RDFL Thread 2009

[know_a_thing_or_2]

Reading the papers I thought I would have a look at this the RDFL thread. 2 things have jumped out at me.

1. Bad umpiring is part of every league. It is part of the game and something that has to be accepted. They will make mistakes but it is a hard job so it really is not that big of a deal. No matter how bad the umpiring is you cannot lay a finger on an ump let alone punch one. No excuse.

2. The use of the term "out of character". Each time I hear this it reminds me of those people that have children and own dogs like a pit bull. You see them on TV after one of their kids has had its face ripped off saying things like "the dog is really good with kids" and "this is out of charater for this dog".

Charater is defined by what you do. You punch an umpire then it is part of your charater to do something like that. Your actions define your charater not the other way around.

I understand what you're saying but one action does not define a persons character and nor should it condemn them.

No one believes what he did was right, it is simply something people who know him find to be out of character, as in something he would not ordinarily do.

 

[GameOver]

1. We all stuff up at times and the umpires that communicate best will admit when they've made a mistake - you don't always have to prove that you're right, admit once in a while you've made an incorrect decision. Trust me, it does help!

2. NO umpire is out there cheating. They wouldn't last in senior footy for long if this was the case.

3. Like footy clubs, umpiring groups need to promote kids at times for the future of umpiring. I umpired my first senior (Div1 in another league) game when I was 16 and my first Div1 GF when I was 18. I would expect that young kids continue to get these opportunities.

4. What does it matter where an umpire lives? Umpires are supposed to be totally neutral. I remember umpiring some of my school mates a number of years ago in junior footy and we had a mutual respect. On field, a free kick was a free kick. It actually helped in a lot of aspects as they'd respect my decisions a lot more, and I respected their side as well.

5. Why are umpires on here argueing with clubs, players, spectators etc. Make a valid point, leave it at that. Umpires shouldn't be slagged off in a forum like this, granted, but by everyone trying to defend them, it makes the situation worse.

 

[Itsmyshow]

Reading the papers I thought I would have a look at this the RDFL thread. 2 things have jumped out at me.

1. Bad umpiring is part of every league. It is part of the game and something that has to be accepted. They will make mistakes but it is a hard job so it really is not that big of a deal. No matter how bad the umpiring is you cannot lay a finger on an ump let alone punch one. No excuse.

2. The use of the term "out of character". Each time I hear this it reminds me of those people that have children and own dogs like a pit bull. You see them on TV after one of their kids has had its face ripped off saying things like "the dog is really good with kids" and "this is out of charater for this dog".

Charater is defined by what you do. You punch an umpire then it is part of your charater to do something like that. Your actions define your charater not the other way around.

Smartest post I have seen...

There is alot of talk about the standard of the umpires within the league, yet this comes from people that haven't even thought of attempting to umpire a game of football. Its a tough gig, and we need umpires, the worst thing is.. We repeatedly complain about not having enough umpires, yet we bag them at every single opportunity we get, some of the abuse hurled toward them is absolutely absurd, everyone does it, so not for a second am I suggesting that I am Mother Teresa when it comes to game time. But seriously, we want to sack all the umpires, I have one question, who is going to replace them?? Young Matt is fast developing into a very good umpire, those that suggest otherwise are plain wrong, he is young and like a footballer, he will take his time to develop. The Semmons brothers, while everyone seems to take thier pot shots at them, have been around this league for several years, and in contrast to the abuse they cop, they still show up, every Saturday and Sunday and ensure that our league do not have to endure the heartache of umpire shortages, an issue that plagues other local competitions. People can sit back and take pot shots at these guys and talk about what umpires they like, the fact is, that Adam, Rhys, Dwayne, Chris, Damien and the like cannot umpire your game every week and the guys that are out there trying to do the job, which is difficult enough as it is, have added assertive pressure added by a crowd that will always see the game and the 50/50 decisions in their favor.. The disputing of a decision will never be taken out of the game, we have a passionate game the reasons the arguing of a decision. But the reality is, the excessive, foul language, personal abuse days are long behind us, if you dont like the decision, people will always become frustrated and argue. But personal abuse and excessive commenting on umpires just has no place in today's game, and physically making contact with an umpire certainly has no place. I saw someone comment, next time you want to abuse an umpire, call him a cheat and then use added agressive language, have a think about whether you would stand up and do the job that these guys do, for the relatively small amount that they do it for?? The answer for most of us would be no way.. But for the good of keeping the luxury that we currently have in our league, where we dont need to supply Club Umpires (a notorious bed for arguments and frustration), before you decide to personally berate or threaten an umpire, whether it be on the ground or on here, take a second to think about the longer term implications.. For the game, for the league and for the clubs...

