Umpires - Appalling

[Rhino5]

I'm generally a believer that this stuff all evens out in the end, but I reckon we are copping the rough end of things lately - again last night, there were a few high tackles on our guys that weren't picked up and the holding the ball inconsistency was really a joke. I'd also love to see the stats on how many frees we are penalised for either straight in front of goal or within range because we seem to be on the wrong end of quite a few of those too.

 

[Hyphenator]

your right there is an anti-swans conspiracy going on in the umpires ranks, they perfectly disguise it by giving adam goodes votes in the brownlow. I have it on good authority that it is part of their plan for world domination

 

[GotTheGoodes]

While I don't think it's a secret plan by the umpires I do believe they are too easily swayed by the crowd. Last night was ridiculous... The holding the ball rule was a complete joke. They butchered their calls all night. The 2 "swinging" tackles in a row that didn't get called happened right in front of me and all 4 players involved looked up at the umpires straight after like "ummm, hello.... Are you going to call something???"

And i agree with the comments here that a few bad calls sap the momentum and confidence. Looking at it from a port power perspective those 50m penalties, while probably legitimate were overly emotionally based by the umpire who obviously got caught up in the crowds/Motlops response and couldn't handle a swear word on the footy field. the "Abuse" rule is just a free ticket for the umpire to fall back on when they want to give a free kick in an important point in a game to be seen as doing something.... Yes, it's ok, everyone sees you on the TV and at the ground too

 

[RUNVS]

That hold the ball free kick on Bird was a terrible decsion as the ball was being held to his stomach and Bird had both his arms in the air.

 

[bedford]

While is arms were in the air i said to a friend, watch ,this will be holding the ball. It was the most biased cheating i have ever seen.
To Leg end, it has nothing to do with the umps being Vics as Richmond against St Scum got the same treatment, so on your theory Ricmond were guilty of being from the inner suburbs.
FFS it doesn't matter where their from we are getting sharfted every week by these maggots.

 

[bedford]

While we are on frees , is Goodes the new BBBH since round 5 he has had 5 for and 15 against and total for the season 9 for and 19 against which is a disgrace for such a ball player.
The club must do something about this, it is getting beyond a joke.

 

[Swans120]

Why don't we trade him to a Vic club and watch his free kick tally sky-rocket?

 

[bedford]

You don't have an alias on here ? lol

 

[db swannie]

That hold the ball free kick on Bird was a terrible decsion as the ball was being held to his stomach and Bird had both his arms in the air.

That was a shocking decision, but week in week out in every match this particular rule is sending fans, commentators and coaches nuts. Obviously somewhere in the lofty halls of AFL castle the directive has been given: Go hard against holding the ball. In a month's time Geish will unleash a crusade against blocking off the ball, etc. One rule gets scrutinized for w while, then another...though I must admit holding the ball has been consistently getting screwed up now since the beginning of the season.

What really irritates me is when you see a player go in and tackle a guy who has the ball, then three or four guys pile in and put their arms up in the air pleading for a free, instead of trying to get the ball! I would like to see frees awarded against guys who stand around appealing for frees!

 

[Leg End]

To Leg end, it has nothing to do with the umps being Vics as Richmond against St Scum got the same treatment,

Well -it has to do with something.

If I was a coach whose team was about to play Sydney, my strategy would be "simply flood back in defence, because we will get enough possession, momentum and goals from the umpires to ensure a win."

 

[MF]

I reckon the umpiring was fine in the first half of the game. I haven't seen figures but I reckon with our overall dominance of possession we would have been well ahead in the free kick count at that stage. It seemed like the umps came out after half time and tried to even it up.

Obviously it didn't affect the outcome in any way but it's just annoying to think that they'd actually do that.

 

[Swans120]

I reckon the umpiring was fine in the first half of the game. I haven't seen figures but I reckon with our overall dominance of possession we would have been well ahead in the free kick count at that stage. It seemed like the umps came out after half time and tried to even it up.

Obviously it didn't affect the outcome in any way but it's just annoying to think that they'd actually do that.

The first half was well in our favour. Not quite as much as the 2nd half was in favour of Port but we definitely had more frees than Port in the 1st half, most of which i thought were there. 2 or 3 were wrong calls too, but not too many that i saw.

At one point in the 2nd half, Port had won 15 of the previous 17 frees. That actually happened, i counted it. It was just ridiculous. The HTB rule in particular is just a farce right now. It is not being judged properly IMO. Some of those decisions in the 2nd half were just plan embarrassing.

