain about the umps.

The crowd barely made a peep tonight after the eagles were jumped.

No doubt in my mind that certain WA umps are eagles supporters and umpire accordingly. Easiest thing in the world to fix by admitting umps are human and getting them to declare which team they grew up supporting, a la the EPL.

But not only do the AFL refuse to do that in some misguided attempt to prove their umps are superhumans incapable of bias, but then they actually compound the problem by being cheaparses who continually leave local eagles supporting umpires in WA for some ****ing reason.

 

[Superstar swan]

Nathan Williamson (umpire #22) is perhaps the worst umpire currently getting regular games.

I'm tempted to do a montage of just how shit he has been over the past 6 weeks.

Please do

 

[the harry]

Surely the result puts any discussion about the free kick count to bed in that the Bombers smashed us regardless of an incredibly lopsided count.

 

[bh90210fan]

No noise of affirmation, just the affirmation of Margetts.

No it’s much deeper than just Margetts. We’re talking about 20 years of favourable umpiring here. Margetts is only responsible for a fraction of the corruption, the entire umpiring fraternity over the last two decades are dirty. Clearly the only reasonable explanation

 

[Duckworth]

2 if them being self proclaimed west coast supporter....

At one point that sack of shit margets had 10-1 free kicks in West coasts favour

Guy is just a cheat

this.

I wonder, in how many games have WC lost the free kick count at home....

Surely the result puts any discussion about the free kick count to bed in that the Bombers smashed us regardless of an incredibly lopsided count.

Not really the point is it.

 

[Ochre]

Don't get why the other 17 teams' fans don't just start aspiring to be as good as Eagles fans.

 

[Handyandy]

Surely the result puts any discussion about the free kick count to bed in that the Bombers smashed us regardless of an incredibly lopsided count.

Not at all. sample group of one. Essendon won despite the lopsided count making the win more admirable.

 

[the harry]

Don't get why the other 17 teams' fans don't just start aspiring to be as good as Eagles fans.

7 straight games with 50k plus in the stands.

Other teams just can't match it.

 

[Tony_Clifton]

A passage from the recently published Footballistics by James Coventry (available through amazon and abc stores)

"It is an incontrovertible fact that umpires favour teams playing in front of their home crowd, but it is one the AFL seems unwilling to acknowledge. The league’s head umpires coach, Hayden Kennedy, never discusses the impact of crowd noise with his officials. ‘We haven’t spoken about it,’ said Kennedy. ‘My philosophy is that we’ll just continue to coach around what is a free kick and what’s not, with a clear headspace around that. I think as soon as you start talking about crowd noise, I think there’s just another element to their decision-making or their processing that they need to think about, which could possibly cause more problems than it’s worth.’ The AFL’s former national umpiring director, Peter Schwab, was of the same mind. ‘Fundamentally, you’re just trying to make sure the umpires understand the interpretations that we’re trying to apply to the game,’ said Schwab. ‘As you know, that happens in a pretty fast, complex game. Do they consider crowd noise when they’re making a decision? I never ask them. I’ve never even broached the subject with them, to be honest.’"

 

[estibador]

Surely the result puts any discussion about the free kick count to bed in that the Bombers smashed us regardless of an incredibly lopsided count.

No different to the MCG grand final debate.

Sometimes a team is so much better that the disadvantage doesn't matter, but that doesn't mean the disadvantage doesn't exist.

 

[Unique Name]

Surely the result puts any discussion about the free kick count to bed in that the Bombers smashed us regardless of an incredibly lopsided count.

If your forwards could kick straight you would have won. The umps did there part, helped you get more scoring shots than Essendon. Your boys just couldn't get it done.

 

[Tony_Clifton]

Another passage from Coventry:

This, then, is the answer we set out to find. It means that umpire bias accounts for approximately 40% of all home-ground advantage in the AFL. It is difficult to imagine any other single factor – whether that be the benefit of familiarity with the venue, or the rigours of travel faced by the visitors – could exceed an effect of that size. Moskowitz and Wertheim’s hypothesis that umpire bias is the most significant contributor to home advantage therefore rings true for the Australian game. That is not to say, of course, that umpires in any way intend to favour home teams. But perhaps it is time for the league to at least acknowledge the noise of affirmation, so that it can train its officials to deal with it.