 

[Brick_Davis]

Dwayne C...

Best ump in the comp.

 

[DirtyHarry]

It is quite obvious they have a lot more depth, SFL have 3 divisions with 28 or 29 teams to choose from, we have 12. If we can beat them, it will be a long drive home for some that are predicting a slaughtering.

Big mismatch in my eyes. (only my opinion tho). 28 teams to 12??

The RDFL would be better playing the Heathcote league or a similar smaller league!

It will be a slaughtering, unless it snows, rains, hails and the ground is 2 inches underwater!! ( would be good for the farmers if that occured )

 

[Itsmyshow]

Big mismatch in my eyes. (only my opinion tho). 28 teams to 12??

The RDFL would be better playing the Heathcote league or a similar smaller league!

It will be a slaughtering, unless it snows, rains, hails and the ground is 2 inches underwater!! ( would be good for the farmers if that occured )

We shall see about the mismatch, really looking forward to the league having another shot at interleague and hopefully knocking the SFL down a couple of rungs....

BTW... All of those are possibilities at Macedon

 

[Halffullonfence]

Big mismatch in my eyes. (only my opinion tho). 28 teams to 12??

The RDFL would be better playing the Heathcote league or a similar smaller league!

It will be a slaughtering, unless it snows, rains, hails and the ground is 2 inches underwater!! ( would be good for the farmers if that occured )

Had all three so far today and likely to be coolder by Saturday so bring the snow shoes, you just may need them.

 

[Return of the Pies]

Ha! BTW Dirty Harry doesn't represent the opinion of all SFL followers. I suspect it may be a lot closer than he thinks given some 'unavailabilities' and the local conditions at Macedon. What is the ground/facility like? Good surface or hillside boghole?

 

[Itsmyshow]

Had all three so far today and likely to be coolder by Saturday so bring the snow shoes, you just may need them.

I love it.. I need an RDFL beanie....

 

[Halffullonfence]

Ha! BTW Dirty Harry doesn't represent the opinion of all SFL followers. I suspect it may be a lot closer than he thinks given some 'unavailabilities' and the local conditions at Macedon. What is the ground/facility like? Good surface or hillside boghole?[/quote]

The MacedonCG is that, based on the MCG a meter narrower but 3 meters longer it is based at the foot of the Mt Macedon snow fields. On a clear day you can see the skiers comming down the mountains main run. Ground is fairly flat but grass cover is not perfect at the moment. Change rooms are normall, new social rooms (well heated) so will be great for after game drinks.

Pity some of us are at Narre Warren with the juniors.

IMS make sure there are some Jimmy's left for the late ones comming home!!!!!!

 

[Itsmyshow]

Ha! BTW Dirty Harry doesn't represent the opinion of all SFL followers. I suspect it may be a lot closer than he thinks given some 'unavailabilities' and the local conditions at Macedon. What is the ground/facility like? Good surface or hillside boghole?[/quote]

The MacedonCG is that, based on the MCG a meter narrower but 3 meters longer it is based at the foot of the Mt Macedon snow fields. On a clear day you can see the skiers comming down the mountains main run. Ground is fairly flat but grass cover is not perfect at the moment. Change rooms are normall, new social rooms (well heated) so will be great for after game drinks.

Pity some of us are at Narre Warren with the juniors.

IMS make sure there are some Jimmy's left for the late ones comming home!!!!!!

