The AFL is a dictatorship

[NaturalDisaster]

THE AFL has written to clubs warning them that public commentary about umpiring will be closely monitored after Tigers coach Damien Hardwick and Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn were outspoken on the standard of officiating last week.

Hardwick claimed Geelong's home crowd influenced umpiring decisionsduring the Tigers' 14-point loss to the Cats at Simonds Stadium last Saturday.

After giving away five ruck interference free kicks against St Kilda on Sunday, Gawn tweeted a picture of the Laws of the Game booklet with the caption: "Some light reading this week".

The AFL's acting football operations manager Andrew Dillon wrote to clubs on Thursday reminding them that negative commentary about umpiring would not be tolerated.

"Over recent months there have been several public comments made by senior AFL coaches and players that have related to AFL umpiring performance," Dillon told AFL.com.au.

"Whilst it should be noted that each individual issue has been managed directly between the AFL and the relevant club, I would like to take this opportunity to remind all AFL club coaches, players and staff of their responsibilities under the AFL regulations."

"It should be noted that any public comments made going forward may be subject to sanctions."

AFL rule 14.1 (public comments on umpires) stipulates: "Any person subject to these regulations or AFL rules, shall not make any public comment about an umpire or a decision made by an umpire".

"Where a person contravenes this regulation, the person's club shall be liable to a sanction."

Players and coaches can be fined up to $20,000 for a first offence and as much as $100,000 for a second or subsequent offence.

It is understood the League spoke with both Richmond and Melbourne about Hardwick and Gawn's comments reminding them that such commentary could lead to a sanction.

Melbourne received an explanation from umpires coach Hayden Kennedy about the free kicks paid against Gawn, and coach Simon Goodwin said on Friday the club had more clarity on what constitutes a ruck infringement.

"That's what the open dialogue with the Umpires' Association is all about, to get some clarity,” Goodwin said.

"Clearly Max hasn't had that throughout a game before in the last three years.

"Once you see that, you want to get some clarification and we've received that.

"We're more than comfortable with how it's being umpired."

In June, Geelong coach Chris Scott and St Kilda counterpart Alan Richardson were critical of an umpire for a controversial play-on call on North Melbourne midfielder Shaun Higgins in the Kangaroos-Western Bulldogs round 14 clash.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-08-18/watch-the-umpire-commentary-afl-warns-clubs

If I walked into North Korea and said that Kim Jong is a sadistic incompetent ******* I would be arrested and probably shot in the head. Because Its a dictatorship country and there is no freedom of speech.

If i walked into public now and said I thought Malcolm Turnball is the worst PM in history, unless i was creating a massive public disturbance and threatening peoples safety, no one would really care.

There is no freedom of speech in the AFL and Gillion is a dictator.

there is a clear issue with the umpiring and rules in the AFL. Now I don't like blaming umps for a loss, but the fact is, if they are silencing people for daring to question it, it means theres something dodgy going on.

There are also many other instances in which the AFL runs dictator like.. I think it was Carlton a few weeks ago who got fined for not letting the AFL know that a player took off training. I hate Carlton, but how absolutely stupid, how is it any of the AFLs business?

Won't be long until all players are required to wear a microchip and the AFL start electronically tracking their whereabouts.

 

[SilentHunter_]

 

[STPer18]

Yes, but we can also admit that Hardwick was having a pretty big tanty as well.

 

[Topkent]

No. After what happened at the kids grandfinal it's understandable the AFL don't want coaches slamming umpires.
There's a difference between saying the rules are messed up and saying the umpires didn't do their job properly because they were influenced by the crowd

 

[PP34]

Another Richmond melt.

Considered that umpire criticism is the last thing the AFL needs to be lenient with considering all the dickhead behaviour in junior footy?

If we don't protect umpires there will be none wanting to umpire our game.

 

[NaturalDisaster]

Yes, but we can also admit that Hardwick was having a pretty big tanty as well.

