The Bulldogs and Umpires: Time for a Royal Commission?

Apr 23, 2016
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The Western Bulldogs were +14 in free kicks on the weekend for their 19-point win against Brisbane. If we're just going purely by the numbers, shouldn't we be more focussed on Port's +10 in their 2-point win over Richmond, or Sydney's +13 in their 3-point win against Essendon.

Maybe, if Port had a history of lopsided free kick counts over the past 5 seasons, which they don't.
 

Shadow89

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Anyone shocked by this?? I'm not.

For reference: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/the-bulldogs-and-umpires-time-for-a-royal-commission.1215417/



PositionClubFrees ForFrees AgainstDifferential
1Adelaide1027725
2W.Bulldogs886721
3GWS988018
4Sydney988117
5West Coast836617
6Carlton918110
7North Melbourne94895
8Gold Coast79754
9Melbourne78753
10Essendon83821
11Port Adelaide8486-2
12Collingwood8488-4
13Fremantle7886-8
14Hawthorn7486-12
15Brisbane7898-20
16St Kilda6889-21
17Geelong74101-27
18Richmond6794-27
Well look at that...equal 15th in frees for...but I guess that doesn't suit the 'protected species, free kick Geelong' narrative.
 
Yes, Bevo has been very big on team discipline.

Thank you for noticing :)

Here's a stat - 29 more tackles than Brisbane last round.
 

Shadow89

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I'll put my hand up and admit I was surprised by that stat.

Good for you to admit it. There is a lot of baying that goes on during match day threads, but not a lot of actual statistical analysis that goes alongside it.

A lot of team's supporters have created this narrative, and people have bought into it without actually checking whether it's right or not. Clearly, when we're 18th against, 15th for and 17th overall in differential...we're really not being favoured like the fictional narrative suggests.

People should just say 'I don't like Geelong' not 'they get everything and they're protected', as based on the statistics, we really don't. We get an odd one here or there (like the Brisbane one), but largely, over the course of a season, we get royally screwed by the umps (not that many would actually admit that even once they saw this data - due to their dislike of Geelong as a team, Selwood ducking, Dangerfield flopping etc. etc.).
 
Aug 25, 2005
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Yes, Bevo has been very big on team discipline.

Thank you for noticing :)

Here's a stat - 29 more tackles than Brisbane last round.

So I guess that puts to bed the myth about being first to the ball?

It's extraordinary for a team to tackle as much as the Bulldogs do compared to their opponents, and not give away anywhere near as many free kicks.
 

Dexter6

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Mar 14, 2021
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Is there any actual reason this thread is called "The Bulldogs and free kicks"?

-They haven't recieved the most free kicks
-They haven't conceded the least free kicks
-They don't have the biggest differential

Maybe someone's just trying to stir up drama before two particular teams play each other this weekend so that they have something to blame a loss on 🤔
 
Aug 25, 2005
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Pity Bigfooty doesn't have no dickheads policy. Works for the Bulldogs. Dahlhaus and Stringer gone to two teams who are not so hot on the free kick differential count. Especially now that Duckwood has been nobbled.
The Bulldogs were blitzing the free kick differential when those two were at the club though?


I wonder what players' individual free kick stats look like before and after being at the Bulldogs, compared with their other clubs?
 

fred cook

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Jan 14, 2005
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I feel like the year 2016 is important for this thread but I can’t put my finger on it.

I can put a finger the Swans wouldn't have anything to whinge about regarding free kicks in the 2016 GF if you hadn't choked your first final and lost to a side that has basically done jack since that final :)
 
We're coached well in this regard. Very disciplined.

What's weird is all the posters who still think there is some kind of conspiracy to this. Either we are one of the more disciplined sides in the comp under Beveridge, or the umpires have been deliberately favouring us. Which is just irrational to believe.

If you call your entire side seemingly being coached to throw their head back at the first sign of contact to be 'disciplined', then yes, the Bulldogs are a very 'disciplined' side.
 
Mar 2, 2015
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In-Celebration-She-Just-Wanted-to-Kiss-It.jpg


The Western Bulldogs should definitely receive some sort of trophy for being the umpires' pets


The doggys and umpires have gotten back to the synergy they had from 2016 to 2019

Free kick differential (avg)

2021

6.2 Adel
5.2 W.B
4.5 GWS
4.2 Syd
4.2 WCE
2.5 Carl
1.2 NM
1.0 Gold
0.8 Melb
0.2 Ess
-0.5 Port
-1.0 Coll
-2.0 Freo
-3.0 Haw
-5.0 Bris
-5.2 St K
-6.8 Geel
-6.8 Rich

2020
3.9 Coll
2.6 Port
2.5 Freo
2.4 NM
1.4 Adel
0.9 WCE
0.8 W.B
0.5 Syd
0.5 Bris
0.0 Melb
-0.4 St K
-0.5 Carl
-0.6 Gold
-1.2 GWS
-2.0 Geel
-2.9 Ess
-3.3 Rich
-4.1 Haw


2019
4.0 W.B

3.7 Coll
3.3 Adel
2.5 Gold
1.0 Geel
0.7 Freo
0.3 NM
0.3 WCE
-0.2 Port
-0.2 Bris
-0.4 Ess
-1.2 Melb
-1.2 Rich
-1.6 St K
-2.0 Haw
-2.1 Carl
-2.7 Syd
-3.9 GWS


2018
4.2 Coll
3.9 NM
3.3 WCE
2.2 W.B
2.1 Adel
1.2 Bris
0.3 Carl
0.2 Geel
0.1 Haw
-0.4 Melb
-1.1 Ess
-1.2 Port
-1.4 Syd
-1.9 Freo
-2.0 Gold
-2.3 GWS
-2.5 St K
-5.1 Rich


2017
2.8 W.B
2.1 Bris
2.0 Coll
1.7 NM
1.3 Carl
1.2 WCE
0.8 St K
-0.1 Gold
-0.2 Adel
-0.2 Melb
-0.4 Ess
-0.5 Geel
-1.1 Port
-1.2 Haw
-1.2 Syd
-1.8 Freo
-2.2 GWS
-2.4 Rich


2016
4.3 W.B

3.1 NM
1.8 Coll
1.5 Ess
1.4 Adel
1.0 WCE
0.6 Haw
0.5 Carl
-0.6 Freo
-0.8 Rich
-1.0 Bris
-1.1 St K
-1.3 Melb
-1.4 Gold
-1.7 Geel
-1.9 Syd
-2.2 GWS
-2.6 Port
 

Substance

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 6, 2012
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If you call your entire side seemingly being coached to throw their head back at the first sign of contact to be 'disciplined', then yes, the Bulldogs are a very 'disciplined' side.

Haven't noticed us doing this more than the afl average, so unless you have any data to back that up, I don't believe that's the case.
 
Haven't noticed us doing this more than the afl average, so unless you have any data to back that up, I don't believe that's the case.

Unfortunately I don't think Champion Data keeps stats on cheating, but if they did then Toby McLean and Mitch Wallis would be clubhouse leaders and Cody Weightman would've been a walk-up start for the Rising Star.
 

Are you honestly going to sit here and tell me that you don't think Toby McLean plays for frees more than the average footballer?
 

Substance

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 6, 2012
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Are you honestly going to sit here and tell me that you don't think Toby McLean plays for frees more than the average footballer?

Yes he does. He's also been out injured for nearly 12 months and is only 1 player. Also, what he does is not by definition cheating, nor is it exclusive to our club, so as I said you're talking twaddle right now.
 
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