That is a shame... I am not sure that I can agree to this deal.. You might want to let the club know to stack up on the bourbys....

 

[ant22]

Big mismatch in my eyes. (only my opinion tho). 28 teams to 12??

The RDFL would be better playing the Heathcote league or a similar smaller league!

It will be a slaughtering, unless it snows, rains, hails and the ground is 2 inches underwater!! ( would be good for the farmers if that occured )

Not sure the 28 clubs to 12 is any reason to suggest the rdfl will struggle. Thats like saying the O and M league will not beat them because they have alot less teams. There are a hell of a lot of football clubs in melbourne and last I heard div 2 in the southern league is a very big drop in standard from div 1. I doubt anyone will really know how close these 2 sides are until they run out on saturday.

 

[loubear]

Highlands FM 100.7 and 3NRG 99.3FM in Sunbury will combine to broadcast the match live with interviews for all RDFL fans to hear the action.

 

[ChrisThaLedg]

To put in a small 2 cents worth on what happened on the weekend being an umpire and involved in various other areas around the football fraternity... everything that B75J541 has said is pure gold and straight to the point in how it should be done... while the umpire coaches could come under a little pressure if some umpires aren't performing to a particular standard... the reality is, these guys do an outstanding job week in week out... they all get out on a Saturday and boot the boots on in various fields for several games purely because their main focus of a week is luring potential umpires to take their positions of a weekend... it would make life very difficult for any coach to get out and assist in the development of an umpire during a weekend when the skills need to be monitored when they could very well be putting on the fluros at the same time... it's a tough gig.

When it comes to disputing umpiring... the answer is simple... join the fraternity and put yourself in their shoes. I had a chat to a junior coach yesterday who gave the perfect answer to one of their young players questioning the poor decisions of a particular umpire (in general)... the coach answered with "If you can tell me that you went out on the footy field and made fewer mistakes in an entire game than an umpire, then you have the right to question the umpire's ability"... and the reality is, a player will make many mistakes in a game.. just like the umpire.. so let the game be.

If one has a complaint... absolutely go for it and write a letter of complaint... if it's an ongoing issue with a club, the umpire will at the very least be removed from umpiring games involving that club...

A packed house at Woodend the other week against Riddell saw Matty do a fantastic job. I admire the work that he does and believe he deserves to be umpiring at the highest level... he is very mature and confident for his age, his positioning is great and he justifies his decisions with appropriate responses. We had another young guy out at Woodend the other week, a 17yo by the name of Stewart.. outstanding job after running the boundary last year... we need to really be encouraging these kids to keep coming through... they would do just as good a job as anyone watching them on the field because they're hungry for it and they love what they do with some wanting to pursue it as a career... this is their 'apprenticeship' before getting selected for AFL development squads... no-one could say they did a flawless job.. at 16-17 with their apprenticeships.. give them a go... and how would you feel if the umpire was your son getting absolutely hammered by a forum after the hell he went through on the weekend? Crickey!

As for the act by the Rockbank player... no-one deserves that no matter who you are... we have a big game this weekend, lets draw as many positives as possible and get our heads into it!

 

[ChrisThaLedg]

Highlands FM 100.7 and 3NRG 99.3FM in Sunbury will combine to broadcast the match live with interviews for all RDFL fans to hear the action.

Absolutely Loubear... it's going to be a big game kicking off at 2pm proudly brought to you by Wally, J, Kenny, KD, Al and Yeendy... where ever you are in the surrounding areas of Sunbury leading up to Macedon and far down towards West Melb.. tune in to 99.3 FM... in the Macedon Ranges up towards Bendigo ... to Trentham and Lancefield, tune in to 100.7 FM ... get on down there otherwise to mighty TC Reserve Waterfalls Road Macedon for the biggest game of football next to the Grandfinal and take nothing away from the fact that the Netball girls under the guidance of Kim Bailey will be playing the first Netball Rep game in the RDNA kicking off at 1230 as they tackle the SFL netball team!