That was not a tanty, he simply questioned the influence home ground had on umps.

He generally defends them as well unlike certain coaches

 

[smasha]

Yes, but we can also admit that Hardwick was having a pretty big tanty as well.

So he should!

Dimma trying to put the sth into north korea.

 

[NaturalDisaster]

Uhh the AFL is completely different to junior footy.

Its meant to be a professional comp, junior footy is not.

 

[STPer18]

That was not a tanty, he simply questioned the influence home ground had on umps.

He generally defends them as well unlike certain coaches

So he should!

Dimma trying to put the sth into north korea.

When you start to complain about the wind I think you've probably gone a bit overboard. Although your club does have quite the history with old mate wind, so maybe it's justified.

 

[LeoMessi]

The AFL have certainly taken a leaf out of Kim's book. First, no shaming poor umpiring and now they want to ban journos because they are asking questions!

 

[NaturalDisaster]

I can understand the explainations here but it also should depend on how they go about it.. Hardwick was in no way malicious nor did he target or insult a specific umpire.

 

[PP34]

Uhh the AFL is completely different to junior footy.

Its meant to be a professional comp, junior footy is not.

It's about sending the right message. Kids see Hardwick or anyone at AFL level abusing umpires and they think it's acceptable.

Umpires get things wrong, they are human.

Losing coaches are delusional most of the time when bagging umpiring. Simply deflecting away from their team's inadequate performance.

 

[NaturalDisaster]

It's about sending the right message. Kids see Hardwick or anyone at AFL level abusing umpires and they think it's acceptable.

Umpires get things wrong, they are human.

Losing coaches are delusional most of the time when bagging umpiring. Simply deflecting away from their team's inadequate performance.

That's what I'm saying about the way they go about it
If they are being outright abusive calling them white maggots or something inappropriate it's understandle but he wasn't and neither was Gawn.

 

[HaroLad]

Hahahah.

Richmond.

 

[NaturalDisaster]

Hahahah.

Richmond.

Please come up with a half decent logical respense and then come back.

 

[Luv_our_club]

#freekickhawthorn

 

[smasha]

Hahahah.

Richmond.

Said Gil.

Kim Jong's AFL.

 

[Bokonon_]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-08-18/watch-the-umpire-commentary-afl-warns-clubs

If I walked into North Korea and said that Kim Jong is a sadistic incompetent ******* I would be arrested and probably shot in the head. Because Its a dictatorship country and there is no freedom of speech.

If i walked into public now and said I thought Malcolm Turnball is the worst PM in history, unless i was creating a massive public disturbance and threatening peoples safety, no one would really care.

There is no freedom of speech in the AFL and Gillion is a dictator.

there is a clear issue with the umpiring and rules in the AFL. Now I don't like blaming umps for a loss, but the fact is, if they are silencing people for daring to question it, it means theres something dodgy going on.

There are also many other instances in which the AFL runs dictator like.. I think it was Carlton a few weeks ago who got fined for not letting the AFL know that a player took off training. I hate Carlton, but how absolutely stupid, how is it any of the AFLs business?

Won't be long until all players are required to wear a microchip and the AFL start electronically tracking their whereabouts.

You have a fair point, and it's a difficult subject.
I have no axe to grind with Brad Scott but I think his conspiracy theory last year deserved a fine.
I also think Leon's action in requiring an explanation in game in Perth last year required sanctioning. He threw his hands up and apologised once the adtenalin had subsided.
It's less clear when a coach passes subjective judgement on the umps. Hardwicke and Clarkson come to mind recently.

Just a thought, what about coaches can't comment in the presser post game when emotions are running high, but can in the days following?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Nothing good comes of bashing umpires.

Besides it's not even them who deserve the criticism, it's the lawmakers

 

[smasha]

Nothing good comes of bashing umpires.