 

[doppleganger]

No it’s much deeper than just Margetts. We’re talking about 20 years of favourable umpiring here. Margetts is only responsible for a fraction of the corruption, the entire umpiring fraternity over the last two decades are dirty. Clearly the only reasonable explanation

The problem is that it isn’t deliberate.

Studies into premier league soccer show that the home team are awarded 66% of penalties.

When you have a full stadium roaring as one for decisions, a referee will give those iffy frees that they let go.

West Coast has the biggest and loudest home fans, and it is intimidating and does influence umpires.

The umpires aren’t deliberately going out and deciding to give the Eagles a leg up.

 

[Ochre]

West Coast has the biggest and loudest home fans.

Don't get bitter, get better guys.

 

[Tony_Clifton]

No it’s much deeper than just Margetts. We’re talking about 20 years of favourable umpiring here. Margetts is only responsible for a fraction of the corruption, the entire umpiring fraternity over the last two decades are dirty. Clearly the only reasonable explanation

Straw man. ... A straw man is a common form of argument and is an informal fallacy based on giving the impression of refuting an opponent's argument, while actually refuting an argument that was not presented by that opponent.
Straw man - Wikipedia

 

[Jukesy85]

Wasn't the crowd being loud tonight because there wasn't a peep out of them after the onslaught begun. Genuinely shafted by three West Australian umpires in a legitimate attempt to rig the game that obviously wasn't nearly enough to cover up for the eagles' ineptitude.

In the future don't let Margetts and Williamson umpire games that involve West Coast it's just asking for trouble. 33-17 frees despite getting smashed in the contests and in the scoreboard? Yeah righto

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Don't get why the other 17 teams' fans don't just start aspiring to be as good as Eagles fans.

Well I could trrrry and shout louder I guess.

 

[Frank Gallagher]

So we were told last week last 'some' teams get an unbelievable run with the umpires because of dominant ruckmen and superior forwards. Maybe it was about being first to the ball. All I can remember was that we were told it's not suspious at all.

The umps have tried to do some last qtr cheapies to even it up but still.

30-17 with 10mins to play.

What's the explanation this week?

Times the score line by 2, then divide it by 4, but if WC are playing at home all bets are off.

 

[nameless]

Crowd wasn't even that loud but there were some atrocious decisions.

The Le Cras in the back in the first made no sense, no one in the crowd appealed for it, everyone was shocked.

There were a few others that were bizarre, but the noise wasn't a factor for those.

I have no idea why it happens.

I would like an enquiry as I want to win (or lose) fair and square.

 

[kranky al]

Margetts is actually a cheat, it is infuriating he does Eagles games.



Have been saying this for years, for ****s sake make them full time. They also shouldn’t be umpiring games of teams they support FFS

Prior to today:

<<<The Eagles have played two home games this season where two West Australians have umpired and the free kick tally from those matches is 41-38.

The stats from matches where only one local blew the whistle is 53-31. It is 56-32 in games where no West Australian has umpired.>>>

 

[kranky al]

What did you think of the umpiring tonight?

Appalled.

 

[Oliver09]

As an Essendon supporter at the ground tonight it was awful. What should've been a straight forward win always had the threat of an umpired inspired roll in West Coats favor. Noise of affirmation didn't exist. We took the crowd influence out with our great start so the umps just invented stuff.

 

[TheKITC]

Hard to watch at times. The Eagles clearly get every 50/50 their way and often get some shockers their way too, not even mentioning the count. It is beyond reasonable doubt now.

I hate Essendon quite a lot, I was shouting like a Bombers fan at some of the decisions. Classic AFL though really and the media silence makes it even worse.

 

[Luv_our_club]

Well I could trrrry and shout louder I guess.

My pet dog has pretty loud bark... if only they would let him into the ground.