Roast The Greenwood Free Kick

[Howezat]

The umps are on a hiding to nothing, the interpretation keeps changing from week to week because of directives coming from the AFL, they had no idea how to handle around the neck last night because they were caught between the two latest interpretations.

 

[Sando22]

Yep, no problem with letting a few Melbourne "drops" in the video go, as I've admitted above. But there are still inconsistencies - as I mentioned, De Goey was claimed immediately and pinged in the same circumstance. Crisp apparently gave up his prior by fending off early in Q4 inside Melbourne's 50 (leading to a shot at goal), but there were other instances in the game when putting up the arm was play on.

Let's not pretend it's confined to one game though, I saw Jack Darling last night try to bust through tackles 5m out, stone-cold drop the ball and West Coast kick a goal from the spillage. League-wide HTB is approaching random adjudication.

Agree, is definitely a wider issue.

Even the one that lead to Bugg's shot on goal where the Melbourne player has taken 3-4 steps on the run and doesn't get a clean handball after being tackled? Does he need to run the length of the Flemington straight before being deemed to have prior opportunity?

Look, we could do this all day to be honest so I won't continue with random examples.
I do however, take issue with the fact that many seem to think the game was wholly and solely gifted to Melbourne by the umpires because of Neale Daniher and the AFL is rigged.

 

[Sando22]

The umps are on a hiding to nothing, the interpretation keeps changing from week to week because of directives coming from the AFL, they had no idea last night how to handle around the neck because they were caught between the two latest interpretations.

Agree. A near impossible game to umpire correctly. I don't envy the umpires one bit.

 

[barrackers]

Agree, is definitely a wider issue.

Look, we could do this all day to be honest so I won't continue with random examples.
I do however, take issue with the fact that many seem to think the game was wholly and solely gifted to Melbourne by the umpires because of Neale Daniher and the AFL is rigged.

All I want is consistency, with more umps on the field this seems to be getting worse and worse. I'd also much rather finals footy where they put the whistle away and only pay the obvious ones.

The rules should be simplified too -

Tackled with/without prior opportunity and lose possession of the footy without a kick or handball = free kick

Tackled with prior opportunity and retain possession = free kick

Tackled without prior opportunity and retain possession = ball up

Drag the footy in or hold it to an opponent while on the ground = free kick

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

All I want is consistency, with more umps on the field this seems to be getting worse and worse. I'd also much rather finals footy where they put the whistle away and only pay the obvious ones.

The rules should be simplified too -

Tackled with/without prior opportunity and lose possession of the footy without a kick or handball = free kick

Tackled with prior opportunity and retain possession = free kick

Tackled without prior opportunity and retain possession = ball up

Drag the footy in or hold it to an opponent while on the ground = free kick

Hold the footy to an opponent is a simple one. If your hands are on the ball then by definition you are also in possession...by virtue of being the player who is actually touching the ball. Hence you can be tackled.

That new rule interpretation (not even a rule change required) will immediately stop players deliberately holding the ball against another player to draw a holding the ball free.....because they are exposing themsleves to give away a holding the ball free instead. As you are dragging the ball in (to an opponent) its also prior opportunity spent. You would stop this tactic overnight with a simple interpretation change.

And if players continue to do it...I propose bringing back the old "grab the back of the jumper and stick your hand in the air" tackle. I miss those days.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Also , tackled without prior opportunity should still require an attempt to dispose of the ball, even if its an illegal disposal.

Its a bugbear of mine seeing players pinged for dropping or throwing when they are tackled within a millisecond of receiving the ball, and the free is paid for holding/throwing, usually because the crowd roars. The rule clearly states you dont have to dispose of the ball legally if tackled without prior opportunity. You just have to make an attempt.

Nothing wrong with the rule as it stands but the interpretation changes depending on how exciting the game is or how crowd pleasing the tackle is.