Besides it's not even them who deserve the criticism, it's the lawmakers

lolz

 

[The 747]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-08-18/watch-the-umpire-commentary-afl-warns-clubs

If I walked into North Korea and said that Kim Jong is a sadistic incompetent ******* I would be arrested and probably shot in the head. Because Its a dictatorship country and there is no freedom of speech.

If i walked into public now and said I thought Malcolm Turnball is the worst PM in history, unless i was creating a massive public disturbance and threatening peoples safety, no one would really care.

There is no freedom of speech in the AFL and Gillion is a dictator.

there is a clear issue with the umpiring and rules in the AFL. Now I don't like blaming umps for a loss, but the fact is, if they are silencing people for daring to question it, it means theres something dodgy going on.

There are also many other instances in which the AFL runs dictator like.. I think it was Carlton a few weeks ago who got fined for not letting the AFL know that a player took off training. I hate Carlton, but how absolutely stupid, how is it any of the AFLs business?

Won't be long until all players are required to wear a microchip and the AFL start electronically tracking their whereabouts.

Uh dude there is no freedom of speech in Australia. There is a right of free commenting on politics not football.

 

[mehow2g]

Don't question umpires? nothing sus at all but it makes sense, people seem to have a crackpipe idea that teams pay off umpires which is a load of s**t, the AFL uses the umpires to help get a desired top 8 finish, the Fixture is based off max revenue "block busters" etc.

It's not a full fix it's a helping of team by using momentum.

Teams are brand and the they want the top earning brands in the top 8.

 

[BRAB]

That's what I'm saying about the way they go about it
If they are being outright abusive calling them white maggots or something inappropriate it's understandle but he wasn't and neither was Gawn.

You talk about a lack of freedom of speech making the AFL a dictatorship.

You draw the line at them being called white maggots. That is a suppression of freedom of speech and therefore the AFL would be a dictatorship if they fined a coach for saying that.

Or perhaps, the AFL has the right to modulate the way in which its representatives present the brand.

You fundamentally agree with this; you just disagree where the line is. The AFL has drawn the line at representatives of the competition questioning the partiality or competency of officials. You've drawn the line at abusing them. Both of these lines supress freedom of speech.

There's more cogent ways to express the fact that you feel coaches and players should be able to question umpiring decisions without comparing the AFL to a country that runs concentration camps. Making this a freedom of speech issue is intellectually dishonest and it really just doesn't make sense.

Publicly questioning the umpiring won't help to improve it. There's means to improve the standard of the umpiring behind closed doors, and Hardwick will have the opportunity to express these concerns in an official capacity come the end of the season like every coach in the competition.

Criticising umpires publically doesn't improve umpiring and it damages the brand. It's that sort of culture that gets umpires abused at local footy and I understand why the AFL is starting to crack down on it like the NRL has done for years.

Max Gawn had a proper grievance, given that the clarification the AFL provided to him didn't make sense. Richmond's grievance was tenuous at best, and really wouldn't form a part of an argument I'd be making to the competition at the end of the year to improve the standards of umpiring.

 

[Milanista28]

Umpires are never held to account, Don't expect it to change until they become professional.

 

[Infra Ted]

Please come up with a half decent logical respense and then come back.

Dont worry mate. Half of Geelong posters are just arrogant trolls looking to get a rise out of opposition fans. Youll come to know which ones.

On topic, i think there absolutely needs to be some transparancy and accountabilty with umpiring. If there is ever a contentious umpiring performance it is ALWAYS swept under the rug and that Hayden prick just finds a way to justify it. Its sickening. Just admit your umpires got it wrong and youll review it and adjust accordingly. Thats all we need. The way it is now, you cant critisise an umpires performance in a public forum without being fined? WTF is that.

I think there needs to be a performance review of all umpires and if they dont meet the standards they be 'dropped'. And FFS, if it is known that an umpire supports a certain team dont then roster him to umpire said team.

Its not ******* hard AFL. So ameteur its unbelievable.