 

[TheMase]

I reckon the umpiring was fine in the first half of the game. I haven't seen figures but I reckon with our overall dominance of possession we would have been well ahead in the free kick count at that stage. It seemed like the umps came out after half time and tried to even it up.

Obviously it didn't affect the outcome in any way but it's just annoying to think that they'd actually do that.

I agree. I sent an sms to my Dad at half time suggesting the umps were doing a decent job for once. I retracted that at 3qtr time though.

 

[bedford]

I reckon the umpiring was fine in the first half of the game. I haven't seen figures but I reckon with our overall dominance of possession we would have been well ahead in the free kick count at that stage. It seemed like the umps came out after half time and tried to even it up.

Obviously it didn't affect the outcome in any way but it's just annoying to think that they'd actually do that.

What they did affect was our percentage, they kicked 4 from frees out of 8 and Mal and Mattner gave them 3 in the first Q.

 

[grimlock]

Free kick count at quarter time: 10-5
Free kick count after quarter time: 6-25

Were we really that undisciplined and Port such clean skins after quarter time?

 

[bedford]

We were first for the ball allnight

 

[Leg End]

Free kick count at quarter time: 10-5
Free kick count after quarter time: 6-25

Were we really that undisciplined and Port such clean skins after quarter time?

This is precisely the point.

The Swans/Bloods have gained a well deserved reputation for being determined, hard-at-the-ball, string tackling etc. If nythig, we should be getting more frees for being harder at the ball than most teams - but we are penalised harshly as if we are an undisciplined, bottom-of-the-ladder club holding back better teams with illegal tactics.

The umpires treat the Swans as constantly being illegal, cheating in 90% of contests.

So, the question is - is Paul Roos deliberately coaching the Swans to cheat, to show zero displine, to have terrible technique?

If not, then the umpires are going into Swans games with a pre-disposition to penalise us heavily - which is fraud.

I saw Brogan dive forward 2 metres into a Swans player's legs - and the umpire jumped in immediately with a free. Meanwhile Mattner was gang tackled by 2 port players, both got him high - and it's play on.

Sydney (with LRT, tadgh, CBolton etc) would be one of the more experienced backlines in the comp - but the inside 50 frees would indicate that we are the worst backline in the comp for discipline. Joke.

 

[WoGiTaLiA]

Sydney (with LRT, tadgh, CBolton etc) would be one of the more experienced backlines in the comp - but the inside 50 frees would indicate that we are the worst backline in the comp for discipline. Joke.

LRT and Mattner would give away 75% of our defensive frees though. Mattner does it because he gets out of position and has a tendency to flail his arms into tackles. LRT I actually think he gets a better run with the umps than most players, he genuinely seems to do something that could be a free against in every marking contest.

Goodes does seem to be getting r*ped and the umpires are alright with it. Holding the ball is always going to work against us with its current ruling as we attack the ball and try and win it but we also don't like to release it into uncertainty.

Do feel we got a bad run in the 3rd quarter. Worst seems to be that we can't get frees for in our 50 and we get penalised a lot in the back 50. Still think back the Malceski holding the ball because Rioli touched him despite a clear kick, then a quarter later the exact same thing happened to a Hawk... play on.

 

[Leg End]

LRT and Mattner would give away 75% of our defensive frees though. Mattner does it because he gets out of position and has a tendency to flail his arms into tackles. LRT I actually think he gets a better run with the umps than most players, he genuinely seems to do something that could be a free against in every marking contest.

Goodes does seem to be getting r*ped and the umpires are alright with it. Holding the ball is always going to work against us with its current ruling as we attack the ball and try and win it but we also don't like to release it into uncertainty.

Do feel we got a bad run in the 3rd quarter. Worst seems to be that we can't get frees for in our 50 and we get penalised a lot in the back 50. Still think back the Malceski holding the ball because Rioli touched him despite a clear kick, then a quarter later the exact same thing happened to a Hawk... play on.

On Saturday, as clearly the better team, we could over come a massive 25-6 free kick count in the last 3 quarters.

But, against quality opposition, it costs us games. With a more even treatment, we would have beaten Saints and Hawthorn.

can we beat top 4 teams? yes - on talent - but only if it's team on team. With current umpiring, we wouldn't have a chance.