 

[Westcoast84]

Plus the kid is only really qualified to umpire under 14's and has been placed in a senior environment with another umpire that has no respect 2 + 2 + 5

Are you serious????? How is you still able to post in this forum? Bagging the Simmo's in one thing, but saying that the umpire that got hit is one of the worst in the league, a 16 yrs old kid, is a disgrace. You wouldn't bag a 16 yrs old playing senior footy and making some blues, you accept it as apart of learning his trade. It will be hard enough to attract young umpires to the league because of this and you want to further pot them? I tell you what, if umpiring is that easy why don't you take it up? But you won't because it is too easy sitting up on your high horse canning them. The sooner people like you are out of our league the better!

Also on everyone bagging the Simmo's, I have been in this league for 10 years and it never changes. If you shut your mouth and get on with it, nothing happens. You open your gob and they lap it up. It is the way it has always been, yet people in this league never seem to learn.

 

[Chuck Liddell]

Are you serious????? How is you still able to post in this forum? Bagging the Simmo's in one thing, but saying that the umpire that got hit is one of the worst in the league, a 16 yrs old kid, is a disgrace. You wouldn't bag a 16 yrs old playing senior footy and making some blues, you accept it as apart of learning his trade. It will be hard enough to attract young umpires to the league because of this and you want to further pot them? I tell you what, if umpiring is that easy why don't you take it up? But you won't because it is too easy sitting up on your high horse canning them. The sooner people like you are out of our league the better!

Also on everyone bagging the Simmo's, I have been in this league for 10 years and it never changes. If you shut your mouth and get on with it, nothing happens. You open your gob and they lap it up. It is the way it has always been, yet people in this league never seem to learn.

Great post - for what I have read Simmo's? have copped way to much stick. if they have been around for years and years there is no better option to replace them - if there is no better to replacement you have 2 options:
1- Become a better umpire and force them out.
2- shut up and keep you bias views to yourself.

How quickly people turn to the umpires when there team is performing poorly. 10 goals up you don't notice them - 10 goals down and each decision is met with distain. Frustration grows with each 50/50 decision that goes against your team. And if you have friends or family playing it is easier to blame the umps than the players not getting a kick or not being up to it. Umpire bashing is for the weak minded - it takes no courage and it is easy to do.

 

[GameOver]

A message for players, supporters, umpires and anybody else canning each other on here (from an outside observer) about what happened on the weekend... let it go! The tribunal will do their duties in holding the case for the reported player, the club will do their job in trying to clean things up and retain people in and around the club, the league will take whatever action they see necessary (fine, bond etc.), and the umpires will continue on showing up to games and doing the best job they can.

This especially goes to the umpires (I'm a senior umpire in another league), canning players and clubs on here goes nowehere to helping you guys out. You are not anonymous, and it will end up hurting you by continueing on with the back and forth slandering. I'm sure you guys, like us, are always trying to build relationships with the clubs which helps on field. None of the banter on here has helped with that at all. So, LET IT GO!!

Remember: Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me!!

 

[blues12]

Some say that they thrive on the abuse and only get worse.
Like it has also been said, if all players and supporters shut their mouths, what would they thrive on???
I guess they would just be umpiring a game of football.

And that is not just about 1 or 2 umpires they are all human

 

[whispering jack]

I agree that it is pointless to come on here and pot umpires, without them we wouldnt have a game each week simple as that, when you have played enough footy you become smart enough to know that there are days where decisions dont go your way and you just have to shut your mouth and ajust, for anyone to suggest that what happened sat was the result of bad umpiring is ridiculous,

 

[know_a_thing_or_2]

So anyone gonna have a crack at picking the interleague team?

 

[bromanbomber]

So anyone gonna have a crack at picking the interleague team?

Going to be very tough to pick. alotta quality players now to choose from. Good luck to the selection committee

 

[blues12]

So anyone gonna have a crack at picking the interleague team?

I'll lead with putting Jamie Cuffe in the Ruck.

 

[Gull35]

Moorcroft at full forward or in a pocket, and S.Ruane possibly on a back flank..

 

[Inside Rail]

Any word out of RDFL House as yet?